Work Permits: LMIA, LMIA-Exempt, and Open Permits
A job offer in Canada can feel like the thing that finally makes the plan real. But the moment you start reading about work permits, you run into two pairs of words that sound interchangeable and are not: closed versus open, and LMIA versus LMIA-exempt. Getting these straight matters, because they decide who you are allowed to work for and how much your employer has to do before you can even apply. Here is the plain-language version.
The first question: who can you work for?
This is the closed-versus-open distinction, and it is the one that shapes your daily life most.
An employer-specific permit (most people call it a closed permit) lets you work for only the one employer, in the one occupation, and at the one location written on your permit. If you want to change the employer, the job, or the location, you have to get authorization from IRCC first, and in most cases that means applying for a new permit before you start the new work.
An open work permit is the opposite. It lets you work for almost any employer in Canada and is not tied to a specific job. Because no single employer is named on it, that employer does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Open permits are not handed out for just any situation, though. They exist for specific cases, such as a Post-Graduation Work Permit, a bridging open work permit, certain spouses and partners, and the IEC Working Holiday.
The second question: does your employer need an LMIA?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document your employer gets from Employment and Social Development Canada. It confirms there is a genuine need to hire a foreign worker because no qualified Canadian or permanent resident was available for the role. A few things worth holding onto:
- Your employer applies for the LMIA, not you.
- A positive LMIA is tied to a specific role, wage, and employer.
- Once the LMIA is positive and you have the job offer, then you apply for the permit that is locked to that one role and employer.
Most closed jobs run on a positive LMIA. But plenty of jobs are LMIA-exempt, which brings us to the part that confuses almost everyone.
The trap to avoid: LMIA-exempt does not mean open
These two distinctions are separate questions, and it is easy to blur them. Closed versus open is about who you can work for. LMIA versus LMIA-exempt is about whether an LMIA is required. A permit can be LMIA-exempt and still be completely closed to one employer.
A CUSMA professional is the classic example. No LMIA is needed, yet the permit still names one employer and you cannot freely switch jobs. Being LMIA-exempt simply removes the LMIA step. It does not, by itself, set you free to work anywhere.
The common LMIA-exempt categories
Many people qualify to work in Canada without their employer ever touching an LMIA. These exemptions run under the International Mobility Program. The categories you are most likely to meet are:
- CUSMA (free-trade-agreement) workers. The agreement covers four categories: professionals, intra-company transferees, traders, and investors.
- Intra-company transferees. Executives, senior managers, and specialized-knowledge workers moving within the same company.
- International Experience Canada (IEC). Including the Working Holiday, which is an open permit.
- Significant-benefit and reciprocal-employment cases. Roles judged to bring an important benefit to Canada, and exchange arrangements.
For most LMIA-exempt closed jobs, your employer has a step of their own before you apply. They submit an Offer of Employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee, and then you apply for your permit using the offer-of-employment number as proof. There is an exception worth knowing: CUSMA, IEC, and certain other categories are themselves exempt from the compliance fee, so in those cases the employer selects the fee-exemption option and uploads proof instead of paying.
What it costs to apply
These are the federal fees you will most often run into. Fees do change from time to time, so confirm the current amounts on the IRCC fee list before you pay.
| Fee | Who pays it | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit processing fee | You | $155 |
| Open work permit holder fee | You (open permits only, on top of the $155) | $100 |
| Employer compliance fee (Offer of Employment) | Employer (LMIA-exempt hires that are not fee-exempt) | $230 |
If your family is coming with you
A spouse or partner can sometimes get an open work permit of their own, but the rules were narrowed sharply on January 21, 2025, so older advice you find online is often wrong now. Today these family open work permits are limited to spouses, not dependent children, of:
- international students enrolled in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, or certain eligible professional programs, and
- foreign workers employed in a TEER 0 (management) or TEER 1 (professional) occupation, or in sectors and jobs tied to government priorities.
On top of that, the principal person's permit or work generally has to stay valid for a while longer for the family application to go through. Because this rule changed so recently and the exact validity requirement can shift, check the current eligibility page before you count on it.
Extending, and the safety net of maintained status
When your permit is winding down, the single most important habit is to apply to extend before it expires. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days ahead, and earlier is better. If you get your extension application in before the expiry date, you keep working under maintained status while IRCC processes it.
Maintained status comes with a strict condition, though: you can keep working only under the exact same terms as the permit that expired. On a closed permit, that means the same employer and the same job. You cannot start a new job or move to a new employer on maintained status alone, and you have to stay in Canada for it to protect you. If you leave the country after your permit expires while your extension is still pending, you lose the protection and cannot resume work until a new permit is approved.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change employers on a closed work permit?
Not on your own. A closed permit ties you to one employer, one job, and one location, so you need authorization from IRCC before you start working somewhere new, and in most cases that means applying for a new permit. For an LMIA-exempt job, the new employer usually submits an Offer of Employment through the Employer Portal first. The safe rule: do not start the new work until you have the new authorization in hand.
Does LMIA-exempt mean my permit is open?
No, and this trips a lot of people up. LMIA-exempt only means your employer did not have to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The permit is still tied to that one employer unless your category specifically grants an open permit. A CUSMA professional, for example, is LMIA-exempt but still closed to the employer named on the permit.
What is maintained status and does it let me keep working?
If you apply to extend before your current permit expires, you stay on maintained status while IRCC processes the new application, which means you can keep working under the exact same conditions as the permit that expired. If you hold a closed permit, that means the same employer and the same job. You cannot start a new job or a new employer on maintained status alone, and you have to stay in Canada for it to protect you.
I am on an IEC Working Holiday permit. Can I do any job?
Yes. The Working Holiday permit is an open permit, so you can work for almost any eligible employer in almost any occupation without being tied to one job. A few regulated fields, like health care, child care, or commercial driving, may still require a licence or a medical exam, but the permit itself does not restrict your employer or your occupation.
My work permit expired while I was outside Canada. Can I still use maintained status?
Unfortunately no. Maintained status only protects you while you are in Canada. If your permit expired while you were abroad, or you leave Canada after it expires while an extension is pending, you lose maintained status and cannot work again until a new permit is approved. If you must travel with an extension pending, get advice first.
How does my work permit help me toward permanent residence?
Skilled work you do in Canada on a work permit can count toward the Canadian Experience Class. CEC asks for at least 12 months of full-time skilled Canadian work experience (or the part-time equivalent) gained within the past 3 years. For a lot of people, time on a work permit is exactly how that year of experience adds up.
Key takeaways
- Work permits are either employer-specific (closed) or open, and an open permit lets you work for almost any employer.
- Many categories are LMIA-exempt, meaning your employer does not need a labour market test.
- You can apply to extend your permit before it expires and maintain your legal status while IRCC processes the extension.