Temporary Foreign Worker Program

A Labour Market Opinion must be used within a maximum of six months of issuance

All Labour Market Opinions (LMOs), with the exception of the implied LMO under the facilitated processing for information technology (IT) specialists, issued to employers will be valid for a maximum of six months from the date of issuance for the purpose of work permit applications. An LMO that is not submitted to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to support a work permit application within the maximum six-month period is deemed to have expired, and the employer will be required to apply for a new LMO in order to hire a temporary foreign worker.

The expiry date identifies the period of time during which:

• The employer must notify the temporary foreign worker that the LMO was approved.
• The employer must send the LMO confirmation letter to the temporary foreign worker.
• The temporary foreign worker must apply for a work permit to CIC.
• The employer must continue to attempt to recruit Canadians or permanent residents until a foreign worker is selected if he/she did not provide the name of the worker when applying for an LMO.

If this does not occur within the period of time identified, the LMO is no longer valid and the employer will be required to submit a new application in order to hire a temporary foreign worker.

For more information, consult the Questions and Answers.