In order to employ a foreign national, a Canadian employer must generally prove that there is no negative impact on the Canadian labour market. In most cases, the employer must apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and advertise the available position to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The Owner-Operator LMIA is exempt from advertising requirements. Instead, a foreign national effectively employs him or herself through a company that he or she co

As the COVID-19 pandemic shifts from an urgent crisis to an ongoing one, the Canadian government is now addressing its backlog of Spousal Sponsorship files. On September 24, 2020, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, announced a plan to speed up spousal application processing: First, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has increased the number of decision makers on spousal applications by a reported 66%;