Before you pay anyone for a Canadian job offer, confirm the employer exists using contact details you find yourself, confirm what kind of offer it is, ask for the documents that offer type requires, and walk away if anyone asks you for money for the offer or the LMIA. The five checks below put that into order. The Government of Canada's pages are consistent on this point: a worker does not pay for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), does not pay recruitment fees, and should not have to pay for a job offer. ESDC's page on foreign worker rights says you only have to pay for your work permit, your medical exam and biometrics, if required.
Key Takeaways
- Since 3 November 2026 an Express Entry job offer does not need an LMIA, so "does it have an LMIA number" is no longer the test for that kind of offer.
- An employer pays the CAD 1,000 LMIA processing fee per position. ESDC says it cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the worker.
- The LMIA number 00000 is a placeholder IRCC tells candidates to type into their own profile. It is not evidence about any employer.
- No official page we opened lets a worker look up a single LMIA number. ESDC's open employer list is a useful check, not a verification service.
What Changed on 3 November 2026, and What Did Not
IRCC says that from 3 November 2026 you do not need an LMIA for a job offer to qualify for Express Entry program eligibility or CRS points, and an LMIA gives no extra points. The offer must still be valid under Express Entry and be for a position in an eligible high-wage occupation, and an officer must be satisfied that it is genuine. Our guide to the November 2026 CRS changes explains the points.
Until IRCC updates its online system, candidates must answer "yes" to the positive LMIA question and enter placeholder details: LMIA number 00000, issued 1 January 2026, expiring 1 January 2029. These values exist for your own profile. Do not treat them as proof that an employer holds an approved LMIA.
The employer-specific work permit route is different, and it still starts with an LMIA. On that route ESDC's requirements pages say the employer pays CAD 1,000 per position and must not charge or recover recruitment fees from the worker, directly or indirectly, or the LMIA will be refused. After a positive decision the employer must give the worker a copy of the LMIA letter and Annex A, and a positive LMIA is valid for up to 6 months. The employer must also give you a signed employment agreement on or before your first day, matching the offer on occupation, wages and working conditions. Our LMIA work permit guide and LMIA process page cover the steps.
Five Checks Before You Pay
Ask what the money is for
A payment described as a fee for the job offer, the LMIA, recruitment or a "slot" should end the conversation. The costs a worker pays are the work permit, the medical exam and biometrics where required, and IRCC says its application fees are the same for everyone. Our Canada fee schedule lists them.
Verify the employer yourself
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre advises checking the company's official website and calling its official phone number yourself. IRCC suggests checking whether the position appears on the company's website. Do not use the email address or number printed in the offer.
Match the paperwork to the offer type
For an LMIA-based permit, expect a copy of the LMIA letter and Annex A and a signed employment agreement. IRCC says that in most cases the employer must send you the job offer and either an LMIA number or an offer of employment number. Names, job title, wage and location should agree across every document.
Look for the employer on ESDC's list
ESDC publishes a Positive LMIA Employers List as open data, updated quarterly. The latest files cover 1 April to 30 June 2026, and employers whose business names include personal names are left out. Being listed is a good sign. Not being listed proves nothing by itself.
Check who you are paying for advice
IRCC says paid representatives must be licensed, and the authorized list includes lawyers, paralegals, Quebec notaries and consultants registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. It also says using an agent does not speed up processing or improve your approval odds.
What a Legitimate Express Entry Job Offer Looks Like
IRCC's job offer page describes the offer as written and recent, setting out pay and deductions, duties and conditions such as hours of work. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program it must be from one employer, continuous, paid, full-time (at least 30 hours a week), not seasonal, and for at least 1 year once you become a permanent resident, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation. The Federal Skilled Trades Program allows up to two employers. An offer cannot come from an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada. The page lists no fee for an offer and no separate employer form. You add the offer to your profile in your own IRCC account, and an officer assesses whether the employer is active, can meet the terms, needs the position and follows employment and recruitment laws.
Red Flags and the Official Source for Each
| Red flag | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| You are asked to pay for the offer or LMIA | IRCC: you should not have to pay for a job offer. ESDC: the processing fee cannot be recovered from the worker. |
| A job or visa is promised | IRCC: no one can promise you a job or a visa to Canada, and you should not pay for promised entry or faster processing. |
| Pay that seems too high to be real | IRCC and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre both list high pay for little work as a warning sign. |
| A web-based email address instead of a business domain | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre job scam warning signs. |
| An offer for a job you never applied for | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre job scam warning signs. |
| Start work within weeks | IRCC lists a recruiter promising a move to Canada within weeks as a red flag. |
| Money sent to a personal bank account | IRCC: its employees never ask you to deposit money into a personal bank account. |
| An employer wants to hold your passport | ESDC: an employer cannot take your passport, work permit or other personal documents. |
Low-Wage Offers in the 30 Listed Cities
ESDC will not process certain low-wage LMIA applications for work locations in a census metropolitan area with unemployment of 6% or higher. The current list covers 30 areas from 9 October 2026 to 7 January 2027, with exemptions such as construction, food manufacturing, hospitals and nursing and residential care. If someone promises a fresh low-wage LMIA for a job in one of those cities in that period, ask which exemption applies or when the LMIA was issued. This is our reading of the ESDC page, so confirm it there. The full list is in our post on the 30-city freeze.
If You Have Already Paid or Shared Documents
- Stop further payments and keep every message, receipt and transfer record.
- Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501, or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca) and to your local police. IRCC also lists its Client Support Centre for visa scams and the CBSA Border Watch Line for suspected immigration fraud.
- If you are already working in Canada and are being mistreated, or the work differs from what was agreed or from the LMIA, ESDC's reporting line is 1-866-602-9448, open 24 hours a day. You do not have to give your name.
- If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
Understand the LMIA Process Before You Pay
Our LMIA page sets out who applies, what the employer pays and what a worker should receive.
LMIA ProcessFrequently Asked Questions
Can an employer charge me for an LMIA?
No. ESDC says the CAD 1,000 processing fee cannot be paid by or recovered from the temporary foreign worker. An employer who charges or recovers recruitment fees, directly or indirectly, faces a negative LMIA decision.
Does a valid Express Entry job offer need an LMIA now?
No. From 3 November 2026 IRCC says an LMIA is not needed for a job offer to count for program eligibility or CRS points. The offer must still be valid, in an eligible high-wage occupation and genuine.
What is the LMIA number 00000?
It is a placeholder. IRCC tells candidates to enter number 00000, issued 1 January 2026 and expiring 1 January 2029, because the online system has not yet caught up. It says nothing about whether an employer holds an LMIA.
Can I check an LMIA number online?
We did not find an official page that looks up one LMIA number. ESDC publishes a quarterly Positive LMIA Employers List on open.canada.ca. Ask the employer for a copy of the LMIA letter and Annex A, and check the details match your offer.
Which costs can a worker legitimately pay?
ESDC says you only have to pay for your work permit, your medical exam and biometrics, if required. IRCC fees are set out in our fee schedule, and IRCC says they are the same for everyone.
Where do I report a fake job offer?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre takes reports of job scams, fake documents and fake websites, and you should also tell your local police. IRCC lists further channels on its fraud reporting page.
Sources
- IRCC, Express Entry: recent and upcoming changes: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/changes.html
- IRCC, Express Entry: job offer from an employer: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/offer-employment.html
- IRCC Help Centre, What documents do I need from my employer for a work permit?: https://ircc.canada.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=164&top=17
- IRCC, Protect yourself from immigration fraud: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/protect-fraud.html
- IRCC, Online, email and telephone scams: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/protect-fraud/internet-email-telephone.html
- IRCC, Report fraud or abuse: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/protect-fraud/report-fraud.html
- IRCC, Know the rules before you apply to travel to Canada from India: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/before-apply-india.html
- ESDC, Requirements for high-wage LMIA applications: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage/high/requirements.html
- ESDC, Requirements for low-wage LMIA applications: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage/low/requirements.html
- ESDC, After you apply for an LMIA: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage/after-apply.html
- ESDC, Rights of temporary foreign workers: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/protected-rights.html
- ESDC, Report abuse of a temporary foreign worker: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/report-abuse.html
- ESDC, Refusal to process an LMIA application: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/refusal.html
- Open Government, Positive LMIA Employers List: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/90fed587-1364-4f33-a9ee-208181dc0b97
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Job scams: https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/job-emploi-eng.htm
This article is general information, not legal advice. Figures and dates were checked against the pages above on 6 November 2026. Rules can change, so confirm current requirements on the official page before you act or pay.