C16
Francophone Mobility
NCLC 5+ French, any TEER 0-5 occupation, any employer outside Quebec — no LMIA needed at all.
Work Permits
LMIA-Exempt Work Permits
Every route into Canada that skips the employer LMIA process — Francophone Mobility, PNP-nominee bridge permits, and general significant-benefit cases. Check your signals in minutes.
Why LMIA-exempt matters
A standard Canadian work permit usually requires the employer to secure a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) — a slow, costly process proving no Canadian could fill the role. A handful of federal categories skip that step entirely, because Parliament has already decided the situation itself justifies the exemption: transferring within your own multinational, bringing genuine benefit to Canada as an entrepreneur, holding a provincial nomination, or working in French outside Quebec. Getting into the right category can mean starting work in weeks rather than months — but each one has real, specific requirements, and picking the wrong one wastes time you don't get back.
Free LMIA-Exempt Signal Check
Skip the LMIA — for the categories that actually allow it.
Francophone Mobility, a PNP-nominee bridge permit, or a general significant-benefit case each have real, specific requirements. Answer a short set of questions and find out which one is actually worth pursuing before you commit to it.
About 90 seconds No cost, no obligation Covers C16, T13, and C10
Tap an answer below to begin — it updates instantly
Which best describes your situation?
The categories, at a glance
T13
PNP-Nominee Bridge Permit
Already provincially nominated? A T13 gets you working in as little as 2-4 weeks while your PR application processes.
C10
General Significant Benefit
A discretionary, evidence-intensive category for cases that bring a real economic, social, or cultural benefit but don't fit a narrower code.
For business owners and intra-company transfers
If you own or will own a Canadian business, or you're transferring within your multinational company, those categories — C11 and the intra-company transfer family (C61/C62/C63, which replaced the old C12 code in October 2024) — have their own dedicated page and checker, built specifically for those questions. Go to Business & Investor Immigration
For healthcare workers and nurses
There is no single "LMIA-exempt for nurses" category — nursing and other healthcare occupations are simply a priority IRCC wants filled, so they benefit from whichever pathway above actually fits: a T13 if you already hold a provincial nomination (many provinces prioritize healthcare occupations), C16 if you speak French and are open to working outside Quebec, or in some cases a reciprocal employment arrangement between regulatory bodies. Provincial licensing, work authorization, and entry privileges are three separate hurdles — the slowest one sets your real timeline, which is exactly why this is worth a real conversation rather than guessing.
Ready to take the next step?
Speak with a licensed consultant about your specific situation.