LMIA Exempt Work Permit 2026: Categories, CAD $155 Fee and Employer Steps

An LMIA exempt work permit lets a foreign worker take a job in Canada without the employer first obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), because the job falls under a category of the International Mobility Program (IMP). The worker pays CAD $155 for the permit, and an employer hiring on an employer-specific permit pays a CAD $230 compliance fee, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Processing runs from same day at the US border for some treaty professionals to about 16 weeks for case-by-case categories, according to one law firm’s 2026 estimate.

If you’re researching an LMIA exempt work permit, the first thing to understand is that “exempt” describes the employer’s side, not yours. You still need a qualifying category, a job offer in most cases, and a complete application. This guide explains what the exemption means, what the permit costs, which categories are exempt, how the open work permits fit in, how employers and workers apply, the documents each category asks for, processing times, the employer’s duties and the places where the sources disagree. It draws on the IRCC exemption codes page (last modified 23 September 2026), the IRCC work permit fee page (page details dated 18 February 2025), a SiLaw guide (9 June 2026), a Bridgepoint Law guide (published 17 May 2026, modified 14 September 2026) and a CANX Global guide (27 May 2026, modified 31 May 2026). The IRCC pages are official, and the other three are law firm or consultancy blogs. Canadian immigration rules change often, so confirm codes and fees on canada.ca before you file. For the wider picture of Canadian permits, see our Canada work visa guide.

What Is an LMIA Exempt Work Permit?

A work permit issued without a labour market test, under the International Mobility Program. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) generally requires an approved LMIA before a permit can be issued, while the IMP covers positions that a specific exemption in the immigration regulations has already approved, according to Bridgepoint Law. The exemptions rest on the idea that certain categories deliver enough benefit to Canada that labour market testing is not needed.

Bridgepoint Law describes two kinds of exempt permit. Employer-specific permits need a job offer submitted by the employer through the IRCC Employer Portal, and open permits, such as a spousal permit or a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), are not tied to one employer and need no offer. CANX Global puts the TFWP’s LMIA fee at CAD $1,000 and says an LMIA route can take “potentially five to six months.” The Global Talent Stream is sometimes listed beside exempt categories, but Bridgepoint Law notes that it is part of the TFWP and needs an expedited LMIA, so it is not an LMIA exempt work permit.

How Much Does an LMIA Exempt Work Permit Cost?

CAD $155 for the permit, plus CAD $230 paid by the employer for most employer-specific permits. IRCC’s fee page lists the amounts below.

CANX Global says the compliance fee does not apply to open permits with no specific employer, such as the PGWP. IRCC exempts work that is integral to a course of study, and distinguished scientists sponsored by the National Research Council or the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, from the permit fee. The IRCC fee page was last modified long before 2026, with page details dated 18 February 2025, so confirm the amounts at filing. The biometrics figures come from SiLaw only.

What Does It Cost in Practice?

About CAD $470 in total for a worker on an employer-specific permit, and CAD $340 for a worker on an open permit. For an employer-specific permit, the worker pays $240 (155 plus 85 for biometrics) and the employer pays $230, which totals $470. For an open permit, the worker pays $155 for the permit, $100 for the holder fee and $85 for biometrics, which totals $340. These are our sums from the fee table and assume one applicant who needs biometrics.

The comparison with the TFWP is clear. An employer who hires through an LMIA pays $1,000, while an employer hiring on an exempt permit pays $230, which saves $770 or 77 percent (770 divided by 1,000). A group of three performing artists pays at most $465 for the permits (155 times three) and the employer pays at most $690 in compliance fees (230 times three). SiLaw says the International Experience Canada (IEC) fees total $260, but 155 plus 100 is $255, so treat that figure as an error and use the IRCC numbers.

Which Categories Are LMIA Exempt?

Three groups of categories: international agreements, Canadian interests and public policy. IRCC organizes its exemption codes under regulation numbers, and the main codes appear below.

IRCC lists the CUSMA codes as T34 to T38 for applications after 15 December 2022, with T21 to T24 used before then. The agency’s page covers codes for refugee claimants (S61), people under an unenforceable removal order (S62), vulnerable workers (A72) and bridging open work permits (A75), which are outside this guide.

Why Do Some Guides Show Different Codes?

Because the law firm and consultancy guides label several codes differently from IRCC. IRCC lists C10 as significant benefit, C11 as entrepreneurs and C12 as intra-company transferees, and Bridgepoint Law agrees. CANX Global labels C10 as the intra-company transferee code, C12 as specialized knowledge and C21 as charitable or religious work, while IRCC lists C21 for International Experience Canada. SiLaw describes C11 as scarce-skill professionals and entrepreneurs, while IRCC lists entrepreneurs and self-employed business owners.

IRCC’s page is the authority, so use its codes when you fill in a job offer or an application.

What Are the Open Work Permit Categories?

Spouses of skilled workers and students, and PGWP holders. IRCC’s C41 code covers spouses or common-law partners of high-skilled workers in TEER 0 to 3 occupations. The page adds that for applications received on or after 21 January 2025, this applies only if the principal worker is not transitioning to permanent residence. C42 covers spouses of full-time students, and C43 covers the PGWP.

SiLaw says spousal open work permits narrowed after the 2024 and 2025 changes, so spouses of international students now qualify only if the student is in a doctoral or master’s program or a specific high-demand bachelor’s program. SiLaw advises checking current IRCC rules, and Bridgepoint Law says the PGWP’s field-of-study and program eligibility “have tightened recently.” CANX Global says spousal eligibility depends on the principal permit holder’s status and occupation, citing TEER 0 or 1, which is narrower than IRCC’s TEER 0 to 3. Confirm the occupation level with IRCC before you rely on a spousal permit.

How Do You Apply?

The employer submits the offer and pays the fee, then the worker applies with the offer number. Bridgepoint Law lists four steps for employer-specific permits.

1. The employer submits an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal.
2. The employer pays the compliance fee.
3. The portal generates an offer of employment number.
4. The worker applies for the permit with that number.

Open permits skip the first three steps and go straight to the worker’s application. CUSMA professionals who are US citizens can apply at the land border, and SiLaw gives same-day processing for them. SiLaw says a CUSMA application needs credentials that match the occupation in Annex 1603-D and a pre-arranged job offer from a named Canadian employer.

Which Documents Do You Need?

It depends on the category. SiLaw lists these by category.

• Employer: the job offer in the Employer Portal and proof that the compliance fee was paid.
• C12 intra-company transfer: corporate relationship records such as org charts, share registers, articles of incorporation and financial statements, plus proof of one continuous year of prior employment at the foreign entity.
• C11: evidence of benefit, such as employment projections, investment commitments or intellectual property transfer documents.
• C10: a credible business plan and proof of capital for entrepreneurs, an engagement or season contract for artists and athletes, and a formal invitation letter for academics.
• IEC: a Letter of Introduction, with the work permit application submitted within 10 days, and SiLaw cites a reference threshold of about CAD $2,500 in funds.

An engineer moving from a foreign parent company to its Canadian subsidiary under C12 would assemble the corporate records and proof of a year of continuous employment before the employer submits the offer. SiLaw states the one-year rule in its C12 row, while CANX Global says one of the previous three years, so check the IRCC guidance for the period that applies to you.

How Long Does It Take?

From same day to about 16 weeks, according to one estimate. SiLaw gives approximate times, and neither Bridgepoint Law nor CANX Global gives any.

Bridgepoint Law says some exempt permits in TEER 0 or 1 occupations may qualify for two-week priority processing, subject to verification. SiLaw reports C11 refusal rates of 20 to 35 percent at certain offices without tying them to a specific policy. These are secondary estimates, and IRCC’s posted processing times change often, so check them before you plan a start date.

What Must the Employer Do?

Keep records, match the offer and be ready for inspection. Bridgepoint Law says the employer must pay the stated wages, provide the stated conditions and occupation, keep records and be ready for an IRCC compliance inspection. SiLaw and CANX Global both say employment records must be kept for six years. CANX Global adds that material changes to the employment may affect the permit’s validity. The role and wage in the offer should match what the worker actually does.

Which Route Fits Which Applicant?

Pick the category that matches your situation, then confirm the code. The table lines up the options.

How Reliable Are the Sources?

The fees are official and the codes are consistent in IRCC’s own page, and the secondary guides disagree on details. The IRCC fee page gives $155, $100, $230 and the $690 and $465 maximums, though its page details date from February 2025. The exemption codes page was modified on 23 September 2026.

The conflicts are in the secondary guides. They label codes differently, SiLaw’s IEC fee total is off by $5, the one-year versus three-year rule for intra-company transfers differs between SiLaw and CANX Global, and spousal eligibility is described as TEER 0 or 1 in one guide and TEER 0 to 3 in IRCC’s page. CANX Global notes that it is a consultancy blog and not an official IRCC source. The processing times are from a single law firm.

What Should You Check Before You File?

Confirm the category, the code and the fees. Three quick checks save the most time.

1. Match your job and your nationality to a category on IRCC’s exemption codes page.
2. Ask the employer to submit the offer and pay the compliance fee before you apply, if your permit is employer-specific.
3. Check IRCC’s fee and processing time pages on the day you file.

Which Mistakes Delay an LMIA Exempt Work Permit?

Using the wrong code and filing without an offer number cause most delays. Check each point first.

• Quoting a code from a blog instead of the IRCC page.
• Applying before the employer has submitted the offer and paid the compliance fee.
• Assuming the Global Talent Stream is LMIA exempt.
• Missing the 10-day deadline after an IEC Letter of Introduction.
• Forgetting biometrics.
• Expecting a spousal permit without checking the principal worker’s occupation level.
• Underestimating processing time for C11.
• Letting the employer change your role without checking the permit conditions.

FAQs

What is an LMIA exempt work permit?

A Canadian work permit issued without a labour market test, under the International Mobility Program.

How much does it cost?

CAD $155 for the permit, plus a CAD $230 employer compliance fee for most employer-specific permits.

Does the employer pay anything?

Yes. The employer pays the CAD $230 compliance fee through the IRCC Employer Portal.

Do open work permits need a job offer?

No. Spousal permits and the PGWP are not tied to one employer, according to Bridgepoint Law.

How long does it take?

From same day for some CUSMA applicants to about 16 weeks for C11, according to SiLaw.

Is the Global Talent Stream LMIA exempt?

No. It is part of the TFWP and needs an expedited LMIA, according to Bridgepoint Law.

Conclusion

An LMIA exempt work permit costs CAD $155 for the worker and CAD $230 for the employer on most employer-specific permits, compared with a CAD $1,000 LMIA fee. Check your category code on IRCC’s exemption codes page before the employer submits the offer.