Edmonton Economic Development Corporation

Labour Market Opinion Assessment Criteria You will find below, a description of the factors that Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada takes into consideration when assessing an application for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) to hire a temporary foreign worker. It is important that you read the following pages that describe the conditions you must meet in order to receive a positive or neutral LMO. Applications that are filled incorrectly will delay processing times. When assessing a job offer, HRSDC/Service Canada considers primarily: the occupation that the foreign worker will be employed in; the wages and working conditions offered; the employer's advertisement and recruitment efforts; the labour market benefits related to the entry of the foreign worker; the consultations, if any, with the appropriate union; and whether the entry of the foreign worker is likely to affect the settlement of a labour dispute.

Several Canadian immigration categories require applicants to have work experience in a skilled occupation. Listed below are some examples of occupations from Canada's National Occupation Classification (NOC) system that represent skill levels A, B, or 0. The occupations are listed in alphabetical order.

NOC Occupation Occupation starting with Letter: A 0632 Accommodation Service Managers 5135 Actors and Comedians 1221 Administrative Officers 0114 Administrative Services Managers (other) 0421 Administrators - Post-Secondary Education and Vocational 2146 Aerospace Engineers 2222 Agricultural and Fish Products Inspectors 8252 Agricultural Service Contractors, Farm Supervisors and Specialized Livestock Workers 2123 Agricultural Representatives, Consultants and Specialists 2271 Air Pilots, Flight Engineers and Flying Instructors 2272 Air Traffic Control and Related Occupations 2244 Aircraft Instrument, Electrical and Avionics Mechanics, Technicians and Inspectors 7315 Aircraft Mechanics and Aircraft Inspectors 3234 Paramedical Occupations 5231 Announcers and Other Broadcasters 0823 Managers in Aquaculture 2151 Architects 2251 Architectural Technologists and Technicians 0212 Architecture and Science Managers 5113 Archivists 5244 Artisans and Craftpersons 1314 Assessors, Valuators and Appraisers 5251 Athletes 5225 Audio and Video Recording Technicians 3141 Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists 5121 Authors and Writers 7321 Automotive Service Technicians, Truck Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers

Occupation starting with Letter: B 6332 Bakers 0122 Banking, Credit and Other Investment Managers 2221 Biological Technologists and Technicians 2121 Biologists and Related Scientists 7384 Other Trades and Related Occupations, n.e.c. 7234 Boilermakers 1311 Accounting Technicians and Bookkeepers 7281 Bricklayers 5224 Broadcast Technicians 4163 Business Development Officers and Marketing Researchers and Consultants 0013 Senior Managers - Financial, Communications and Other Business Services 6331 Butchers, Meat Cutters and Fishmongers - Retail and Wholesale

Code Occupation 0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers0811 Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management (cap reached for June 2011 year)1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners2121 Biologists and Related Scientists2151 Architects3111 Specialist Physicians3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians3113 Dentists3131 Pharmacists3142 Physiotherapists3152 Registered Nurses (cap reached for June 2011 year)3215 Medical Radiation Technologists3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists3233 Licensed Practical Nurses4151 Psychologists4152 Social Workers6241 Chefs6242 Cooks7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)7242 Industrial Electricians7251 Plumbers7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics7371 Crane Operators7372 Drillers & Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

Canadian Eligible Skilled Occupations

Steps to Hire Temporary Foreign Workers

Hiring Steps: In almost all cases, foreign workers must have a valid work permit to work in Canada. When hiring a foreign worker, you, the employer must generally : Submit an application for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) to the Service Canada Centre responsible for processing applications.

Employers using a third party representative must complete the "Annex to the Appointment of Representative" form and send it with the LMO application.

If you have less than four years of work experience, then you must apply as an E.I.T (Engineer in Training). If you are applying as an E.I.T. you must meet two of the five licensure requirements which include Academics, Good Character and Reputation

What are the licensure requirements for internationally educated Engineers? Internationally Educated Engineers must apply to APEGGA for an evaluation of qualifications and, fulfill the following five criteria for licensure:                                                                                      Successfully complete the National Professional Practice Exam (NPPE).            English Language Competency.                                                                                               Good Character and Reputation.                                                                                             Work Experience (including one year of Canadian work experience).                                                                                                                       Academics acceptable to the Board of Examiners. 

Hiring Steps Make a permanent offer in a skilled occupation to the Skilled Worker and submit an application for an Arranged Employment Opinion - Updated (EMP5275) Employers using a third party representative must complete the "Annex to the Appointment of Representative" form and send it with the AEO application. Send the application form to: Service Canada

An arranged employment opinion (AEO) is based on these factors : The job offer is permanent; The job offer is genuine; The wages and working conditions offered for the job are comparable to those offered to Canadians working in the occupation; The employment is full-time, not seasonal.

HRSDC reviews the application and if appropriate, provides you with an AEO letter of confirmation supporting the job. Please be aware that a positive HRSDC AEO letter only supports the Skilled Worker's application for permanent residency, but does not allow for the person to work in Canada. There is another process if you plan to employ the person and, at the same time, support their permanent immigration to Canada.

Launched in January 2003, From Consideration to Integration is a three-phase project. In Phase I, work focused on understanding the international engineering graduates experience, examining provincial and territorial engineering licensing procedures, and learning from those who work with and employ IEGs. In Phase II, the Steering Committee analyzed the information, determined where the process of integration needs improvement and began to build consensus among stakeholders on possible solutions. In Phase III, Engineers Canada and its partners are working with key stakeholders to implement the recommendations and to develop supporting communications materials (i.e. fact sheets, Power Point presentations)

The assessment process In regulated occupations: The first step is to contact the relevant regulatory authority to determine what they need from you, and to discuss expected costs, timelines, and other requirements.

Some things that may be required during the assessment processes are: Complete an application form and provide necessary documentation.Required documents vary depending on the occupation; however, they often include educational transcripts, reliable references, employment history, resumé, and completed application form. Have your educational credentials assessed.Some regulatory authorities will perform the assessment of educational credentials internally. Others use external organizations to do this.The International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) will assess your credentials (education) on a fee-for-service basis; however, an ICES assessment is not always required. Before paying to have your credentials assessed by ICES, contact the relevant regulatory authority to find out what they require. Regulatory authorities may also assess other aspects of your qualifications, using some of the following approaches: Verifying previous work experience by contacting work references Practical assessment of job-related competencies Oral interview with applicant to verify information and to determine job-related capabilities As part of the assessment process, you will likely be required to: Take exams Pay fees Provide additional documentation or clarify information upon request

The total cost for the assessment process varies, depending on the occupation and the regulatory authority’s requirements. You can expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The length of time that the certification process takes also varies depending on the occupation—anywhere from a few weeks to several months. It is recommended that you contact the appropriate regulatory authority (PDF - 94KB) prior to arriving in BC, or as soon as possible after you have arrived, in order to determine the process and requirements for the occupation in which you would like to work. To assist you in determining which regulatory authority is responsible for your occupation open the following: www.tilma.ca/pdf/BCRegulatoryAuthorities.pdf

Open work permits are available to working‑age 18‑22) dependants of highly skilled temporary foreign workers employed in Alberta in an occupation classified as NOC 0 (managerial), NOC A (professional) or NOC B (skilled trades). More information is available here.

Open work permits are available to spouses and common-law partners of temporary foreign workers employed in Alberta as long-haul truck drivers. More information is available here.

Two-year occupation-based work permits are available to temporary foreign workers employed in Alberta as steamfitters or pipefitters once they have been certified in that occupation by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AAIT)

Your spouse or common-law partner and children can come with you to Canada or visit you in Canada, but they must meet all the requirements for temporary residents to Canada: they must satisfy an officer that they will only stay in Canada temporarily, and they may have to prove that they have no criminal record. If your spouse or common-law partner and children need temporary resident visas, they must also meet all the conditions for obtaining those visas.

If your family members want to follow you to Canada later, they must each fill out a separate application form

Can my spouse or common-law partner work in Canada?

Q. What is the format of the exam? How long do I have to write it?  The exam is 100 multiple choice questions. Two hours are given to write the exam.  

For US Professional Engineers not registered with one of the Canadian engineering associations you will need to have your academic institution provide us with your transcripts and you will also need to provide us with the names and contact information of at least three references. Alternatively, you can submit your NCEES Record Book instead. Also note that if you are a US Professional Engineer but not registered elsewhere in Canada, you will need to pass the National Professional Practice Examination before you can become licensed as a Professional Engineer or Foreign Licensee with APEGGA.

If you are going to practice engineering in Alberta you must be licensed as a Professional Engineer or Foreign Licensee with APEGGA.

Engineers Canada has also negotiated a recognition agreement on full professional practice, the NAFTA Mutual Recognition Document, to support greater mobility for engineers from Canada, Texas and Mexico, and has developed a national register of qualified Canadian engineers as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Engineer Register initiative. An implementation protocol to implement the NAFTA document is currently being developed. The APEC Register initiative sets out criteria for the creation of national registers of qualified engineers, which would facilitate the negotiation of bilateral mobility agreements between participating signatories.