LMIA strategy — employer-side application planning (Canada)

You are advising an ESDC LMIA application for [EMPLOYER_NAME] hiring a foreign worker for [POSITION_TITLE] (NOC [NOC_CODE], TEER [NOC_TEER]) in [WORK_LOCATION] at CAD [WAGE_HOURLY_CAD]/hour. Candidate is in India.

TASK — Walk through the LMIA strategy in 6 sections:

§1 — STREAM ELIGIBILITY (120-150 words)
Compare against:
  • Median provincial wage for [NOC_CODE] in [WORK_LOCATION] (look up against ESDC Job Bank Wage Report 2026).
  • If offered wage ≥ provincial median → High-Wage Stream.
  • If offered wage < provincial median → Low-Wage Stream (TFW cap rules apply; max 10% of workforce for most employers, 20% for sectors approved post-2024 reform).
  • If candidate is a software / IT specialist on the Global Talent Stream (GTS) Category B occupations list → GTS, 10-business-day processing.
  • If candidate is a senior managerial/exec on GTS Category A with designated referral partner → GTS.

§2 — RECRUITMENT REQUIREMENTS (100-130 words)
List the four mandatory advertising channels (4 weeks, within 3 months of LMIA submission):
  1. National Job Bank posting (mandatory).
  2. Two additional methods serving the underrepresented group (women, Indigenous, persons with disabilities, newcomers) AND general audience.
  3. Document each posting: URL, date posted, date closed, applicants screened, reasons for rejection.

For Global Talent Stream applicants this is WAIVED — note that.

§3 — TRANSITION PLAN (80-100 words)
For TFW occupations, employers must submit a Transition Plan describing efforts to transition the role to a Canadian or PR within the LMIA validity. Required for High-Wage and most Low-Wage streams. Specify:
  • Hiring & training plan for Canadians
  • Outreach to specified groups
  • Internal upskilling
  • Eventual Canadianization of the role

§4 — WAGE TIER + IMPLICATIONS (80-100 words)
Detail:
  • Provincial median wage for [NOC_CODE] (look up: canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage)
  • Offered wage compared to median
  • Higher-of: prevailing wage + collective agreement minimum + Canadian-equivalent rate
  • Wage rate cannot decrease over LMIA validity

§5 — PR PATHWAY ALIGNMENT (60-80 words)
This LMIA also benefits the worker for:
  • CRS +50 (TEER 0/1/2/3 LMIA-supported offer) or +200 (TEER 00 senior managerial) for Express Entry.
  • Most PNP streams require an LMIA-supported job offer OR a TEER 0/1/2/3 occupation in skilled stream.
  • Confirm employer is willing to sign the PNP nomination if eventual PR application.

§6 — TIMELINE + FEES (40-60 words)
  • LMIA fee: CAD 1,000 (employer-paid, non-refundable). Cannot be passed to worker.
  • Processing time: High-Wage 8-10 weeks; Low-Wage 6-12 weeks; GTS 10 business days; Agricultural 1-3 weeks.
  • LMIA validity: 6 months from issue (worker must apply for WP within validity).
  • Permit issued for up to 2 years (matches LMIA duration, capped at 4 years cumulative).

End with: "DRAFT LMIA STRATEGY — for RCIC + employment counsel review. Verify the provincial median wage for NOC [NOC_CODE] against the ESDC Job Bank Wage Report at the time of filing; rates revise quarterly."