Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that is issued by the ESDC (Employment Social Development Canada) to an employer in Canada before hiring a foreign worker. An employer who would like to hire a foreign worker will submit an application for an LMIA which will render either positive or negative results. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

To obtain this LMIA, the Canadian employer must demonstrate that they could not fill in the job vacancy, so they wish to recruit a foreign national. They should post in the media about the job vacancy for 90 days. If still the position is not filled by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, then the employer can recruit a foreign national.