To be valid, your job offer must:

  • be in writing,
  • not be from an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada, and
  • set out details of the job they’re offering you, such as: 
    • your pay and deductions,
    • your job duties, and
    • conditions of employment, like your hours of work.


​Your job offer must also meet other criteria to be valid under the Express Entry program you qualify for below.

A valid job offer has to be:

  • made by one employer,
  • continuous,
  • paid,
  • full-time (at least 30 hours a week),
  • valid for at least one year after Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues your permanent resident visa,
  • not seasonal,
  • not on a contract basis, and
  • in a job that is NOC: 
    • Skill Type 0, or
    • Skill Levels A or B.


You have to also satisfy to one of the following three conditions, either: 

(i) Your job offer is made by an employer with a new positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that approves the offer and names you and your position.

(ii) You are currently working in Canada in a NOC 0, A or B job with a work permit that was issued based on an LMIA, and: 

  • you’re working for an employer listed on your work permit,
  • you’re authorized to work in Canada on the day you apply for a permanent resident visa and when the visa is issued, and
  • your current employer made you an offer to give you a full-time job for at least one year if you’re accepted as a permanent resident.


(iii) If you have a valid work permit for a NOC 0, A or B job that is exempt from needing an LMIA, and you: 

  • are currently working for an employer specified on the work permit,
  • have one year of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) for that employer, and
  • have a valid job offer from that employer for at least one year after IRCC issues your permanent resident visa.
A valid job offer has to be:
  • made by up to two employers,
  • for continuous, paid, full-time work (at least 30 hours a week),
  • valid for at least one year, and
  • in a skilled trade occupation (jobs with 2016 NOC codes that start with 72, 73, 82, 92 as well as 632 and 633).

You have to also satisfy to one of the following three conditions, either: 

(i) Your job offer is made by an employer who has a new positive LMIA that approves the offer and names you and your position.

(ii) You are currently working in Canada in a skilled trade job with a work permit that was issued based on a positive LMIA, and:
  • you’re working for an employer listed on your work permit,
  • you’re authorized to work in Canada on the day you apply for a permanent resident visa and when the visa is issued, and
  • your current employer(s) offered you a full-time job if you’re accepted as a permanent resident, in a job that is in the same three-digit level of the NOC as your current job, for at least one year.

(iii) You have a valid work permit for one of the listed skilled trade occupation and it’s exempt from needing an LMIA, and you:
  • are currently working for an employer specified on the work permit,
  • have one year of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) for the employer(s) on your work permit who is making the offer, and
  • have a valid job offer from that employer for at least one year after IRCC issues your permanent resident visa.
 
For Express Entry, your employer doesn’t need an LMIA if you:
  • have been working full-time for the employer on your work permit for at least one year (or an equal amount of part-time work),
  • have a valid job offer, and
  • have a valid work permit that is exempt from an LMIA under:
    • an international agreement,
    • a federal-provincial agreement, or
    • the “Canadian interests” category.
You may be exempt from needing an LMIA for Express Entry if your current temporary job (i) is LMIA-exempt, (ii) states a specific employer or employers (if FST), and  (iii) is:
  • covered by an international agreement like NAFTA or GATS, and non-trade agreements. 
  • covered by an agreement between Canada and a province or territory. This includes “significant investment” projects.
  • exempt for “Canadian interests” reasons: 
    • “significant benefit” – if your employer can prove you will bring an important social, cultural, and/or economic benefit to Canada. This can include: 
      • general: Self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc., 
      • workers transferred within a company (intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge), or
      • workers under Mobilité francophone.
    • Reciprocal employment:
      • general (such as professional coaches and athletes working for Canadian teams),
      • International Experience Canada,
      • people in exchange programs like professors and visiting lecturers.
    • Designated by the Minister:
      • academics, including researchers, guest lecturers, and visiting professors,
      • competitiveness and public policy.
    • Charity and religious work (not including volunteers)
​
These categories can be exempt only if you also meet the criteria in the first section of this page.