An Indian applicant's Canada work permit in 2026 is built in two halves. The employer goes first: a Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada at CAD 1,000 per position, or an LMIA-exempt offer filed through the Employer Portal for CAD 230. The worker goes second: a permit application at CAD 155 plus CAD 85 biometrics, which took about 11 weeks from India at IRCC's late-October 2026 update. The wage rules that decide which LMIA stream the job falls into changed in November 2024 and were tightened again in 2026, and they decide most refusals before the worker's file is even opened.
The checklist and refusal cases are on the Canada work permit route page; employers sponsoring several hires can read the Canada work permit page for employers.
What is an LMIA, and which Canada work permit needs one?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is Service Canada's confirmation that hiring a foreign worker will not hurt the Canadian labour market. Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program the employer advertises the role, applies with the CAD 1,000 fee and receives a positive LMIA letter with a number the worker quotes in the permit application. The fee is non-refundable once processing starts, is never charged when Service Canada refuses to process, and can never be passed to the worker.
Under the International Mobility Program no LMIA is needed: intra-company transfers, free-trade-agreement professionals, post-graduation and spousal open permits and significant-benefit codes. The employer submits the offer through the Employer Portal with the exemption code and pays the CAD 230 employer compliance fee; the worker quotes the offer number. The Global Talent Stream sits in between: it still needs an LMIA and the CAD 1,000 fee but skips advertising and is targeted at two weeks.
What are the 2026 wage rules?
Since 8 November 2024 the high-wage stream requires an offered wage of at least 20 percent above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, with regional figures updated in 2026. Everything below falls into the low-wage stream, and the low-wage stream is where the restrictions bite: Service Canada does not process low-wage applications in census metropolitan areas where unemployment is 6 percent or higher, advertising must run for eight consecutive weeks across at least four channels including one aimed at youth, and one channel must stay live until the decision. Employers in affected cities raise the wage into the high-wage stream or use an exemption category; a recruiter promising a low-wage LMIA in Toronto or Vancouver is promising something Service Canada will not process.
What does it cost on each side?
| Item | CAD | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| LMIA application | 1,000 per position | Employer |
| Employer compliance fee (LMIA-exempt offer) | 230 per worker | Employer |
| Work permit (including extensions) | 155 per person | Worker |
| Open work permit holder fee | 100 per person | Worker, open permits only |
| Biometrics | 85 per person, 170 per family | Worker |
| Restore status as a worker | 401.25 | Worker |
A recruiter who asks the worker for money for the job offer or the LMIA is a warning sign for both sides; the worker risks a misrepresentation finding if the recruiter fabricates documents, and the employer risks a compliance ban.
How does the application run, step by step?
- Employer advertises and files the LMIA. Four weeks of advertising for high-wage roles, eight for low-wage, then the application with the fee. Global Talent Stream employers skip advertising.
- Positive LMIA or Employer Portal offer. Service Canada issues the letter and annex listing wage, hours and location; for exempt offers the employer pays CAD 230 and passes the offer number to the worker.
- Worker files from India. In the IRCC account with the LMIA copy, contract, qualifications, experience letters, passport and photo. Pay CAD 155 plus CAD 85 biometrics.
- Biometrics, medical and any request. A VAC appointment within 30 days; a medical exam is required for healthcare, childcare, teaching and agricultural roles and for stays over six months.
- Letter of introduction and arrival. The permit is printed at the airport. Work only for the employer, job and location printed on it.
How long does it take?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Advertising | 4 weeks high-wage; 8 weeks low-wage |
| LMIA decision | Several weeks to a few months by stream; about 2 weeks for Global Talent Stream |
| Work permit decision from India | About 11 weeks after biometrics (late October 2026) |
| Passport back and travel | 1 to 2 weeks |
Plan five to seven months from the offer letter to the first day of work for a standard LMIA hire, two to three months for the Global Talent Stream. The LMIA is valid for six months; file the permit inside that window.
What does the worker have to prove?
That you meet the job requirements stated in the LMIA (education, experience, licensing where the occupation is regulated), that the offer is genuine, that you are admissible, and that you will leave when the permit ends. Experience letters are where files fail: they must be on letterhead with duties, dates, hours and salary, and the duties must match the lead statement of the NOC code on the LMIA. An educational credential assessment is not mandatory for a work permit but settles arguments about equivalence. Regulated jobs, nursing or engineering for example, need the provincial registration or an eligibility letter. Use the travel document checklist to assemble the identity, health and character documents.
Why are Canada work permits refused?
Not qualified for the job. Letters did not match the LMIA requirements or the NOC duties. Obtain detailed letters that mirror the NOC, add an ECA and any licensing letter.
Genuineness of the offer. The employer's size or history did not support the role, or the wage sat below the stream threshold. Employers keep the LMIA file complete and offer at least the median plus 20 percent; workers ask for the full LMIA before filing.
Not satisfied you will leave Canada. Weak ties and no plan after the permit. Declare dual intent, then document property, dependants and the contract term.
LMIA expired or refused to process. Used after six months, or a low-wage application in a 6-percent region. File inside the validity window; move the role to the high-wage stream or an exemption before re-advertising.
Misrepresentation. A recruiter supplied a letter the employer never issued. Verify every letter with the issuer and declare all refusals.
What happens after arrival, and how does it lead to permanent residence?
An employer-specific permit allows work only for the named employer. Changing jobs means a new LMIA or exemption and a new permit, though a public policy lets a worker already in Canada start the new job once the new application is submitted. Extend before expiry; status is maintained while a timely extension is processed. One year of Canadian experience in TEER 0 to 3 qualifies you for the Canadian Experience Class. From 3 November 2026, Express Entry adds 20, 40 or 70 CRS points for twelve months of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation and 50, 70 or 100 points for a qualifying job offer at 1.3, 1.5 or 2 times the median wage, with no LMIA needed for the offer to count; see the Express Entry guide. The work permit itself still needs the LMIA or exemption.
How Vistolane handles it
Work routes go to a licence-checked immigration partner who runs the employer's LMIA file and the worker's permit together; employers get a compliance check before the offer letter goes out. Start on the Canada work permit route page or the free eligibility check.
