LMIA-Exempt Work Permits Canada (2026) – International Mobility Program

IRCC’s current IMP framework includes different situations rather than one single eligibility test. These include workers who are exempt from needing a work permit, workers who hold or qualify for an open work permit, and workers who need an employer-specific LMIA-exempt work permit. Employer-specific examples can include eligible workers under international agreements, Francophone Mobility, certain International Experience Canada categories, and other exemption provisions. Significant benefit is one basis within the framework, not the rule for every IMP case. Workers building Canadian experience on these permits can also read the Canadian Experience Class requirements.

Intra-company transferees may qualify for an employer-specific LMIA-exempt work permit only when the applicable employee, role, corporate-relationship and other program requirements are met. The corporate relationship alone does not establish work-permit eligibility. Last reviewed: September 18, 2026 against current IRCC International Mobility Program employer and worker instructions.

One employer-specific LMIA-exempt route is the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) work permit. Business owners considering significant-benefit work-permit strategies can also review the C11 work permit guide.

Which LMIA-exempt route should you check first?

LMIA-exempt is not one single work-permit category. The correct starting point depends on why the LMIA exemption applies and whether the worker needs an open permit, an employer-specific permit, or no work permit for the activity involved.

Before choosing an LMIA-exempt route: six facts to reconcile

The correct exemption is a case-specific question, not a synonym for having a job offer. Prepare these six facts before deciding which employer or worker documents to collect:

1. Current authority to work: Does the worker already hold a valid open or employer-specific work permit, or require a new one?
2. Proposed work: What job duties, work location, employer and timing are actually proposed?
3. Claimed exemption: Is the basis an international agreement, an intra-company transfer, Francophone Mobility, significant-benefit entrepreneurship, or another specific provision?
4. Route-specific facts: Do nationality, employer relationship, language, ownership or other conditions actually match that provision where applicable?
5. Who must act first: Is this an open-permit situation, genuinely work-permit-exempt activity, or an employer-specific IMP application that requires employer steps before the worker applies?
6. Records already available: Identify the genuine job-offer and employer documents, any Employer Portal offer number where required, and evidence specific to the claimed exemption. Do not describe projected benefits or future documents as established facts.

This is a consultation-preparation tool, not an official IRCC checklist or a finding of eligibility. IRCC explains the employer-specific requirements in its employer-specific work-permit guidance. If the exemption or responsible party is uncertain, book a case-specific consultation before submitting an application.

• Open work permit or work-permit-exempt situation: first confirm that the person actually fits that separate authority to work. Hiring an open work-permit holder is not the same process as supporting an employer-specific IMP work permit.
• International agreement: identify the exact agreement and category, then verify that the nationality or status, occupation or business-person category, employer and proposed work fit that provision.
• Intra-company transfer: use the ICT work permit guide to assess the employee role, qualifying corporate relationship and other route-specific requirements.
• Business owner or entrepreneur: a person considering a significant-benefit strategy can review the C11 work permit guide and MAK’s Business Immigration service. Business ownership by itself does not establish eligibility for an LMIA-exempt work permit.
• Another employer-specific IMP exemption: routes such as Francophone Mobility and other exemption provisions have their own requirements. The exemption code must follow from the facts and the applicable program instructions; it should not be selected simply because the employer wants to avoid an LMIA.

LMIA-exempt work permit fees: who pays?

Worker: The usual work permit application fee is CAD $155. If an open work permit applies, an additional CAD $100 open work permit holder fee may be required; biometrics are generally CAD $85 per person when required, subject to family maximums and applicable exemptions. Employer: For most employer-specific permits under the International Mobility Program, the employer submits the offer through the Employer Portal and pays the CAD $230 employer compliance fee, unless an exemption applies. An employer generally does not need that portal submission or compliance fee when hiring someone who already holds an open work permit. These are government fees, not MAK professional fees. Check the current IRCC work permit fee guidance and employer requirements and exemptions before applying.

How to apply for an employer-specific LMIA-exempt work permit

1. Identify the exact exemption. Confirm the legal or program basis for the LMIA exemption and the route-specific worker, employer and job requirements before filing.
2. Complete the employer step where required. In most employer-specific IMP cases, the employer submits the offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pays the current employer compliance fee unless an exemption from that requirement applies.
3. Use the offer number. After the employer submits the offer, the employer gives the worker the 7-digit offer of employment number for the work-permit application.
4. File the worker’s application. The worker submits the work-permit application with the route-specific evidence and the other documents required for eligibility and admissibility.
5. IRCC assesses the application. Being LMIA-exempt does not guarantee issuance of a work permit. The officer still assesses whether the applicant and proposed work meet the applicable requirements.

Before filing: three LMIA-exempt application red flags

The employer-specific IMP sequence above can fail in practice even when the applicant has identified an exemption. Check these points before the worker submits the permit application:

• Weak exemption fit: The exemption category must match the actual worker, employer and work arrangement. A job title or employer’s statement that the position is “LMIA-exempt” is not sufficient proof of the route’s requirements.
• Inconsistent employer offer: Where the Employer Portal step is required, compare the submitted employer information, duties, wages, location and work conditions with the worker’s supporting documents. Confirm the offer number and compliance-fee payment or the applicable exemption; do not assume either is optional.
• Unsupported worker evidence: Check that the applicant’s qualifications, work history, employment records and required status or admissibility documents support the specific route. If material information is missing or inconsistent, resolve it before filing rather than treating LMIA exemption as automatic work authorization.

These are pre-filing checks, not an alternative immigration category or a promise of approval. See IRCC’s current IMP employer requirements. For a case-specific exemption and evidence review, book a work permit assessment with MAK.

Open work-permit cases and work-permit-exempt activities follow their own rules and do not use this employer-specific sequence in the same way. Business owners, entrepreneurs and intra-company transferees who want a file-specific review can book a 60-minute business immigration consultation with Usman Khalil, RCIC and CPA.

For the broader permit map, see Work Permits in Canada. Processing estimates are covered separately in our work permit processing time guide.