Six years of records, and inspections do not require a complaint to happen.
The retention period
Employers must keep documents relating to compliance for six years from the first day of the worker's employment.
Six years means the obligation outlasts the permit, often by a considerable margin.
What to keep
Payroll records showing wages actually paid. Time records showing hours worked. The employment agreement. Records of the position as advertised or offered. Evidence of the job duties performed.
Anything demonstrating that what you delivered matches what you declared.
Why the match matters
The compliance regime tests one thing above all: did the employer provide substantially the same job they described? Same wage, same duties, same location, same conditions.
A wage that drifted downward, duties that expanded, a location that changed — these are the findings that appear in inspections.
How inspections work
They can be triggered by a complaint, by random selection, or by an employer's compliance history. You may be asked to produce documents, answer questions, or receive an on-site visit.
Consequences of failing
Warnings, monetary penalties, and in serious cases a ban from hiring foreign workers for a period. Employers found non-compliant may be named publicly.
What small employers get wrong
Assuming informal records suffice. A payroll system and a filing habit are worth setting up before the first hire rather than during an inspection.
What is unaffected by all this
Nothing about record-keeping depends on which route you used. LMIA-exempt is not lightly regulated — it is differently regulated.
This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed professional about your obligations.