As of August 28, 2017, employers will be required to use Job Match before they can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire temporary foreign workers.
In hiring a foreign worker, employers are often required to obtain a positive LMIA, affirming that the employer is hiring a foreign national only after having tried to find a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident to fill the listed position. As such, LMIA’s demonstrate that hiring a foreign national for a given position will not harm the Canadian labour market, as no Canadians or Permanent Residents were willing or able to take the job. Although some work permits are LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program, which includes programs such as the Intra-Company Transfer and professionals under NAFTA, most work permits will require the employer to obtain a positive LMIA.
To acquire the LMIA, employers must meet specific advertising requirements outlined by Employer and Social Development Canada (ESDC). As of August 28, 2017, these requirements will include advertising using the Job Match service on the Canadian government’s online Job Bank. Job Bank aims to connect employers to Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents seeking jobs, and to eligible foreign job seekers who are in the Express Entry pool and hoping to obtain permanent residence in Canada.
Job Bank allows registered users to create anonymous profiles that reflect their skills and job experience. Under the Job Match service, profiles are rated according to the desired skills and job requirements listed on employer job postings. Profiles are ranked for compatibility on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, where 1 star shows limited compatibility, and 5 shows a near perfect match. Employers will see matched profiles, and can then invite compatible candidates to interview for the listed position.
The LMIA process varies between high wage versus low wage positions. As such, requirements for the Job Match service also vary depending on wage. For high-wage positions, meaning offered wage is at or above the provincial/territorial median, employers must invite all candidates rated at 4 or more stars within the first 30 days of posting the job ad to apply for the position. For low-wage position, meaning offered wage is below the median, employers must invite all candidates rated at 2 or more stars within the first 30 days of posting the job ad to apply.
At this time, it has not been stated whether employers will be required to interview job candidates who are invited to apply for the position under the new system.