LMIA Exemption Codes for Canada Work Permits
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Sections 204 to 208 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) provide the regulatory authority to issue a work permit to a worker who does not require a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) as per subparagraphs 200(1)(c)(i) to (ii.1).
There are specific situations that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) considers, by policy, as meeting the requirements of sections 204 through 208 of the IRPR. In doing so, the Department has created LMIA exemption streams (via unique administrative codes) to identify the different eligibilities or criteria for those specific situations. Meeting the eligibility criteria to be assessed under a LMIA-exemption category only means the applicant does not require a LMIA for their application to be processed. The officer must still be satisfied that all regulatory requirements are met for the issuance of a work permit – including all relevant factors of R200.
The LMIA exemption codes are listed in the following tables.
Important: There were several code changes and new codes added on December 15, 2022. Officers should ensure that they are using the correct coding based on the specific work permit category instructions.
Legislative sections:
- A25.2 Public policies
- R204: International agreements or arrangements
- R205: Canadian interests
- R206: No other means of support
- R207: Permanent residence applicants in Canada
- R207.1: Vulnerable workers
- R208: Humanitarian reasons
- International Mobility Workers Unit (IMWU): port of entry (POE) assistance
A25.2: Public policies
| Act | LMIA exemption code: December 14 and before | LMIA exemption code: December 15, 2022 and after |
|---|---|---|
Public policies issued under A25.2 (inside Canada)
Expired: Temporary public policy: Graphic designers working on live-action television or film in Canada – September 10, 2021 to March 9, 2022 Temporary public policy to facilitate the issuance of an open work permit to former or current post-graduation work permit (PGWP) holders – June 13 to December 31, 2022 |
R01 | R01 |
| Public policies issued under A25.2 (outside Canada) | R01 | R02 |
R204: International agreements or arrangements
| Regulation | LMIA exemption code: December 14 and before |
LMIA exemption code: December 15, 2022 and after |
|---|---|---|
| Canada–International Non-Trade Agreements
Unique work situations: |
T11 | T11 |
| CUSMA Trader | T21 | T34 |
| CUSMA Investor | T22 | T35 |
| CUSMA Professional | T23 | T36 |
| CUSMA ICT Executive or Senior Manager | T24 | T37 |
| CUSMA ICT Specialized knowledge | T24 | T38 |
| Colombia – Trader | T21 | F10 |
| Colombia – Investor | T22 | F11 |
| Colombia – Professionals or Technicians | T23 | F12 |
| Colombia – ICT Executive or Senior Manager | T24 | F13 |
| Colombia – ICT Management Trainee | T24 | F14 |
| Colombia – ICT Specialized knowledge | T24 | F15 |
| Colombia – Spouse | T25 | T25 |
| Chile – Traders | T21 | F20 |
| Chile – Investors | T22 | F21 |
| Chile – Professionals | T23 | F22 |
| Chile – ICT Executive or Snr Manager | T24 | F23 |
| Chile ICT Specialized knowledge | T24 | F24 |
| Korea, South – Traders | T21 | F30 |
| Korea, South – Investors | T22 | F31 |
| Korea, South – Contract Service Suppliers or Independent Professional | T23 | F32 |
| Korea, South – ICT Executive or Snr Manager | T24 | F33 |
| Korea, South – ICT Management Trainee | T24 | F34 |
| Korea, South – ICT Specialized knowledge | T24 | F35 |
| Korea, South – Spouse | T25 | F36 |
| Panama – Professionals or Technicians | T23 | F42 |
| Peru – Traders | T21 | F50 |
| Peru – Investors | T22 | F51 |
| Peru – Professionals or Technicians | T23 | F52 |
| Peru – ICT Executives or Snr Managers | T24 | F53 |
| Peru – ICT – Management Trainees | T24 | F54 |
| Peru – ICT – Specialized knowledge | T24 | F55 |
| GATS professional | T33 | T33 |
| CETA Investor | T46 | T46 |
| CETA Contractual service supplier | T47 | T47 |
| CETA Engineering technologists and scientific technologists | T48 | T48 |
| CETA Independent professional | T43 | T43 |
| CETA ICT Executives or Senior Manager | T44 | T44 |
| CETA ICT Graduate Trainees | T44 | T42 |
| CETA ICT Specialized knowledge | T44 | T41 |
| CETA Spouse of Intra-corporate transferee (T44, T42 or T41) | T45 | T45 |
| CPTPP Investor | T50 | T50 |
| CPTPP ICT Executive and Senior Manager | T51 | T51 |
| CPTPP ICT Management Trainee | T51 | T54 |
| CPTPP ICT Specialized knowledge | T51 | T55 |
| CPTPP Professional or technician | T52 | T52 |
| CPTPP Spouse | T53 | T53 |
| UK Independent professionals | T43 | F60 |
| UK – ICT – Executives or Snr Managers | T44 | F61 |
| UK – ICT – Management Trainees | T44 | F62 |
| UK – ICT – Specialized knowledge | T44 | F63 |
| UK Spouses of Intra-corporate transferees (F61, F62 or F63) | T45 | F64 |
| UK Investors | T46 | F65 |
| UK Contractual service suppliers | T47 | F66 |
| UK Engineering Technologists and Scientific Technologists | T48 | F67 |
R204(b) Provincial/territorial-international exemption codes
- Refusal to Process a Labour Market Impact Assessment Application
- LMIA Application for High-Wage Positions
