Employer Portal Launched

Starting October 26, 2015 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) will be processing offers of employment made to foreign workers exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement using a new electronic platform called the Employer Portal.

Earlier this year, CIC introduced the IMM 5802: Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment form to be completed by Canadian entities supporting the entry of foreign workers exempt from the LMIA process. The IMM 5802 form will no longer be accepted by CIC. Canadian entities must now submit offers of employment for LMIA-exempt foreign workers directly to CIC using the Employer Portal. New versions of CIC’s work permit application forms will be released in November 2015, to reflect these recent changes.

Employers who already have submitted IMM 5802 forms and payment to CIC under the prior method may still utilize the IMM 5802 in applications for their foreign workers during a short transition period expiring in November 2015.

The launch of the Employer Portal is one of several measures introduced this year to facilitate CIC’s ability to monitor employer compliance with the International Mobility Program. See prior email alert for more information.

For further information about the new Employer Portal, please contact Bryan Kwan in Edmonton or Lori Brienza in Calgary.