What is an LMO?

By Michael Niren February 14, 2013 (Updated December 7, 2020) 1 min. read

An LMO is also known as a Labour Market Opinion. It is a component of the Canadian work permit process.

There are two parts to obtaining a work permit in Canada. The first is obtaining a Labour Market Opinion, while the second is the work visa application itself.

A Labour Market Opinion is essentially permission from the Canadian government that the company who wishes to hire you is allowed to bring foreign workers into Canada because they cannot find any qualified Canadians to fill the job opening they have.

The Labour Market Opinion Application Process

It is your employer who will apply for the Labour Market Opinion from Service Canada, who will approve or deny it. The employer needs to demonstrate that they have attempted to find Canadian workers but have not, or that the Canadian workers they did find were not qualified for the job. They need to show that they adequately advertised for the job as well as describe the job in detail.

If they are approved, they will receive an LMO letter from Service Canada.

This positive Labour Market Opinion is required for the worker’s work visa application. Along with making an application for their Canadian work permit, the worker may also have to undergo an interview with a visa officer.

There are exceptions for people who require a Labour Market Opinion as not all foreign nationals will require a Labour Market Opinion.

However, the definitions of who is exempt from requiring a Labour Market Opinion are not always clear or easy to understand.

If you want to apply for a Canadian work visa and want to know if you require a Labour Market Opinion or not, as well as for assistance in obtaining a Canadian work permit, please contact our immigration law firm. We have helped many foreign nationals obtain work permits for Canada, as well as helped many employers obtain LMOs for bringing foreign workers to the United States.

We can be contacted using the form on the right or the telephone number above. We have new extended hours to serve you better!

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BERLITA COLLADO

I am so very thankful to the VISAPACE team for making it all come true and possible from my Open Work Permit to my Permanent Residence, you make it all happen .Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart , Thank you for being part of my achievements. Now I am now a Permanent Residence through the effort, power and knowledge of VISAPLACE LEGAL TEAM.
Sending you my best appreciation and thank you.

Berlie Collado

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Shahrzad Sh

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kevin geoffrey

Visa place helped me with my daughter’s sponsorship 3 years ago. Last week I contacted them for some clarification on a different matter. It was about an issue which technically was a problem of CIC’s software glitch and had nothing to do with Visa Place.
Yet Reena Sandu was assigned for my case. she helped me with enthusiasm and showed no hesitation despite me being an ex-client from 3 years ago.
I was very happy that even after 3 years of finishing business, Visa Place were respectful of their clients. Special thanks again to Reena for her enthusiasm and support.

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Nessie Leigh Ilarde

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parker ellis

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Domenico Orsi

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Lincoln Godfrey

Anis did a great job of listening to my situation and getting an attorney to talk to me right away, so I can cross the boarder without worrying about what they might ask me. He was kind and understanding and I look forward to working with him and his company in the future.