For Employers · Business Immigration
Employer Immigration Services
Hiring internationally is a legal process before it’s an HR process. I help BC employers choose the right route, file correctly, stay compliant, and keep the people they worked hard to recruit.
LMIA
Labour-market route, end to end
IMP
LMIA-exempt hiring strategy
PR
Retention pathways for key hires
ESDC
& IRCC compliance readiness
The practice
Immigration counsel for employers
Every foreign hire runs through one of two systems: the LMIA process administered by Service Canada, or the LMIA-exempt International Mobility Program. Choosing the wrong one costs months; filing the right one badly costs more.
I advise on route selection before recruitment starts, prepare and file the applications, and keep the employer side compliant: Employer Portal offers, wage and working-condition commitments, record-keeping, and inspection readiness.
And because a work permit is temporary, I plan retention from day one: BC PNP nominations and Express Entry strategies that keep your key people in Canada permanently.
What I handle
Hire. Move. Keep.
Three engagements cover most employer needs, from a single hard-to-fill role to an ongoing workforce program.
Most common
Hire: LMIA & recruitment strategy
Full LMIA preparation, stream selection, recruitment compliance, wage analysis, submission and follow-through with Service Canada.
- High-wage & low-wage LMIA streams
- Recruitment & advertising compliance
- Refusal risk assessment before filing
Move: LMIA-exempt transfers
Executive and specialist mobility without a labour-market test, intra-company transfers, trade agreements, and significant-benefit cases.
- Significant benefit (C10)
- Intra-company transferees
- Trade-agreement professionals (CUSMA, CPTPP)
Keep: retention & PR
Permanent residence strategy for the people you can’t afford to lose, timed so permits, nominations and PR applications line up.
- BC PNP employer-supported nominations
- Express Entry support for employees
- Permit extensions & bridging
How it works
An engagement, step by step
01
Route analysis
Role, candidate and timeline reviewed; LMIA vs LMIA-exempt decided before recruitment.
02
Employer filings
LMIA application or Employer Portal offer, with compliance obligations documented.
03
Worker’s application
The work permit itself, prepared to survive scrutiny the first time.
04
Arrival & onboarding
Status documents, SIN, family permits, the practical landing details.
05
Retention & renewal
Extensions tracked, PR strategy launched before the clock runs down.
Compliance
What every employer of foreign workers must have in order
Employer compliance is inspected, and non-compliance carries penalties up to and including bans on hiring foreign workers. The essentials:
- Offers submitted correctly: Employer Portal (IMP) or LMIA conditions honoured
- Wages, hours and working conditions matching what was promised
- Records kept for the full retention period, audit-ready
- A response plan for ESDC and IRCC inspections
Why counsel
The employer is on the hook
Foreign-worker programs put the legal exposure on the employer: recruitment rules, wage commitments, compliance fees, inspections. A refused application delays a hire; a compliance finding follows the business.
Legal advice before filing is cheaper than remediation after, and it turns immigration from a recurring emergency into a planned pipeline.
Who I work with
Built for your side of the table
For HR teams
Ongoing hiring programs
- Route selection playbooks for recurring roles
- Predictable timelines recruitment can plan around
- One point of contact for every file
- Compliance calendars and record-keeping systems
For founders & executives
Key individual moves
- Executive and specialist transfers
- Significant-benefit and trade-agreement strategies
- Family permits handled alongside the principal
- Discreet handling of sensitive moves
Good to know
Employer questions, answered
Not necessarily. Depending on the role, the candidate’s nationality and your corporate structure, an LMIA-exempt route, intra-company transfer, trade agreement, or significant benefit, may be faster and stronger. Route analysis before recruitment is the highest-value hour in the process.
From weeks to many months, depending on the route, the candidate’s country and current processing times. The reliable way to shorten it: choose the right route and file complete the first time.
Honouring the wages and conditions in your offer, keeping records, paying the required fees, and being ready for inspection. Both ESDC and IRCC run compliance regimes, and findings can mean penalties or bans from the programs.
Some costs must be borne by the employer, LMIA fees and, in some streams, recruitment and travel costs, and recovering them from the worker can itself be a violation. Fee allocation should be settled, correctly, before the offer.
Yes, and it’s usually in the employer’s interest. Employer-supported BC PNP nominations and Express Entry strategy are how you turn a temporary hire into a permanent employee.
Notes
This information is current as of July 2026 and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice. Immigration programs, fees and requirements change frequently, and eligibility always depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, please book a consultation.
Build your workforce with confidence
Whether it’s one hard-to-fill role or an ongoing program, the first step is a route analysis. Book a consultation and get immigration advice for employers before you recruit.