I noticed a number of people are going to try asking their employer for LMIA. I have checked with my company about what trying to obtain an LMIA actually entails. I thought I would share it here in case some of you are not aware of this or what I was told is completely wrong (in which case, please, correct me).
Here's what I was told:
- Employer has to repost my current position for a number of weeks (can't remember the exact number) on 3 major job boards;
- The employer has to prove they couldn't find a Canadian citizen/permanent resident to do the job: this is where the catch is.
Once the NOC for my position is figured out, lets say 1234, then the minimum the Canadian/PR has to satisfy is the bare minimum requirements for 1234, not the 'would like/nice to have' qualities. In other words, if the bare minimum for NOC1234 is a bachelor's degree or diploma in information technology then as soon as a Canadian/PR with an IT diploma applies, they would get the job instead of me, implying that I would lose my job. It doesn't matter that I have years of experience in this field/position, it doesn't matter if I fit in better with the team and have more of the desirable qualities than the Canadian/PR. The employer is expected to hire the Canadian/PR and train them. In bigger cities, the risk of not being able to obtain a positive LMIA is very high for those NOCs with low enough minimum educational requirements.
Employers are very hesitant to try obtain an LMIA since they would not get to select the best candidate for the job anymore especially if the only Canadians/PR to apply would have never made it to the top of the list.
Here's what I was told:
- Employer has to repost my current position for a number of weeks (can't remember the exact number) on 3 major job boards;
- The employer has to prove they couldn't find a Canadian citizen/permanent resident to do the job: this is where the catch is.
Once the NOC for my position is figured out, lets say 1234, then the minimum the Canadian/PR has to satisfy is the bare minimum requirements for 1234, not the 'would like/nice to have' qualities. In other words, if the bare minimum for NOC1234 is a bachelor's degree or diploma in information technology then as soon as a Canadian/PR with an IT diploma applies, they would get the job instead of me, implying that I would lose my job. It doesn't matter that I have years of experience in this field/position, it doesn't matter if I fit in better with the team and have more of the desirable qualities than the Canadian/PR. The employer is expected to hire the Canadian/PR and train them. In bigger cities, the risk of not being able to obtain a positive LMIA is very high for those NOCs with low enough minimum educational requirements.
Employers are very hesitant to try obtain an LMIA since they would not get to select the best candidate for the job anymore especially if the only Canadians/PR to apply would have never made it to the top of the list.
