Who sponsors work visas in Canada?
7,881 employers appear on the official record of visa sponsorship, between them covering 33,216 approved LMIA positions. Figures come from IRCC / ESDC positive LMIA employer list, as of September 2026.
What this number counts
ESDC publishes approved headcount on positive Labour Market Impact Assessments, not visas issued. A position can be approved and never filled, so this measures permission to hire abroad rather than arrivals.
LMIA volume is dominated by seasonal agriculture, so this shows who sponsors, not demand for any particular profession.
Sponsorship by region
9 regions with at least 25 sponsoring employers, largest first.
| Region | Employers | Approved LMIA positions | Most sponsored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 2,707 | 12,058 | Livestock labourers, Harvesting labourers, Welders and related machine operators |
| Ontario | 2,380 | 8,855 | Harvesting labourers, Restaurant and food service managers, Food service supervisors |
| British Columbia | 1,322 | 5,686 | Harvesting labourers, Restaurant and food service managers, Cooks |
| Alberta | 822 | 2,139 | Cooks, Food service supervisors, Restaurant and food service managers |
| Saskatchewan | 175 | 513 | Harvesting labourers, Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators, Cooks |
| Nova Scotia | 138 | 1,115 | Harvesting labourers, Cooks, Transport truck drivers |
| Manitoba | 123 | 390 | Harvesting labourers, Transport truck drivers, Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators |
| New Brunswick | 96 | 1,815 | Harvesting labourers, Cooks, Fish and seafood plant workers |
| Prince Edward Island | 46 | 279 | Harvesting labourers, Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators, Fish and seafood plant workers |
An employer with an address in more than one region appears under each, so the rows do not add up to the national total.
A place on this register means an employer has sponsored before. That is the one thing a job advert almost never tells you, and it is the difference between applying speculatively and applying somewhere that has already done the paperwork.
Our job board for Canada only lists roles at employers on this register, and our analysis of all three registers explains why the UK, US and Canadian figures cannot be added together.
Source: IRCC / ESDC positive LMIA employer list, last confirmed current in September 2026.
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