Should you be interested in hiring
foreign workers on a temporary basis, here are a few programs worth looking
into, and we can help you decide which one is suitable for your organization’s
needs.
LMIA-Based
Work Permit
A Labour Market Impact Assessment
(LMIA) is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)/Service
Canada and is required in order to apply for most Canadian work permits. Prior
to submitting the application for an LMIA, the employer must advertise and Job
Bank must be one source. Applications for an LMIA for a temporary position have
an associated application fee of $1,000 for each temporary foreign worker
position applied for. The positive LMIA
is provided by Service Canada / ESDC to the employer, who will give it to the
foreign worker to submit with his/her application for a work permit, which, if
granted, is typically issued for one year. There are shorter processing times
of 10 days available for eligible highest-demand, highest paid and shortest
duration occupations, i.e. skilled trades within top 10% of pay bracket and for
positions that are less than 120 days.
The Application for an LMIA has the
same requirements as the LMIAs for Express Entry and Permanent Residence, hence receives the same scrutiny from
ESDC.
The foreign workers must show that they meet all the requirements of the
position (i.e. education, experience, skills) as listed in the LMIA
application.
Owner/
Operator LMIA
To qualify as an owner/operator, a foreign national must
demonstrate that they:
have a level of controlling interest in the
business of more than 50% of the business,
are in the most senior position and are active
in the management of the business;
have a sound business plan
plan to employ at least one Canadian or
permanent resident in the first year, and
the business activity in Canada will create more
employment opportunities for Canadians and permanent residents and/or skills
transfer to Canadians and permanent residents.
Advantages:
When applying for an Owner/Operator LMIA, there is
no requirement for advertising or recruitment.
This option is available anywhere in Canada.
The validity of a
positive LMIA is up to 2 years; IRCC issues a work permit for 2 years
Becomes a path to permanent residence through the
Express Entry System
Disadvantages:
The unpredictability of end-result;
Employer-specific work permit;
There may be a loss
of investment; and
There are some tax disadvantages.
Global Talent
Stream LMIA (Pilot Program)
A two-year pilot to hire
highly-skilled global talent, which began on
June 12, 2017, under the Temporary
Foreign Worker Program, the Global Talent Stream is a new streamlined process. The Global Talent Stream Pilot is a key
part of the Innovation and Skills Plan which has as a primary objective making
Canada a world-leading centre for innovation. The main characteristic of this
pilot program is the Labour Market Benefits Plan to detail the specific
benefits for the Canadian Labour market and the Canadian
economy, and employers must provide activities and targets for each benefit. By
taking into employment highly-skilled global talent, the employer must commit
to further providing both mandatory and complementary benefits, depending on
the category they apply under:
Category A
referred to the Global Talent Stream by one of
Global Talent Stream’s designated partners;
hiring unique and specialized talent;
mandatory benefits for Category A: creating
jobs;
Category B
only the occupations on the Global Talent
occupations list;
mandatory benefits for Category B: increasing
skills and training investments.
Alongside job creation and investment in skills and training, other
benefits are transferring knowledge to Canadians and permanent residents and enhanced company performance.
There is no advertising requirement and no transition plan for
this stream; however, there is a mandatory progress review on the employer’s progress on their commitments made
in the Labour Market Benefits Plan.
Considering the benefits, this
pilot program might be extended and eventually
transition into a permanent program.
LMIA-Based Work
Permit under PNPs
Provincial Nominee Programs facilitate the entry
or stay in Canada of many categories of professionals who otherwise might not
qualify under the Express Entry System.
Note: if you have not found or trained a Canadian citizen or a
permanent resident to fill out the labour shortage, you have to keep in mind
that proper planning is necessary and apply for a new LMIA ahead of time. The
temporary worker can apply for a work permit extension before the initial work
permit expired, and he can continue working for your organization while
awaiting a decision to be made on their application. For the new applications
for an LMIA for the high-wage positions, your transition plan must be feasible
so to be credible, with realistic and verifiable implementation steps of:
increased efforts to hire Canadians and train them in the long-term; or
support the high-skilled temporary foreign worker transition to becoming a permanent resident of Canada.
Business Expansion to
Canada through PNPs
Provincial nominee programs authorize provinces and
territories to nominate applicants based on the labour market and economic
needs of each province or territory. Please visit our PROVINCIAL NOMINEE
PROGRAMS page.
LMIA-Exempt
Work Permit
The
following sections of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
provide the IRCC with the regulatory authority to issue a work permit for
temporary positions that do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment
(LMIA).
R205: Canadian interests (Significant benefit (unique work situations), Reciprocal employment, research, competitiveness and public policy, Charitable or religious work)
R206: No other means of support (Refugee claimants, and persons under unenforceable removal orders)
R207: Permanent residence applicants in Canada (spouse or common-law partner in Canada, Convention refugees, successful pre-removal risk assessment applicants,
R208: Humanitarian reasons (holder of a Temporary Resident Permit of 6 months or more with no means of support)
Under these regulations, employers
can avoid the lengthy and complex LMIA process.
Exemptions apply to the following types of Work permits:
Work permit for a start-up visa entrepreneur
if they do not intend to immigrate to Canada;
Work permit for the key personnel for the new
start-up visa office;
Work Permit for employees of international
Organizations with divisions in Canada, under the International Mobility
Program (IMP), Canada’s International Agreements and Non-trade-related
agreements;
Work permit for after-sales service
specialists (installation, repair or maintenance of industrial or commercial equipment);
Intra- company
transfer (ICT) – existing subsidiary in Canada
The first key element of an LMIA-exempt
application is to establish the relationship between the Canadian organization and the parent company, branch or
affiliate outside Canada. To be eligible for the intra-company transfer to the
Canadian office, the foreign national eligible must have been employed for a
minimum of one year in the same position by the parent company, subsidiary,
branch or affiliate company outside Canada. The transferred personnel have the
option to be joined by their family members for the period they will work in
Canada. Contact us for exploring the best options for the employer and for your
transferees.
LMIA-exempt applications involve two
phases:
1) the employer must submit an offer
of employment to the IRCC, together with the employer compliance fee, and
provide the foreign national with the offer of employment number (the AA
number); and
2)
the work permit application, together with a visitor visa for each
family member, spouse work permit, and/or dependent children study permit/visitor
record, depending on the situation.
Note: If your job is at the NOC 0 (managerial, executive) or NOC A
(professional) level, you may be eligible for a two-week application processing.
The application must be submitted online, must be complete, and
the application fees must be paid correctly.
Start-Up
Intra-Company Transfer Work Permits – (New Office)
Before making the LMIA-exempt work
permit application, the Canadian company must register or incorporate in Canada,
so the qualifying company relationship between the entities is established.
International
Experience Canada (IEC) Work Permit
A work permit under this category is
meant for youth between 18 and 35 years from a country of citizenship that has an agreement with Canada that allows applying for
an IEC work permit. There are three categories,
but not all three are applicable to all countries: working holiday, young professionals and international Co-op
internship.
The working holiday category provides an open work permit, while the young professionals and the international Co-op
internship provide employer-specific work permits.
It is important to keep updated, as the eligibility requirements for
countries and categories are continuously changing.
For example, Chilean citizens may participate in IEC twice, under
any of the three categories. Under the Young Professionals category, Chilean
citizens, particularly post-secondary graduates, who wish to further their
careers by gaining professional work experience in Canada for up to 12 months
can submit their profile to the pool. To be eligible,
the Chilean citizen must:
be of age
between the ages of 18 and 35 (inclusive)
have a
signed letter of offer or contract of employment in Canada—the employment offer
must be in their field of expertise and enhance their professional development
provide proof of financial resources
to help cover expenses in Canada, and to purchase a departure ticket at the end
of the authorized stay in Canada
Very professional, fast response time.
Excellent service
Mark Rasmussen
1 month ago
I recently needed a consultation only with Bellissimo Immigration Law Group.
They were punctual and quite insightful as to my situation and thorough. I never felt rushed and also had a second colleague of theirs enter the consultation to confirm everything we had discussed. I will iuse them in the future. Spectacular.
Canadian Greeb
4 months ago
Nice law firm
Very nice staff
Slowly but surely
Carol
4 months ago
I had a truly excellent experience with Bellissimo Immigration Law Group. Keely is knowledgeable, warm, and incredibly detail-oriented, and Mario brings a wealth of experience and insight.
I was helping my son’s nanny navigate a very complex immigration situation. She had been living with us in Canada for three years when we began her permanent residency application. During the process, we discovered an issue with her original work permit application. While it was an honest mistake, we knew it could have serious implications and wanted to handle it carefully.
We consulted several immigration lawyers, and most advised that it would be a difficult case. Many suggested submitting an explanation and hoping for the best. The Bellissimo team also acknowledged the challenges but recommended a different approach — applying on Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds. Mario had experience with this path and believed it would give us a stronger chance of success.
The application process was thorough and required a significant amount of work. Keely guided us every step of the way. In total, we submitted over 80 supporting documents, many beyond the basic requirements, to fully demonstrate our nanny’s life in Canada and her contributions to our family and community. Keely and Mario also prepared a comprehensive submission that tied everything together clearly and persuasively.
Due to COVID backlogs and changes in immigration policies, the process took several years. Throughout that time, the Bellissimo team continued to check in and monitor our file — they truly don’t just submit and walk away, which we really appreciated.
We are so happy to share that our nanny has now received her permanent residency. Looking back, I am convinced that their strategy, attention to detail, and dedication made all the difference.
I would highly recommend Bellissimo Immigration Law Group, especially for anyone dealing with complex or non-straightforward immigration cases.
Amanda Suckra
6 months ago
"When our spousal sponsorship was denied due to a large age gap, we felt judged and defeated. Bellissimo Law Group changed everything. Alexandra Goncharova and her team are absolute experts in these sensitive cases; they didn't just provide legal advice—they gave us our future back.
Alexandra was meticulous, fearless, and prepared us so thoroughly that our refusal was successfully overturned. If you are facing a complex appeal where the odds seem stacked against you, Bellissimo is the firm you need, Highest recommendation!"
Kenneth Perry
8 months ago
Bellissimo Immigration Law Group made a complex process feel clear and manageable. Their team was professional, attentive, and genuinely committed to helping me succeed. I always felt informed, supported, and in excellent hands. I’m truly grateful for their work and highly recommend them.
Nasir Khan (Nasikan)
8 months ago
I had an excellent experience working with Alexander on my IAD appeal. She guided us through every step with patience, clarity, and professionalism. The way she prepared us for the interview and handled the hearing was truly impressive. Our appeal was approved, and we’re extremely grateful for her hard work and dedication. Highly recommended!
James Christie
9 months ago
Lisa Fletcher
9 months ago
I am thankful that I was able to use the services of Bellissimo Law Group. Hannah, my immigration attorney, walked me through every step and answered every question I had. The process was made so much easier with her help and we achieved success! I am now a Canadian citizen! Thank you, Hannah and the team at Bellissimo.
Abeer Malik
9 months ago
My mother’s super visa was initially rejected when I applied on my own. However, with the help of lawyer Lijing Cao and immigration consultant Shuai Dong, her visa was successfully approved. They did an amazing job the entire process was seamless, and their communication was always prompt and professional. I highly recommend them 100%!
ARAFAT MUNSHI
10 months ago
Really helped me clarify a lot of things.
Nickeisha Delisser
10 months ago
I am deeply grateful to Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC for assisting me during one of the most challenging periods in my life. When all seemed lost and there was a very high possibility that I might have to leave Canada, they took on my case with such care, professionalism and expertise. They guided me through the federal appeal process with confidence and compassion and secured approval for my permanent status in Canada.
As I have utilised other legal services before Bellissimo, I can assure you, where others fall short, they deliver.
AK
10 months ago
Very helpful and knowledgeable people. You do have to stay on top of things but overall I found them very supportive and involved in my case.
kala Mulqueeny
11 months ago
Mario Bellissimo and Keely Anderson are outstanding professionals. I couldn’t recommend them more and would give 6 stars if I could. My experience with them demonstrated to me why they are so consistently and highly ranked by their peers. I am a New York Attorney and Australian lawyer myself so can be harder to please with legal related services than perhaps others, but this firm was exceptional.
I was assisting a close friend with a Canadian visa application . From our first call with each of them they drilled down into the details of her case and gave more than the allocated time to truly understand the situation prior to providing advice. It was a complicated case and not unreasonably, they indicated the odds of success / failure of a successful visa application were even. But they assured us they would try their darndest to help ! Their experience was obvious and they imbued confidence in their knowledge of Visa law and procedures as well as how it practically operated within the IRCC.
We had previously contacted three other immigration agents all of whom indicated that without misrepresentating the situation, the odds of my friend getting a visa were very low. A fourth lawyer we had spoken to had recommended an honest pathway to applying, but was very hazy on strategy. We did not feel comfortable with any of them.
Bellísimo recommended we provide the IRCC with full disclosure and an explanation - which is how we proceeded. We then proceeded to comprehensively document the situation and received an extensive supporting legal advice to the IRCC from Bellísimo, which distilled the extensive evidence we were able to gather.
Although we understood there were no guarantees as to success, with Bellísimo lawyers’ guidance we felt rest assured that we ultimately submitted the best possible application and were honest in doing so.
Whilst initially I noted a discrepancy between the fees that the immigration agents charged and those that Bellísimo charged, there is no question that as lawyers, their fees were reasonable and the quality of the work they did was infinitely superior to those of the immigration agents. I definitively believe we got value for money and their fees were reasonable for the work and effort provided.
Ultimately the application was successful. We were thrilled.
We feel indebted to Keely and Mario for their assistance and unreservedly recommend them individually and their firm for outstanding immigration law advice.
Oleksii Yermolenko
11 months ago
Thank you for professional advice, which helped me to resolve my problem in short term and save thousands of dollars on medical expenses
Harold Bubu
11 months ago
I was referred to Bellissimo Law Group by my brother-in-law after my application was denied.
The team carefully reviewed my GCMS notes, identified the issues, and recommended pursuing a judicial review.
Thanks to their expertise and guidance, the outcome was positive. They later assisted me with the application, and I am now in Canada pursuing my studies.
I am deeply grateful for their professionalism and support throughout this process, they respond immediately and give you the answers to your worries, this is the part that every applicant wants during the process of their application and Bellissimo law group have it.
I will always recommend Bellissimo law group to anyone who has such problems.
HAROLD
Nicolas Nkomeje
12 months ago
I had the pleasure of working with Bellissimo on my application, and their professionalism and expertise made the entire process smooth and stress-free.
They provided clear guidance, were always responsive to my questions, and ensured all documents were accurate and submitted on time. Thanks to their support, my application was successful. I would highly recommend Bellissimo to anyone seeking reliable immigration legal services.
Milena Stoj
1 year ago
I'm so happy that I found Bellissimo Law Group. They did amazing job for me, I got my Super visa in such a short time, I couldn't believe. Thanks to their professionalism and experience they deserve highest marks for the job they do.
Hugo Sousa
1 year ago
The Best Immigration Law Firm in Canada!
We are forever grateful to Bellissimo Law Group for helping us achieve Permanent Residence in Canada. Our case was complex (so much so that other immigration professionals referred us directly to Mr. Mario Bellissimo, recognizing him as the top expert in the field).
From our very first consultation with Mr. Mario Bellissimo, we felt supported and confident. He provided a clear, honest strategy, and we retained their services immediately. By the end of the process, everything played out exactly as he had initially outlined.
We want to especially thank Lijing, Shuai, and all the other incredible team members who worked on our case and helped in any way (including David, Michelle, Michael, Justina and other support). Each one brought professionalism, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to our success. The legal team was always responsive, detail-oriented, and they genuinely cared about our situation.
Bellissimo Law Group is more than a law firm: they are your strongest ally in ensuring a successful immigration application. If they take your case, your chances of success are high. Whether your case is complex or straightforward, do not see hiring their services as an expense. Instead, see it as one of the best investments you can make in your future and peace of mind. They truly are the best of the best, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone navigating any immigration process in Canada.
We are endlessly grateful to the entire team at Bellissimo Law Group!
Daryna Tymchenko
1 year ago
We are beyond grateful to Bellissimo Law Group for their exceptional service and professionalism throughout our permanent residency process. From the very beginning, their team demonstrated deep expertise, attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to helping us succeed.
A special thank you to Lijing and Shuai — working with them was an absolute pleasure. They were always responsive, knowledgeable, and guided us with patience and clarity at every step. It’s rare to find such a dedicated and experienced legal team, and we truly felt supported and confident throughout the entire journey.
Thank you again to everyone at Bellissimo Law Group. We wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for trustworthy and results-driven immigration lawyers!!
Hatem Khalil
1 year ago
Isa
1 year ago
I called to get some information about booking a consultation in the near future and the receptionist was friendly and helpful. She answered all the questions that she was able to and send me information on the process. I have read all the great reviews and am confident that your law firm is what I need to make my sponsoring journey less of a nightmare for me lol.
Carol Connelly
1 year ago
We had a great experience with Bellissimo Immigration Law Group. We had a number of questions about medical admissibility for a study permit application, and Bellissimo seemed to have a lot of experience with medical issues. We scheduled a consultation, which was easy to set up. We got excellent and specific advice during our consultation with Keely Anderson, and at the end she encouraged us to apply on our own, as our case actually wasn't as complicated as I had feared. (I appreciated the honesty!) With the advice we received, we felt confident in our ability to complete the application on our own, and the study permit was approved.
Jo M
1 year ago
If I could write poetry, I would have written a poem for Mr. Bellissimo.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Like others said, when you go into a consultation with Mr.Bellissimo and his team, you get real answers. Not guarded words. Not someone holding back until you hire them. Just sincere advice, shaped around what’s truly best for you.
In our first meeting, he brought up that I might be eligible for Legal Aid — something no other lawyer had even mentioned. And in the second, he paused and really looked at the full picture of my life — my teenagers, our challenges, our future. He gave me advice that actually went against his own benefit. He thought like a parent. He thought like someone who genuinely cares. That kind of integrity is rare.
I was so touched. Because in a world where most people lead with their own gain, he led with empathy and honesty. He truly put himself in my place — and guided me with heart.
I am so touched and I am forever grateful for you Mr.Bellissimo. 💛
Ellaine Camacho
1 year ago
I am incredibly thankful and grateful for the outstanding support I received from Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC. My journey with them includes two major Immigration challenges and their expertise helped me overcome both successfully.
First case: Loss of Status in Canada. I lost my legal status in Canada 2019 and thanks to their guidance and dedication I was granted Permanent Residency under Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, March 2023. Their team handled my case with professionalism, compassion and deep legal knowledge.
Second Case: Refused Family Sponsorship (Dependent Child). My family sponsorship was refused November 2024 due to not meeting the Minimum Income Cut-Off. With their help I filed an appeal and it was successful, July 16, 2025! Now, I will soon be reunited with my child and I couldn't be more grateful.
The entire team is highly skilled, approachable and truly committed to their clients. I salute their outstanding service and unwavering support. Based on my personal experience, I highly recommend Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC to anyone facing immigration challenges especially those involving Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds.
Special mention and heartfelt thanks to Ana Martinez, Alexandra Goncharova, Keely Anderson, Simran Sra and Mario Bellissimo.
I am truly very satisfied with their service. Thank you, Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC for helping me rebuild my life and reunite with my family. May God Bless You All!🙏
