Question 1

What is an LMIA?

Accepted Answer

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada confirming that a Canadian employer needs a foreign worker because no Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the role. A positive LMIA is the prerequisite for most employer-specific work permits and adds significant points to a candidate's Express Entry CRS score.

Question 2

Are you affiliated with IRCC?

Accepted Answer

No. Northhaven Immigration is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. We are an independent consultancy regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. References to government-contracted streams describe our working relationships with designated employers, not an official immigration partnership.

Question 3

How are you regulated?

Accepted Answer

Northhaven is regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Every immigration file is supervised by a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant in good standing. Our practice is conducted in accordance with the CICC Code of Professional Conduct, including its rules on fees, conflicts of interest, and record keeping.

Question 4

Do I need a consultant?

Accepted Answer

Not always. Straightforward applications by candidates with strong English or French and clean immigration histories can often be self-filed. Where a consultant adds value is in non-trivial cases: LMIA-led work permits, complex eligibility, prior refusals, or fast-track positioning. The Eligibility Quiz will tell you candidly which camp you are in.

Question 5

Are consultations free?

Accepted Answer

The 15-minute discovery call is free and carries no obligation. Longer consultations and detailed eligibility assessments are part of a paid engagement. We disclose pricing during the discovery call once we understand your situation.

Question 6

How long does an LMIA take with Northhaven?

Accepted Answer

For qualifying Global Talent Stream and government-contracted streams, the LMIA decision typically arrives within 10 to 20 business days of filing, with end-to-end processing (intake to work permit) in 4 to 6 weeks. Standard high-wage and low-wage applications operate on ESDC's published service standards, generally 30 to 80 business days. We confirm which lane your case falls into at intake.

Question 7

What is the cost of an LMIA?

Accepted Answer

The ESDC government processing fee for an LMIA is currently CAD 1,000 per position, payable by the employer and non-refundable regardless of outcome. Northhaven's professional fee is quoted on a fixed-fee basis disclosed during the discovery call. Recruitment advertising and document costs are paid separately by the employer.

Question 8

What is the high-wage vs low-wage stream?

Accepted Answer

The streams differ by wage relative to the provincial median. High-wage applications (at or above the median) require a transition plan describing how the employer will reduce reliance on temporary foreign workers over time. Low-wage applications (below the median) are subject to caps on the proportion of low-wage TFWs in the workforce, plus housing and transportation obligations. The right stream is determined by the role and wage, not by preference.

Question 9

What if my employer doesn't have an LMIA yet?

Accepted Answer

That is the normal starting point. The LMIA is what the employer applies for in order to hire you; it does not pre-exist the hiring process. We work directly with employers to run the recruitment, file the LMIA, and then walk the candidate's work permit application through IRCC. If you do not yet have an employer, we will assess whether the government-contracted stream pipelines are a fit for your profile.

Question 10

Can a positive LMIA guarantee my work permit?

Accepted Answer

No. A positive LMIA is the foundation for the work permit application but it does not guarantee approval. The work permit itself is a separate IRCC decision based on the candidate's admissibility, ability to perform the role, and intent to leave Canada at the end of authorized stay. We are structured to maximize approval odds, not to make guarantees that no consultant can lawfully make.

Question 11

What is the minimum CRS score?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed minimum. The cut-off varies draw by draw. Recent general draws have produced cut-offs in the high 400s to mid 500s, while category-based draws (healthcare, STEM, French, trades, transport, agriculture) often run lower. The Eligibility Quiz returns an estimated CRS score against the most recent comparable draw.

Question 12

Can a job offer increase my CRS?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in defined circumstances. A qualifying job offer supported by a positive LMIA adds 50 CRS points for most NOC TEER 1, 2, and 3 occupations and 200 points for NOC 00 senior management roles. Some LMIA-exempt categories also qualify for the 50-point boost. Speculative offers without LMIA support do not add CRS points.

Question 13

How long does Express Entry take?

Accepted Answer

Once a candidate receives an Invitation to Apply, IRCC's service standard is six months from a complete application to a decision. Time spent in the pool before receiving an ITA varies from days (with PNP nomination) to many months (without a booster). Express Entry on its own is not a 4 to 6 week pathway; the 4 to 6 week timing applies to LMIA-led work permits.

Question 14

Do I need a PNP nomination?

Accepted Answer

Not always. A PNP nomination adds 600 CRS points and effectively guarantees an ITA, which is the right move for candidates whose underlying CRS is well below recent cut-offs. Candidates already at or near the cut-off can often receive an ITA from a general or category-based draw without pursuing PNP. We assess which path is more efficient for each candidate.

Question 15

Why 4–6 weeks?

Accepted Answer

Because the qualifying lanes — Global Talent Stream, government-contracted designated streams, and select high-wage cases with parallel processing — have shorter ESDC and IRCC service standards, and because we engineer our intake and document workflow to remove dead time between phases. The 4 to 6 weeks is qualified: outcomes depend on IRCC processing and individual circumstances. No guarantees of approval.

Question 16

What happens after I sign on?

Accepted Answer

Within 48 hours we issue your tailored document checklist and assign a dedicated consultant and case manager. Week 1 is intake and file build, weeks 2 to 3 are recruitment compliance (employer side) and document assembly (your side), week 4 is filing, and weeks 5 to 6 are decision and pre-arrival. The full breakdown is on our Process page.

Question 17

Will I get a dedicated consultant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Northhaven engagement is staffed with a named RCIC and a named lead case manager who own your file from intake through landing. For Concierge tier engagements, you also receive a dedicated case manager for post-arrival settlement coordination.

Question 18

What languages do you serve in?

Accepted Answer

We provide service in English and French. Several team members also speak Hindi, Punjabi, Korean, and Spanish, and we draw on a vetted network of certified translators for client-side documents in additional languages. Documents submitted to IRCC must be in English or French; we coordinate translations as part of file preparation.

Question 19

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Northhaven works on a fixed-fee basis. Once we understand your case at the discovery call, we quote a fixed fee in writing for the engagement. The fee does not change unless the scope changes (for example, adding a spouse partway through, or extending from work permit to PR). We do not bill hourly.

Question 20

Are government fees included?

Accepted Answer

No. Government fees (ESDC LMIA fee, IRCC application fees, biometrics, provincial fees) are separate from professional fees and paid directly to the government. Government fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome. We disclose all expected government fees in writing before engagement.

Question 21

Is there a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Professional fees are partially refundable up to the point of work performed, in line with the CICC Code of Professional Conduct. If an engagement is terminated before significant work has been performed, fees are refunded pro rata. Government fees, once paid, are not refundable by the government and so cannot be refunded by Northhaven. Specifics are set out in the engagement letter.

Question 22

Do you help with settlement?

Accepted Answer

Standard tier engagements include a 30-day post-arrival support window covering port-of-entry questions, SIN enrolment guidance, provincial healthcare registration, and follow-up on permit conditions. Concierge tier engagements include 90 days of post-arrival support and active settlement coordination, including housing referrals and school enrolment guidance for families.

Question 23

Will you help my family come too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can usually be added to a work permit or PR application as part of the same engagement, with their own work or study permits issued in parallel. Family bundle filings are included in the Concierge tier and available as an add-on to Standard tier. Discuss timing and eligibility with us at the discovery call.

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