The IRCC Employer Portal is the online system an employer uses to submit an offer of employment and pay the compliance fee for an LMIA-exempt hire. For an LMIA-exempt hire, this is the employer's entire administrative contribution. It is shorter than most people expect.
What the IRCC Employer Portal is
It is IRCC's online system for employers hiring workers under the International Mobility Program. It lets a business submit an offer of employment and pay its fees in one place. It is separate from the LMIA process, which runs through ESDC.
When you have to use it
You use the Employer Portal whenever you hire a foreign worker under an LMIA-exempt route, including Francophone Mobility. The timing matters: IRCC states that if the offer of employment has not been submitted and the fee paid before the worker applies for their work permit, the permit will be refused. Do this before you tell the candidate to apply.
If you are not yet sure which route applies to your hire, see do you need an LMIA to hire a foreign worker and which jobs qualify for LMIA-exempt hiring.
Step 1: Create your Employer Portal account
You need an account before you can submit anything. To sign in you use a secure credential: either a Sign-In Partner or a GCKey. Create the main account for your business or organization first. IRCC publishes an enrolment guide that walks through the sign-up.
One tip from IRCC: have the primary user submit the first offer before you create any secondary users or branch accounts. Once the first offer is in, other users can create offers.
What you need before starting
- Your business number and business details. You enter these once, with your first offer.
- Details of the position: job title, NOC code, duties, wage, hours, location and start date.
- The candidate's name and date of birth.
- The LMIA exemption code that applies. For Francophone Mobility, it is C16.
Step 2: Submit the offer of employment
Sign in, choose "Submit an offer of employment", and fill in the position details. For a French-speaking worker hired under Francophone Mobility, you select the C16 exemption code. The Francophone Mobility Program guide explains who qualifies.
Step 3: Pay the employer compliance fee
The employer compliance fee is $230 for an LMIA-exempt offer under the International Mobility Program, and in most cases it is charged for each offer. You pay it through the portal when you submit.
Step 4: Get the offer of employment number
Once the offer is submitted and the fee is paid, the portal issues an offer of employment number, often called the A-number. It begins with the letter A followed by digits. Give it to your candidate. They enter it in their work permit application, and it is how IRCC matches their application to your offer.
IRCC processes the work permit application separately, on its own timeline. The employer's part is done at that point. For what follows, see what happens after you make a job offer.
What to get right
Accuracy. The details you submit are what you are held to. If the wage, duties, hours or location differ from what the worker actually gets, that is a compliance issue during an inspection.
Changing a submitted offer is possible but adds delay. Better to be correct first time. IRCC's help centre has answers on changing an offer or fixing a mistake, and on when a new offer is needed.
Can my immigration consultant do this for me?
Many employers ask their immigration consultant to handle the portal. IRCC's help centre has guidance on authorized representatives submitting offers on an employer's behalf, so check the current rules or ask your consultant to confirm how they will do it.
What the portal does not do
It does not approve anything. The offer of employment is a declaration, not a decision. The work permit can still be refused. Under Francophone Mobility the most common reason is the French language requirement, so confirm your candidate's level before you submit. See what NCLC 5 means.
Common questions
Do I need an Employer Portal account for an LMIA?
No. An LMIA is applied for through ESDC. The Employer Portal is for LMIA-exempt hires under the International Mobility Program.
When do I have to submit the offer?
Before the worker submits their work permit application. IRCC will refuse the permit if the offer has not been submitted and the fee paid by then.
Where do I find the offer of employment number?
The portal issues it after a successful submission and payment. Send it to your candidate.
Do I enter my business details every time?
No. You enter your business information once, when you submit your first offer.
Finding the candidate first
FrancoBridge handles the part that comes before all of this: finding the candidate. Post one job and reach French-speaking job seekers in five countries and in Canada, with no recruiter in between. See plans and pricing, or read where to find French-speaking workers.
Process details change. Verify on canada.ca, starting with the Employer Portal user guide. This is not immigration advice. Consult a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.