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Ritwick

Star Member
Feb 19, 2015
86
2
Hello,

I have been working as a software engineer for a company in Calgary for over a year. I have submitted my profile to Express Entry for PR, but I only have 410 points based on Education, Age, Work Experience and Language test. How does my employer go about getting a LMIA for my current job? Any ideas? I don't want to leave my current job

Thanks
 
Start here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers/lmo-basics.asp
 
it is exremely hard for employers to get an lmia right now. but it's all based on what kind of job, is it easy for the employer to find canadians to fill your position, etc.
 
your employer will have to create job ad on the job bank website (i think), and at 2 other job posting websites. wait a few weeks, if there is no applicants then youre lucky i guess, so your employer does not have to explain to cic why regular canadians are not better at the job than you, and why are you the best candidate for the job, etc
 
arowberry said:
Start here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers/lmo-basics.asp

That link is for an employer who wants to hire someone who does not have a work permit. my employer hired me on my post graduate work permit and I have been working for more than a year now. How can they get a LMIA now?

Should they post an ad, and then after 2 months explain that there is no canadian fit for this position?
 
Ritwick said:
That link is for an employer who wants to hire someone who does not have a work permit. my employer hired me on my post graduate work permit and I have been working for more than a year now. How can they get a LMIA now?

Should they post an ad, and then after 2 months explain that there is no canadian fit for this position?
Believe me, they have Canadians for this position:)Especially now, when Alberta fired many people because of oil prices.
Moreover, those Canadians are ready to work for an average salary, while you must have higher than average, it is the MUST HAVE requirement for LMIA.
 
Ivan.Galv said:
Believe me, they have Canadians for this position:)Especially now, when Alberta fired many people because of oil prices.
Moreover, those Canadians are ready to work for an average salary, while you must have higher than average, it is the MUST HAVE requirement for LMIA.


I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for PR, I can tell you I don't have LMIA. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like other programmers.

Haha jokes aside, I do have some skills that make me unique in my programming job
 
Ritwick said:
I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for PR, I can tell you I don't have LMIA. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like other programmers.

Haha jokes aside, I do have some skills that make me unique in my programming job

These unique skills must be documented in job description and they must look as adequate requirement for the position.
For example, you cannot write something like "The skill of perfect knowing 105 programming languages." - looks inadequate for CIC.

For adequate requirements, Alberta has a lot of Canadian candidates for all seniority levels: Entry level, Senior Level, Lead level etc. Most IT companies do not need "Unique level", unless you have Microsoft MVP status or similar. The main question to hire or not to hire is only salary. That is why you are working instead of them. But LMIA changes the rules, you must request more salary than an average Canadian to get LMIA. Same set of skills and more money. Is your boss ok with this deal?
 
Ivan.Galv said:
These unique skills must be documented in job description and they must look as adequate requirement for the position.
For example, you cannot write something like "The skill of perfect knowing 105 programming languages." - looks inadequate for CIC.

For adequate requirements, Alberta has a lot of Canadian candidates for all seniority levels: Entry level, Senior Level, Lead level etc. The main question to hire or not to hire is only salary. That is why you are working instead of them. But LMIA changes the rules, you must request more salary than an average Canadian to get LMIA. Same set of skills and more money. Is your boss ok with this deal?

Thanks for the comments. You have some really good points.

And I checked the Median Salary for Software developer in Calgary and I am getting more than median already
 
Ritwick said:
That link is for an employer who wants to hire someone who does not have a work permit. my employer hired me on my post graduate work permit and I have been working for more than a year now. How can they get a LMIA now?

Should they post an ad, and then after 2 months explain that there is no canadian fit for this position?

It's a little more complicated / time-consuming than that, here's some "light" reading for you:

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/foreign_workers/higher_skilled/general//index.shtml

Good luck :)
 
And check this: http://www.cicnews.com/2015/02/attention-foreign-workers-employers-imminent-lmiaexempt-work-permits-024545.html
Are you sure the company is ready to take this extra responsibilities and risk of destroying the whole company because of you?:)
 
Ivan.Galv said:
And check this: http://www.cicnews.com/2015/02/attention-foreign-workers-employers-imminent-lmiaexempt-work-permits-024545.html
Are you sure the company is ready to take this extra responsibilities and risk of destroying the whole company because of you?:)


Does this hold true in my condition too? Sorry I could not figure it out from the article?

My company hired me a year ago on my post graduate work permit. They didn't apply for LMIA or anything at that time. Are they in trouble or should they apply for one now?
 
This does not apply to you at the moment. The new rules come into effect from February 21. So no, your company is not in trouble.
 
Lammawitch said:
This does not apply to you at the moment. The new rules come into effect from February 21. So no, your company is not in trouble.

Oh I see. But they will need to apply for a LMIA now if I want to claim those 600 points in EE right?