Critical Update To Canadian LMIA Advertising Requirements: What Global Mobility Practitioners Need To Know

Effective September 2025, Canadian employers must utilize the Job Bank's "Direct Apply" feature for all Labor Market Impact Assessment ("LMIA") related job postings. This is a fundamental shift from optional to mandatory usage, designed to enhance transparency and prevent fraudulent practices. The Direct Apply mandate creates new procedural obligations and documentation requirements that employers must integrate into their current recruitment protocols.

Employers must actively review and consider all applications received through this Direct Apply function, and failure to do so may result in denial of the LMIA. They should continue to advertise for a minimum of four consecutive weeks on the Job Bank plus two additional recruitment methods.