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Canada LMIA for a Chef from Japan: What the Japan Side Prepares

For Japanese restaurant companies hiring into Canada: who files the LMIA, what differs from hiring in Japan, the documents the chef prepares, a bilingual message to send the chef, and pension and tax steps under the Japan–Canada agreement.

Updated September 27, 2026 WashokuJob

When a Japanese company brings a cook to Canada on an LMIA, the Japan side prepares an English employment certificate, translated qualifications, a passport with plenty of validity, and the chef's online work permit and biometrics. Four things work differently from hiring in Japan: you cannot require Japanese in the ad, pay is judged on guaranteed hourly wages without tips, the LMIA fee cannot be passed to the chef, and the permit ties the chef to one employer and job.

For head office staff at Japanese restaurant companies with sites in Canada, Japanese owners, and recruiters in Japan. This page covers preparation on the Japanese side and the differences a Japanese business needs to know. Route choice and total cost are on LMIA for a chef in Canada: routes and costs. The Canadian filing, with advertising rules, documents and a schedule, is on the LMIA procedure for cooks. For working holiday hires, see Canada working holiday.

On this page

  1. Who is the employer
  2. What differs from hiring in Japan
  3. What the chef prepares in Japan
  4. Message to send the chef, in Japanese and English
  5. Pension, insurance and tax on the Japanese side
  6. The Japan side sequence
  7. What to do this week

1. Who is the employer

The LMIA is filed by the business in Canada that employs and pays the chef. A Japanese head office cannot file on its behalf. Japanese companies usually use one of three set ups.

Set upWho files the LMIAWhat the Japan side must watch
Canadian company (subsidiary, joint venture or franchise) hires directlyThe Canadian companyIt needs its own Job Bank account, business licence and tax documents. Head office supports selection and paperwork
Head office employee seconded to the Canadian companyThe receiving Canadian companyThe Canadian company must pay a wage that meets the rules. Check pension treatment under the social security agreement (section 5)
Candidate found through a Japanese recruiterThe Canadian companyThe contract must not let any fee fall on the chef. A recruiter finding foreign workers for a BC employer needs a BC recruiter licence

There are routes without an LMIA, such as intra-company transfers, but they are aimed at managers and people with knowledge specific to the company, and an ordinary cook is unlikely to fit. Ask a regulated Canadian immigration consultant or lawyer before relying on one.

2. What differs from hiring in Japan

TopicCommon practice in JapanUnder a Canadian LMIA
Language in the ad"Native Japanese welcome" is normalOnly English or French can be required. Describe Japanese cooking skills instead
PayMonthly salary with fixed overtime built inJudged on guaranteed hourly pay. Tips, overtime and bonuses do not count. The floor is the higher of the Job Bank median and your own pay for the same job
OvertimeOften absorbed by fixed overtime paySet by provincial law. In Ontario, hours over 44 a week are paid at 1.5 times
Hiring costsSome costs may fall on the employeeThe C$1,000 LMIA fee is the employer's and cannot be recovered. In the low-wage stream, round-trip travel is the employer's too
ContractJapanese written terms of employmentA contract in English or French, as the chef chooses, matching the job offer, signed by the first day
Moving staffSending a cook to help at a sister site is routineThe permit is tied to the employer and occupation, and may name a location. Check the conditions before any move
InspectionsLabour inspections are rare for small restaurantsESDC inspected 1,488 employers from April 2025 to March 2026 and found 12% non-compliant. Penalties reach C$1 million a year

The last two rows catch multi site Japanese groups most often. Lending the cook to a sister restaurant, or putting them on the floor during a rush, needs checking against the permit first.

3. What the chef prepares in Japan

Document or stepUsed forNotes
PassportWork permit application, entryA permit may not be issued beyond the passport's expiry, so check the remaining validity
English employment certificateProof of the experience the ad asks forRestaurant name, dates and duties. See translating employment certificates
Cook's licence or skills certificate, translatedSupporting evidence of skill (not a required LMIA document)See translating a Japanese cook's licence
English CVApplication and your recordsMatch the work history to the skills listed in the ad
Police certificateIf IRCC asks for itTakes time to obtain. See the Japanese police certificate
BiometricsAfter the permit applicationC$85, at a visa application centre in Japan; check locations on IRCC's site
Medical examOnly if the application tells them toKitchen work is not an occupation that triggers an exam, but residence history can

The work permit fee is C$155; the contract should say who pays it. We could not record a reliable processing time for applications made from Japan, so check IRCC's processing time tool on the day. Japanese citizens are visa exempt and may apply at the port of entry once the LMIA is positive, though IRCC advises applying before travel.

4. Message to send the chef, in Japanese and English

Send this once the chef has accepted, so they see the whole process and the document list at the start. The English version lets your Canadian team read the same text.

[氏名]様

このたびは[店名]（カナダ・[都市]）への入社をご承諾いただき、ありがとうございます。今後の流れをお知らせします。

1. 当社がカナダ政府に労働市場影響評価（LMIA）を申請します。求人広告の期間を含め、結果が出るまで約[6]か月かかる見込みです。
2. LMIAが承認されたら、[氏名]様ご本人にカナダの就労許可をオンラインで申請していただきます。申請手数料C$155と生体認証C$85は[当社が負担／ご本人負担]です。
3. 就労許可が下りたら渡航日を決めます。航空券は[当社が手配します]。

今月中に次の書類をご用意ください。
・パスポートのコピー（有効期限が[2029]年以降であること）
・在職証明書または退職証明書（英文、在籍期間と職務内容の記載あり）
・調理師免許の写しと英訳（お持ちの場合）
・英文の履歴書

カナダでの条件：時給C$[xx.xx]、週[40]時間、雇用期間[12]か月。求人で日本語は要件にできないため、応募書類や面接では調理の技能を中心に確認します。費用を当社以外の誰かから請求された場合は、支払わずにご連絡ください。

[担当者名]／[メールアドレス]

Dear [name],

Thank you for accepting our offer to join [restaurant] in [city], Canada. Here is what happens next.

1. We will apply to the Government of Canada for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Including the required advertising, we expect a decision in about [6] months.
2. Once the LMIA is approved, you will apply online for a Canadian work permit. The C$155 fee and C$85 biometrics fee will be paid by [us / you].
3. When the permit is approved, we will set your travel date. [We will book your flight.]

Please send the following this month:
- Copy of your passport (valid until at least [2029])
- Employment certificate in English, showing dates and duties
- Copy and English translation of your cook's licence, if you have one
- CV in English

Terms in Canada: C$[xx.xx] per hour, [40] hours a week, [12] month contract. If anyone other than us asks you to pay a fee, do not pay and tell us.

[Name] / [email]

5. Pension, insurance and tax on the Japanese side

6. The Japan side sequence

The Canadian week by week schedule is on the procedure page. The Japan side follows it in this order.

  1. Before the Canadian ads start: choose the candidate, send the message above, start collecting documents. Check the experience and duties in the ad against the candidate's record.
  2. During the ad period: translate the documents and send them to the Canadian company. For a secondment, start the pension certificate.
  3. While ESDC processes the LMIA: agree a leaving date with the chef. Telling their current employer is safer once the permit looks likely.
  4. After a positive LMIA: the chef applies for the permit and gives biometrics. Arrange the flight, first housing and private medical cover.
  5. Before departure: moving out notice, pension and tax steps, signed employment contract.

7. What to do this week

Figures that expire: IRCC fees (work permit C$155, biometrics C$85, fee list updated 2 July 2026) can change; ESDC publishes inspection results once a year; check the social security agreement guidance from MHLW and the Japan Pension Service before each secondment. Checked 27 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can our head office in Japan apply for the LMIA?

No. The LMIA is filed by the business in Canada that employs and pays the chef, usually the Canadian company. Head office supports selection, documents and travel.

Can the job ad ask for someone who speaks Japanese?

Not in an LMIA ad or application. Only English or French can be listed as a requirement. Describe the skills instead, such as breaking down fish, cooking sushi rice and sharpening knives.

What happens to a seconded chef's pension?

Under the Japan–Canada social security agreement, a secondment expected to last 5 years or less keeps the chef in the Japanese pension system only, with no CPP. Get a certificate of coverage from the pension office. Health insurance is not covered by the agreement.

Can the chef help at our other restaurant after arriving?

Only if the permit allows it. An employer-specific permit is tied to the employer and occupation and may name a location. Check the permit and do not assign work outside it.

Can the chef pay some of the costs?

The LMIA fee cannot be recovered from the chef, and in the low-wage stream round-trip travel is the employer's cost too. The chef can pay the work permit fee if the contract says so.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal, immigration or tax advice. For a specific case, speak to a regulated Canadian immigration consultant or lawyer, and a Japanese labour and social security attorney or tax accountant.

Sources

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