Canada Work Permit Without LMIA: the LMIA-Exempt Pathways
Yes, you can often get a Canada work permit without an LMIA. LMIA-exempt permits run under the International Mobility Program, mainly IRPR s.204 (agreements such as CUSMA) and s.205 (Canadian interests). The main routes are CUSMA, intra-company transfers, IEC Working Holiday and Francophone Mobility. Most need a job offer, and the employer pays a $230 compliance fee.
$230
The employer compliance fee, paid by the employer
$155
The employer-specific work permit fee, paid by the worker
16 weeks
IRCC’s estimate for an employer-specific permit, inside Canada
about 8 weeks
IRCC’s estimate for an employer-specific permit, outside Canada (varies by country)
IRCC publishes times by permit type, not by exemption category (IRCC, November 4, 2026). The Fee Calculator totals the costs for your family.
What makes a work permit LMIA-exempt?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document a Canadian employer obtains from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before hiring many foreign workers. It assesses whether the job is likely to have a neutral or positive effect on the labour market in Canada.
The standard LMIA application fee is $1,000 CAD per position and is paid by the employer; it cannot lawfully be charged back to the worker. An LMIA-exempt route skips ESDC’s assessment and the LMIA fee, when you qualify for one.
LMIA-exempt work permits sit under the International Mobility Program (IMP). The legal basis is IRPR s.204 (international agreements such as CUSMA) and s.205 (Canadian interests, including significant benefit and reciprocal employment).
For most IMP categories the employer must submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pay a $230 CAD employer compliance fee before you apply. Some employers and categories are exempt. An officer decides every application.
The rule
The legal basis is the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), mainly sections 204 (international agreements such as CUSMA) and 205 (Canadian interests, including significant benefit and reciprocal employment).
Which categories are exempt?
| Category | IRPR basis and code | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| CUSMA / USMCA (formerly NAFTA) | R204(a); T36 for Professionals, other codes for the other categories | US and Mexican citizens: Professionals, Intra-Company Transferees, Traders and Investors |
| Intra-company transfers | R205(a), significant benefit; commonly C61, C62, C63 | Executives, senior managers and specialized-knowledge employees of a multinational |
| International Experience Canada (IEC) | R204(d); C21 | Youth from countries with a youth-mobility agreement with Canada |
| Other free trade agreements and Francophone Mobility | R204(a), T-codes; R205(c)(ii), C16 | Listed categories under CETA, the CPTPP and GATS; French speakers hired outside Quebec |
| Reciprocal employment | R205(b); C20 / C22 | Exchanges such as academic exchanges, performing arts, coaches and athletes, and summer camp counsellors |
| Charitable and religious work | R205(d); C50 religious, C51 charitable | Work that is itself charitable, or duties of a religious nature |
| Post-doctoral fellows | R205(c)(ii); C44 | Researchers at Canadian universities or research institutions |
| Significant benefit (general) | R205(a); C10, and C11 for entrepreneurs | Workers whose presence creates a demonstrable benefit to Canada |
Eligible occupations, country lists and codes differ by agreement and category. The Pathway Explorer lists the published LMIA-exempt categories and their criteria, and the NOC Finder gives your occupation code.
What do the main routes require?
- CUSMA
- You must be a citizen of the US or Mexico; permanent residence there does not qualify on its own. Professionals need a pre-arranged Canadian job in a listed profession, not self-employment, and the credential the agreement requires. A CUSMA work permit does not by itself grant permanent residence.
- Intra-company transfer
- You are generally employed by the transferring company for at least 1 year in the 3 years before the application. The transfer is to a parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate in the same corporate group, in an executive, senior-manager or specialized-knowledge role, and the Canadian entity must be a genuine, operating business.
- IEC Working Holiday
- An open work permit with no job offer, for citizens of a country with an IEC agreement. Age limits are 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries. Selection is pool-based: you submit a profile and IRCC issues invitations in rounds. Young Professionals and International Co-op (Internship) are the other two streams.
- Francophone Mobility
- A job offer outside Quebec, in any TEER category except primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5, and French speaking and listening skills at NCLC level 5 or higher.
- Charitable and religious work
- For charitable work, the officer assesses whether the work, not the organization, is charitable. Religious work needs a genuine offer of employment with duties of a religious nature, plus evidence of your education and experience.
- Significant benefit
- The officer should be reasonably convinced that your employment would lead to positive effects on the broader community, region or country, beyond you, your dependants and your employer. The benefit must be valid, reasonable and demonstrable.
How do you apply?
Confirm the category
CUSMA and IEC depend on citizenship. Your occupation’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code decides which programs list it, and some categories, such as intra-company transfers, need a specific employer structure.
The employer submits the offer
For most IMP categories the employer submits the offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pays the compliance fee before you apply.
$230
Apply through the right channel
A person who does not need a visitor visa may apply at a port of entry in some categories, such as CUSMA for US citizens. A citizen who needs a visitor visa applies before travelling. Others apply online through IRCC, from inside or outside Canada.
Pay the fee and give biometrics
You apply with the offer details, pay the work permit fee and give biometrics if required.
$155
Wait for the decision
An officer decides every application. IRCC publishes times by permit type, not by exemption category.
16 weeks
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
- Employer-specific work permit
- $155 CAD, paid by the worker.
- Open work permit
- $255, which includes the open work permit holder fee.
- Biometrics, if required
- $85, up to $170 per family.
- Employer compliance fee
- $230, paid by the employer. The $1,000 LMIA fee does not apply.
- The wait
- For an employer-specific work permit, 16 weeks inside Canada and ~8 weeks (varies by country) outside Canada (IRCC, November 4, 2026). Times change often.
No work permit fee applies to work for a Canadian religious or charitable organization without pay, under IRPR s.299(2)(f).
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Pathway ExplorerWhich programs to read about, from a few answers
- NOC FinderYour occupation code and TEER level
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What is an LMIA-exempt work permit?
It is a work permit issued without the employer first getting a Labour Market Impact Assessment from ESDC. These permits sit in the International Mobility Program, mainly under IRPR s.204 (international agreements such as CUSMA) and s.205 (Canadian interests). Each category carries an IRCC exemption code, such as T36 for CUSMA professionals or C16 for Francophone Mobility. Our Work Permit Guide compares them with LMIA-based permits.
What are the LMIA-exempt work permit requirements?
You must fit one exemption category, and each sets its own rules. Most need a job offer: the employer submits it through the Employer Portal and pays the $230 compliance fee before you apply. You then apply with the offer details, pay the work permit fee and give biometrics if required. IEC Working Holiday is the main route with no job offer. Our NOC Finder helps confirm your occupation code.
How long does an LMIA-exempt work permit take to process?
IRCC publishes times by permit type, not by exemption category. For an employer-specific work permit, its estimate is 16 weeks inside Canada and ~8 weeks (varies by country) outside Canada (IRCC, November 4, 2026). US citizens using CUSMA can often apply at a port of entry instead, and a citizen who needs a visitor visa applies before travelling. Times change often. Our processing times page shows the current figures.
Can I extend an LMIA-exempt work permit?
Often, yes. Apply from inside Canada before your permit expires. If you apply in time, IRPR s.186(u) lets you keep working on the same conditions until IRCC decides. If the permit has already expired, you generally have 90 days to restore status, must stop working, and pay $401.25 for restoration with a new permit. Our work permit extension guide explains the steps.
Is an LMIA-exempt work permit open or closed?
Most are closed, which means tied to one employer. CUSMA, intra-company transfer and most International Mobility Program permits name the employer, so changing jobs generally means applying for a new permit, and you cannot start until it is approved or IRCC authorizes you to work while it processes the application. IEC Working Holiday gives an open permit that lets you work for almost any employer, and spousal open work permits and the PGWP are open too. Our open work permit guide covers who can get one.
Is the Global Talent Stream an LMIA-exempt work permit?
No. The Global Talent Stream belongs to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and still requires an LMIA; it is a faster LMIA, with a service standard of 10 business days, 80% of the time. It is not an International Mobility Program exemption. For an LMIA-free route, look at CUSMA, intra-company transfers, free trade agreements, Francophone Mobility or IEC. Our LMIA guide explains how the Global Talent Stream works.
Can I use Francophone Mobility if my French is not perfect?
Possibly. Francophone Mobility (code C16, IRPR s.205(c)(ii)) lets employers outside Quebec hire French-speaking workers without an LMIA, for a job in any TEER category except primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5. You need French speaking and listening skills at NCLC level 5 or higher, an intermediate level; you do not need to prove you can read or write in French, and you do not need to be a native speaker. The rules on eligible jobs can change. IRPR s.205 on our IRPR pages sets out the legal basis.
How much does an LMIA-exempt work permit cost?
For the worker, an employer-specific permit costs $155 CAD and an open work permit $255, which includes the open work permit holder fee. Biometrics add $85 if required, up to $170 per family. The employer pays the $230 compliance fee, and the $1,000 LMIA fee does not apply. Our fee calculator totals the costs for your family.
Part of:Working in CanadaWork permits
- Francophone Mobility Work Permit: The Rules
- Open Work Permit: Who Qualifies
- LMIA Canada: Workers & Employers Guide
The textbook on this subject
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The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
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This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.