If you hire a foreign worker through an LMIA in Mississauga, you must do five things: check whether Toronto’s low-wage refusal rule blocks the job, meet the terms of the LMIA decision letter and job offer, follow employment and recruiting laws, keep records for six years, and be ready for an inspection. These rules were checked on canada.ca and ontario.ca on October 30, 2026.
Key facts
- Mississauga is part of the Toronto census metropolitan area.
- Toronto is listed at 7.5% for low-wage LMIA applications submitted from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027 (ESDC page dated October 27, 2026).
- Relevant records must be kept for six years from the first day of the period of employment.
- Penalties can reach $100,000 per violation, up to $1 million in one year (ESDC employer compliance page, dated May 12, 2026).
- From November 3, 2026, an Express Entry job offer no longer needs an LMIA for program eligibility or CRS points, and an LMIA earns no extra points or priority.
Can you apply for a low-wage LMIA for a Mississauga job?
Check the location and wage category before preparing a low-wage LMIA. Since September 26, 2024, ESDC has not processed low-wage stream LMIAs for jobs in a census metropolitan area with unemployment of 6% or more when the application is submitted. The rule applies to the low-wage stream only.
Mississauga is within the Toronto census metropolitan area. Toronto is listed at 7.5% for applications submitted from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027. ESDC updates the table every three months, and the next update is January 8, 2027. Confirm the current position on ESDC’s refusal to process page before relying on this date-specific rule.
ESDC still processes some low-wage applications in these areas: primary agriculture occupations; construction (NAICS 23); food manufacturing (NAICS 311); hospitals (NAICS 622); nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623); certain in-home caregiver positions; positions in support of permanent residence only, with no work permit; and truly temporary jobs, generally of 120 calendar days or less, which need a written exemption request. Check your job against the exact wording on ESDC’s page. Mississauga’s inclusion in the Toronto census metropolitan area can be confirmed through Statistics Canada’s census metropolitan area map.
What must match the LMIA and job offer?
The actual employment must match the LMIA decision letter and the job offer. Review the approved occupation, duties, wage, location, hours and working conditions before the worker starts and when circumstances change.
Build the document comparison
- Read the LMIA decision letter and every annex.
- Compare them with the job offer, employment agreement and job description.
- Check the employer identity, work location, occupation, duties, wage, schedule and conditions.
- Record any difference and pause before implementing a material change.
Employers must also follow applicable federal and provincial employment and recruiting laws. Working conditions must be substantially the same as, and no less favourable than, those in the offer of employment. Do not assume that an informal agreement or a new workplace practice overrides the approved terms.
Which records must an LMIA employer keep?
Keep all relevant records for six years from the first day of the period of employment. The file should let you show what was approved, what was offered and what happened at work.
- LMIA application, decision letter and annexes
- Job offer, employment agreement and job description
- Recruitment records and communications
- Payroll and time records
- Schedules and records showing the work location and duties
- Work permit and employment-period records
- Written communications about material changes or workplace concerns
Organize records by worker, employer and employment period. Keep them secure and retrievable. Do not alter or backdate a document after a concern arises. The ESDC employer compliance requirements set the federal record-keeping and term-matching duties.
What do inspections check, and what are the penalties?
An inspection checks whether you met the LMIA decision letter and job offer, including wages, job, location and working conditions. ESDC says inspectors can interview employers and employees and examine anything on the premises related to the LMIA. Inspections can be on-site or virtual, announced or unannounced, and can look back up to six years after the work began (ESDC employer compliance).
Employers must also follow federal and provincial employment and recruiting laws. If an inspection or concern identifies a mismatch, preserve the relevant records and compare the facts with the approved terms. Address the issue promptly and avoid changing or creating documents to improve the file after the fact.
Penalties can reach $100,000 per violation, to a maximum of $1 million per year. The most serious cases can bring a permanent ban from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and the business name and address can be published with the violation. The outcome depends on the compliance issue, so a documented review before hiring and before any change is worth the time.
What changed for Mississauga employers in 2026?
Two changes need to be separated from ongoing LMIA compliance: Toronto’s low-wage refusal rule and the new treatment of Express Entry job offers. Ontario’s nominee-program structure also changed in 2026.
Toronto low-wage processing
For the period stated above, ESDC lists Toronto at 7.5% for the low-wage refusal rule. The exemptions do not remove the need to check the specific job, application and current ESDC page.
Express Entry job offers
From November 3, 2026, an Express Entry job offer no longer needs an LMIA for program eligibility or CRS points. An LMIA earns no extra points or priority. If you already hold an LMIA for a worker, its terms and your compliance duties still apply. Review the change on IRCC’s Express Entry changes page.
Ontario nominee streams
Ontario’s Employer Job Offer streams closed on June 25, 2026. The Ontario Workforce Priority stream replaced them. Under the new stream, the employer submits a job offer in Ontario’s Employer Portal, and an LMIA does not by itself make a worker eligible for nomination or permanent residence. North Vista Immigration’s Ontario PNP guide explains the new stream; the official record is the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program updates page.
Why the Toronto rule matters before and after approval
For a Mississauga employer, the Toronto rule and ongoing compliance go together. Mississauga sits in the Toronto census metropolitan area, so the 7.5% listing decides whether a low-wage application is processed at all, before any compliance question arises.
That local connection matters before an employer invests time in a low-wage application. It also matters after approval, because a positive LMIA does not permit the business to change the approved job, location, wages or conditions without checking the consequences. Check ESDC’s pages for current dates on the day you apply, then compare them with your own documents.
LMIA employer checklist
| Check | Action | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Location and category | Check whether the Toronto low-wage refusal rule applies and whether an exemption is relevant. | Job details and current ESDC rule |
| Approved terms | Match the decision letter, offer and real job. | Decision, annexes, agreement, duties, wage, location and hours |
| Working conditions | Keep them substantially the same as, and no less favourable than, the offer. | Offer, agreement, payroll and schedules |
| Records | Retain relevant records for six years. | Organized worker and employment file |
| Inspection readiness | Keep payroll, schedules and communications accurate and retrievable. | Payroll, time records and workplace records |
| 2026 changes | Check Express Entry and Ontario nominee-program rules separately. | Current IRCC and Ontario pages |
When should you get help with an LMIA work permit?
A document review may be useful before choosing an LMIA category, when the job or location may change, when records do not match, or when an inspection or workplace concern arises. It may also help you separate LMIA compliance from Express Entry and Ontario nominee-program questions.
North Vista Immigration’s LMIA application process guide provides related background for employers moving from an application to a work permit. Review the current official rules and your actual documents before taking action.
Frequently asked questions
How long must a Mississauga employer keep LMIA records?
Keep all relevant records for six years from the first day of the period of employment. The file should show the approved LMIA terms, the job offer, the employment agreement and what happened at work. Payroll, schedules, time records, recruitment records and communications may all be relevant to demonstrating compliance.
Can ESDC process every low-wage LMIA for a Mississauga job?
No. Mississauga is part of the Toronto census metropolitan area. ESDC does not process LMIAs below the provincial wage threshold for jobs in a census metropolitan area with unemployment of 6% or more. Toronto is listed at 7.5% for applications submitted from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, subject to listed exemptions and current ESDC rules.
What happens if the job does not match the LMIA?
A mismatch can create employer-compliance risk. Compare the actual duties, wage, location, hours and working conditions with the LMIA decision letter and job offer. Do not rely on an informal amendment to replace the approved terms. Preserve the records, pause a material change where appropriate and review the current rules before proceeding.
What penalties can apply to an LMIA employer?
Penalties can reach $100,000 per violation, up to $1 million in one year. The most serious cases can bring a permanent ban, and the business name can be published. The applicable consequence depends on the compliance issue. Accurate records and prompt review of differences between the approved job and the real job are important safeguards.
Does an LMIA still add points for an Express Entry job offer?
From November 3, 2026, an Express Entry job offer no longer needs an LMIA for program eligibility or CRS points. An LMIA earns no extra points or priority. This Express Entry change does not erase the duties attached to an LMIA-supported employment arrangement that an employer has chosen to use.
Next, compare your LMIA decision letter, offer and payroll with the checklist above. If you want a second view before you apply, change a job or answer an inspection, book a review through North Vista Immigration’s work permits and LMIAs page. North Vista is a regulated immigration consultant in Mississauga.