CANADA - Limited Validity Period for Labor Market Opinions (LMO)
- Canada
- 09/08/2009
The Government of Canada has released a new Operational Bulletin, which requires all Labor Market Opinions (LMOs) issued by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to carry a limited validity period during which time the LMO may be used to apply for a work permit. Each LMO issued by HRSDC since May 19, 2009 has carried a stated expiration date, with a maximum validity of six months. Work permit applications must be received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency prior to the LMO expiration date in order for the application to be accepted. Effective November 28, 2009, any work permit application with an LMO validity of longer than six months will be considered expired at the six month mark. Therefore, as of November 28, 2009, work permit applications with an LMO issued more than six months previously or those that are received after the stated LMO expiration date will be returned as incomplete.
This rule applies for all LMOs, with the exception of those issued for live-in caregivers in Quebec. This application process varies from other LMO application processes and carries its own rules regarding timelines.
This information has been provided by the BAL Global Practice and our network partners located in Toronto, Canada.
