How do I find Canadian employers with LMIA approval history?

ESDC publishes quarterly datasets of every employer that received a positive LMIA decision at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/reports.html. Download the most recent quarterly dataset and filter by your target NOC code and province to identify employers who have recently completed the LMIA process for your occupation. Cross-reference identified employers with active Job Bank Canada postings to confirm current vacancies. This approach uses government-verified data rather than employer self-reported claims, making it the most reliable method for identifying genuine LMIA-active employers.

Which Canadian employers hire the most foreign workers through LMIA?

The Canadian employers with the highest volumes of LMIA positive decisions in 2026 include Alberta Health Services, Fraser Health, and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority for registered nurses; Suncor Energy, CNRL, and TC Energy for petroleum and engineering professionals; PCL Construction, EllisDon, and AtkinsRéalis for construction and civil engineering; Shopify, CGI Group, and Amazon Web Services Canada for technology professionals through the Global Talent Stream; and Deloitte Canada, KPMG Canada, and CPPIB for finance and professional services. ESDC quarterly positive decisions data confirms current LMIA activity for specific employers, NOC codes, and provinces.

Can LMIA approved employers pay for my Canadian work permit?

LMIA-approved employers pay the LMIA processing fee of CAD $1,000 per position — this is the employer's legal obligation and cannot be charged to the worker. The work permit application fee of CAD $155 is typically the worker's cost, though many established employers reimburse this as part of their sponsorship package. Any employer or recruiter requesting payment from the internationally trained worker for the LMIA, sponsorship arrangement, or work permit processing is acting fraudulently — genuine Canadian LMIA-backed employment never requires workers to pay fees to secure a position.

Does having an LMIA approved job offer help with Canadian permanent residency?

Yes — significantly. A valid LMIA-backed job offer in a NOC TEER 0 through TEER 3 occupation adds 50 CRS points to an Express Entry profile when the LMIA number is entered in the profile. For most internationally trained professionals with competitive language scores, 50 additional CRS points is sufficient to receive an Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residency in the next relevant Express Entry draw — typically within one to six months of updating the Express Entry profile. After one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada under the LMIA work permit, the worker also becomes eligible for the Canadian Experience Class stream, providing further acceleration toward permanent residency.

What is the difference between LMIA and Global Talent Stream sponsorship?

The standard LMIA requires employers to advertise the position for at least four weeks, document Canadian recruitment efforts, and submit a full ESDC application with processing taking two to five months. The Global Talent Stream is a fast-track LMIA category for technology and STEM employers that processes in approximately two weeks, with reduced advertising requirements. GTS applies to specific occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List — including software engineers (NOC 21232), data scientists (NOC 21211), and cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220). Both standard LMIA and GTS produce a positive LMIA that generates 50 CRS points in Express Entry when the LMIA number is entered in the worker's profile.

Canada LMIA Approved Employers Hiring Foreign Workers in 2026

Canadian employers who have received positive Labour Market Impact Assessment decisions are among the most accessible and most reliably documented sponsoring employers available to internationally trained professionals in the global labour market. Unlike employer sponsorship claims in other markets — where employers may state they are “open to sponsoring” without a verified track record of completing the process — LMIA positive decisions are publicly documented by the federal government in quarterly datasets that confirm exactly which employers have successfully completed the LMIA process for which occupations and in which provinces.

This guide identifies which Canadian employers are most actively filing LMIA applications for foreign workers in 2026, which occupation categories generate the most positive LMIA decisions, how to access the ESDC public data to verify employer LMIA history, and how to find and approach these employers effectively.

Where to Find LMIA Approved Employers — The ESDC Data Hub

Employment and Social Development Canada publishes quarterly datasets of every employer that received a positive LMIA decision. These datasets are available at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/reports.html and contain:

Employer business name and province
The NOC code of the approved position
Number of positions approved
Whether the position is high-wage or low-wage stream
Approval date

This data is the authoritative public record of LMIA-active employers in Canada. An employer appearing in this dataset has demonstrated both the willingness and the capability to complete the LMIA process for the relevant NOC code in the relevant province — making them a materially more productive application target than employers who have not documented LMIA activity.

How to Use the ESDC Data Effectively

Download the most recent quarterly dataset
Filter by your target NOC code — your occupation’s National Occupational Classification number
Filter by your target province
Look for employers with multiple positive LMIA decisions in the same NOC code — indicating a sustained international recruitment programme rather than a one-time hire
Cross-reference identified employers with active postings on Job Bank Canada to confirm current vacancies
Apply through Job Bank Canada as the primary channel — which places your application in the employer’s official LMIA advertising record

LMIA Positive Decision Employers by Sector — Who Is Most Active in 2026

Technology — Global Talent Stream Leaders

Technology sector employers using the Global Talent Stream dominate the upper tier of LMIA activity for high-wage, high-CRS-impact positions in Canada. GTS applications process in approximately two weeks and are concentrated in Ontario (primarily Toronto and Waterloo), British Columbia (Vancouver), and Quebec (Montreal). The most consistently active GTS-participating technology employers confirmed through ESDC data include:

Shopify (Ottawa — remote nationwide): Consistently one of Canada’s highest-volume GTS employers for software engineers, data scientists, and ML engineers at CAD $110,000 to $175,000. Shopify’s fully distributed model allows GTS-sponsored employees to be based anywhere in Canada, making provincial purchasing power optimisation available to sponsored workers. NOC codes most active: 21232 (software engineers), 21211 (data scientists)
Amazon Web Services Canada (Vancouver): Amazon’s primary Canadian GTS filing location — sponsoring senior software engineers and cloud architects at CAD $130,000 to $185,000. NOC codes most active: 21232
Google Canada (Toronto, Waterloo): Active GTS filer for software engineers and ML researchers at CAD $140,000 to $195,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21211
CGI Group (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver): Among Canada’s largest IT consulting firms with consistent LMIA and GTS filings for software developers, cybersecurity specialists, and data engineers at CAD $85,000 to $130,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21220
Wealthsimple (Toronto): Canada’s largest FinTech company with active GTS filings for software engineers and data scientists at CAD $95,000 to $145,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21211
Electronic Arts Canada (Vancouver — Burnaby): EA’s Vancouver studios are among the most active GTS employers in BC’s technology sector, sponsoring software engineers and technical artists at CAD $95,000 to $155,000. NOC codes most active: 21232
OpenText (Waterloo, Toronto): Enterprise software company with regular GTS and LMIA activity for software engineers and cloud architects at CAD $90,000 to $145,000. NOC codes most active: 21232
RBC — Technology Division and Borealis AI (Toronto): Royal Bank of Canada’s technology and AI research divisions with active GTS filings at CAD $95,000 to $165,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21211
TD Bank — Technology Division (Toronto): Active GTS filer for software engineers and cybersecurity professionals at CAD $90,000 to $135,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21220
Manulife — Technology Division (Toronto): Insurance company with sustained GTS activity for data engineers, ML engineers, and cloud architects at CAD $90,000 to $140,000. NOC codes most active: 21232, 21211

Energy and Petroleum Engineering — Alberta LMIA Leaders

Alberta’s petroleum and energy sector generates some of the highest-salary LMIA positive decisions in Canada for engineering occupations, concentrated in Calgary and Fort McMurray. The employers with the most sustained LMIA high-wage activity for petroleum and energy engineering include:

Suncor Energy (Calgary, Fort McMurray): Canada’s largest integrated energy company with among the highest volumes of positive LMIA decisions for petroleum engineers, geoscientists, and process engineers in the ESDC quarterly data. NOC codes most active: 21330 (petroleum engineers), 21102 (geoscientists). Typical salary range: CAD $115,000 to $165,000
Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) (Calgary): Major oil and gas producer with sustained LMIA activity for drilling and reservoir engineers. NOC codes most active: 21330. Typical salary: CAD $115,000 to $150,000
TC Energy (Calgary): Pipeline operator with LMIA filings for mechanical and pipeline integrity engineers. NOC codes most active: 21301. Typical salary: CAD $110,000 to $145,000
Cenovus Energy (Calgary): Oil sands producer with LMIA high-wage applications for petroleum and process engineers. NOC codes most active: 21330, 21301. Typical salary: CAD $110,000 to $145,000
Enbridge (Calgary, Edmonton): Pipeline company with LMIA applications for mechanical and electrical engineers. NOC codes most active: 21301, 21310. Typical salary: CAD $110,000 to $140,000
Halliburton Canada (Calgary): Oilfield services company with LMIA filings for drilling and completions engineers. NOC codes most active: 21330. Typical salary: CAD $110,000 to $145,000
Schlumberger / SLB Canada (Calgary): Oilfield services company with LMIA activity for petroleum engineers and geoscientists. NOC codes most active: 21330, 21102. Typical salary: CAD $110,000 to $145,000

Healthcare — The Largest Single LMIA Category by Volume

Healthcare employers — particularly provincial health authorities — represent the highest-volume LMIA positive decision category in Canada by number of positions approved annually. Registered nurses (NOC 31301) and pharmacists (NOC 31120) generate the most healthcare LMIA activity. The employers with the most sustained healthcare LMIA programmes include:

Alberta Health Services (Province-wide, Alberta): Canada’s largest health authority and one of the most active LMIA employers in the country for registered nurses at all experience levels. AHS files LMIA applications for nurses from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, UK, and Australia at CAD $82,000 to $109,000 under the United Nurses of Alberta collective agreement. NOC codes most active: 31301. AHS’s international recruitment team manages the LMIA process directly and provides structured onboarding including NNAS credential assessment support and NCLEX-RN preparation resources
Fraser Health Authority (Burnaby, BC): BC’s largest health authority with one of Canada’s most established international nurse LMIA programmes. Fraser Health sponsors registered nurses at CAD $87,000 to $112,000 under the BC Nurses’ Union agreement. NOC codes most active: 31301
Interior Health Authority (Kelowna, BC): BC Interior health authority with active LMIA filings for registered nurses at BCNU agreement rates in a significantly lower-cost-of-living market than Vancouver. NOC codes most active: 31301
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (Winnipeg, MB): Manitoba’s largest health authority with active LMIA filings for registered nurses at MNU agreement rates in one of Canada’s most affordable major cities. NOC codes most active: 31301. Typical salary: CAD $85,000 to $110,000
Nova Scotia Health (Halifax, NS): Nova Scotia’s health authority with LMIA filings for registered nurses — and AIP designation providing an alternative LMIA-exempt PR pathway for eligible nurses. NOC codes most active: 31301. Typical salary: CAD $85,000 to $105,000
Shoppers Drug Mart / Loblaw Pharmacy (Nationwide): Canada’s largest pharmacy retail network with LMIA applications for pharmacists at CAD $100,000 to $132,000 annually. NOC codes most active: 31120
Extendicare (Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta): Long-term care operator with LMIA filings for registered nurses in supervisory and clinical roles. NOC codes most active: 31301. Typical salary: CAD $85,000 to $102,000

Construction and Engineering — LMIA Active Firms

Major Canadian construction companies and engineering consultancies generate consistent LMIA positive decisions for civil, mechanical, and structural engineers, construction project managers, and quantity surveyors. The most LMIA-active employers in this sector include:

PCL Construction (Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, Saskatoon): Canada’s largest employee-owned construction company with among the highest LMIA positive decision volumes for construction project managers and civil engineers in the ESDC quarterly data. NOC codes most active: 70010 (construction managers), 21300 (civil engineers). Typical salary: CAD $95,000 to $145,000
EllisDon (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver): Major Canadian construction firm with sustained LMIA activity for civil engineers and project managers. NOC codes most active: 70010, 21300. Typical salary: CAD $90,000 to $140,000
AtkinsRéalis (SNC-Lavalin) (Montreal, Calgary, Toronto): Major Canadian engineering firm with LMIA filings for civil, structural, and environmental engineers. NOC codes most active: 21300, 21320. Typical salary: CAD $85,000 to $125,000
Stantec (Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto): Engineering and construction consultancy with consistent LMIA activity for civil and environmental engineers. NOC codes most active: 21300, 21320. Typical salary: CAD $82,000 to $115,000
WSP Global (Montreal, Toronto, Calgary): Global engineering consultancy with LMIA filings for civil and transportation engineers. NOC codes most active: 21300. Typical salary: CAD $82,000 to $118,000
Graham Construction (Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon): Western Canadian construction company with LMIA activity for construction managers and project engineers. NOC codes most active: 70010. Typical salary: CAD $90,000 to $130,000
Aecon Group (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver): Infrastructure company with LMIA filings for civil engineers and construction managers on infrastructure and energy projects. NOC codes most active: 70010, 21300. Typical salary: CAD $90,000 to $130,000

Finance and Professional Services — LMIA at Senior Salary Levels

Big Four accounting and consulting firms and major Canadian financial institutions file LMIA applications for senior financial analysts, investment specialists, management consultants, and chartered accountants at salary levels generating significant Express Entry CRS impact:

Deloitte Canada (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal): One of the most consistently active LMIA employers among professional services firms for management consultants, tax specialists, and advisory professionals at CAD $100,000 to $145,000. NOC codes most active: 11201, 11100
KPMG Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax): Active LMIA filer for chartered accountants and tax specialists at CAD $90,000 to $130,000. NOC codes most active: 11100
PwC Canada (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver): LMIA filer for financial advisory and audit professionals at CAD $90,000 to $138,000. NOC codes most active: 11100, 11101
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) (Toronto): One of the world’s largest pension fund managers with LMIA applications for senior investment analysts and quantitative specialists at CAD $120,000 to $175,000. NOC codes most active: 11102, 11101
Brookfield Asset Management (Toronto): Global alternative asset manager with LMIA filings for investment analysts and financial engineers. NOC codes most active: 11102. Typical salary: CAD $115,000 to $165,000

How to Apply to LMIA Approved Employers Effectively

1. Apply Through Job Bank Canada First

Job Bank Canada at jobbank.gc.ca is the federal government job posting platform where LMIA-advertising employers are legally required to post during the LMIA recruitment phase. Applying through Job Bank places your application in the employer’s official LMIA documentation record — a different status than applications received through LinkedIn or general job boards. Search for your NOC code, target province, minimum wage reflecting the high-wage stream threshold, and “work permit” eligibility indicator to surface active LMIA-backed postings from verified employers.

2. Reference Your NOC Code and Express Entry Profile Status

Applications for Canadian LMIA roles are significantly more successful when they address the immigration context directly. Include in your cover letter:

Your target NOC code and TEER level
Your current Express Entry CRS score
The 50-point CRS impact of a valid LMIA job offer from the employer
Your credential assessment status (for regulated professions)

Canadian LMIA-active employers whose HR teams regularly manage the sponsorship process respond significantly better to applications that demonstrate this level of Canadian immigration literacy than to generic applications without immigration context.

3. Verify LMIA History Through ESDC Data Before Applying

Cross-reference each employer you plan to approach against the ESDC quarterly positive decisions dataset for your NOC code and province. An employer who appears in this data for your occupation has demonstrated both capability and willingness to complete the LMIA process — making them substantially more productive application targets than employers who merely state they are open to sponsoring without documented evidence of having done so.

4. Contact Health Authority International Recruitment Teams Directly

For healthcare professionals — particularly registered nurses — many provincial health authorities have dedicated international recruitment coordinators who actively manage incoming applications from internationally trained healthcare professionals. Contacting Alberta Health Services, Fraser Health, and Nova Scotia Health’s international recruitment teams directly — rather than only applying through their job portals — produces faster and more personalised response timelines for qualified international candidates.

Important: Avoiding LMIA Fraud

The Canadian LMIA market — like all employer-sponsored immigration markets — contains a proportion of fraudulent job offers that prey on internationally trained workers seeking Canadian employment. The key indicators that an LMIA offer or employer claim is genuine rather than fraudulent:

The employer appears in the ESDC quarterly LMIA positive decisions data for the relevant NOC code and province
The employer’s job posting appears on Job Bank Canada — which is verified against legitimate business registration
No fees are requested from the worker — the LMIA processing fee (CAD $1,000) and immigration legal costs are the employer’s obligation and cannot be charged to the internationally trained worker
The employer has a verifiable corporate presence including a LinkedIn company page with real employee profiles, a corporate website with contact information, and a Companies Registry or provincial business registry registration
The job offer specifies a salary at or above the provincial median hourly wage for high-wage stream positions and provides specific job duties aligned with the NOC code description

Any individual or organisation requesting payment from an internationally trained worker to secure a Canadian LMIA job offer is operating fraudulently. LMIA-backed Canadian employment never requires the worker to pay fees to any party.

Conclusion

Canadian LMIA-approved employers across technology, healthcare, engineering, construction, finance, and energy are actively hiring foreign workers in 2026 — with documented positive LMIA decision histories available in publicly accessible ESDC quarterly data that provides the most reliable, government-verified indicator of genuine sponsorship intent available in any employer-sponsored immigration market globally.

By using ESDC positive decisions data to identify verified LMIA-active employers for your NOC code and province, applying through Job Bank Canada as the primary channel, addressing NOC code and Express Entry CRS profile specifics in cover materials, and targeting employers with sustained LMIA activity in your occupation rather than one-time sponsors, internationally trained professionals can approach the Canadian employer-sponsored work permit market with confidence that their application effort is directed at the employers most likely to complete the LMIA process and provide the work permit and 50-point CRS boost that leads to Canadian permanent residency.