A Labour Market Opinion (LMO) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMO will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker can do the job. A positive LMO is sometimes called a Confirmation letter.

Your proposed employer must contact Human Resources and Skills Development Canada , now called Employment and Social Development Canada  (ESDC). HRSDC will provide details on the LMO application process.

In some cases, you may not need a LMO to apply for a work permit.

Use an authorized immigration representative Authorized immigration consultants, lawyers, Québec notaries, and paralegals regulated by a law society are people who can offer immigration advice to applicants. Some applicants may choose to use such a representative to act on their behalf with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the Immigration and Refugee Board or the Canada Border Services Agency.

With the coming into force of a new law on June 30, 2011, some third parties who were not formerly required to be authorized to provide paid advice will now have to refer people to an authorized representative or become authorized themselves.

Some examples of paid advice or representation that will now be captured through the implementation of the law include:

• representing the applicant during an immigration proceeding by speaking on their behalf;
• providing guidance to a client on how to select the best immigration stream and complete the appropriate forms.

There are two types of immigration representatives: paid and unpaid.

Paid immigration representatives Only the following people may charge a fee or receive any other type of consideration, to represent or advise you in connection with a Canadian immigration proceeding or application:

• lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
• Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and
• Immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will not deal with non-authorized immigration representatives who charge for their services.

Unpaid immigration third parties Unpaid third parties, such as family members, friends, non-governmental or religious organizations will still be allowed to act on your behalf.

To protect your privacy, CIC will not share any of your personal information with your consultant, lawyer, and other representative unless you provide your written consent using the Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) form.

Choose an immigration representative Get tips on how to choose an immigration representative.