Moncton cook LMIA work permit: worker change refused at first, explained twice the same day, then approved

The result first: on November 10, 2026, an LMIA based closed work permit was approved for a restaurant cook position in Moncton, New Brunswick. IRCC asked for the passport the same day, and the applicant sent the original passport that afternoon. The next step is the Letter of Introduction from IRCC, then leaving Canada and coming back in, where the officer does the final interview at the port of entry and issues the work permit. When applying, the applicant was in Canada as a visitor.

How it started: before hiring a new worker, the employer first had to close out a previous LMIA. We explained step by step, in writing, what to tell Service Canada and how. When the government confirmed on April 23 that it was closed and the owner asked us whether everything was properly settled, we answered in 6 minutes.

Difficulty 1: the LMIA was approved, but the worker changed. The new LMIA came back positive, then the originally named worker did not proceed. Many employers fear they must start the LMIA over. We asked Service Canada to change the worker, attaching the worker information form and a signed job offer.

Difficulty 2: the day the government said no. On June 30 Service Canada's first answer was that the requester was not an authorized contact on the file, so no information could be shared. Stopping there would have meant losing the approved LMIA. About 65 minutes after that reply we wrote back confirming we are the authorized representative. 54 minutes later we found the representative form (Schedule A) the employer had signed with the original LMIA application and sent a second explanation with it attached. Two replies the same day, and the file moved on to the work permit application with this worker.

Difficulty 3: visitor status. A visitor cannot apply for a work permit from inside Canada, so the route had to be planned separately. On July 24 we also warned in writing that the stay expired on August 20 and had to be extended before then. The applicant reviewed the form personally and it was submitted on July 28. We followed the biometrics request two days later and biometrics completion on August 6.

Approval and what comes next: the approval and the passport request arrived on November 10. That day we told the applicant where and how to send the passport and told the employer the good news. When the applicant asked what to do once the passport comes back, we laid out the order: wait for the Letter of Introduction, exit and re enter through the airport, final interview at the port of entry. We also asked for a photo of the visa page to check it ourselves.

In numbers: 33 email threads and 69 messages with the applicant. Median time from the applicant's email to our reply was 3 hours 48 minutes, quickest 1 minute. For employer and government emails the median was 2 hours 12 minutes, quickest 6 minutes. One government no, answered with two explanations the same day.

If you do it yourself, watch for: close out any previous LMIA and get the government's confirmation before a new application. Changing the worker on an approved LMIA needs the worker information form and a signed job offer. If a representative handles the file, keep the representative form signed at the start ready to show. A visitor cannot apply for a work permit inside Canada, so plan the route and the stay expiry together. After approval there are still the 30 day passport deadline, the Letter of Introduction and the final interview at the port of entry.

What to take away: an approved LMIA is not the end when the worker changes. Representative documents must be in order from day one, and even if the government's first reply looks like a refusal, a prompt explanation with evidence can reopen the path. Done alone, this file could have stopped at a single government email. All personal information on the letter is hidden.