IMM 5802 Form: What It Is and When You Still Need It in 2026

The IMM 5802 form is the paper offer of employment an employer uses to hire a foreign national who is exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). In most cases IRCC no longer accepts it, because employers now submit the offer online through the Employer Portal. You only request an IMM 5802 in a few specific situations, and this guide explains exactly which ones.

That distinction matters. A foreign worker cannot apply for an employer-specific work permit until the employer has submitted a valid offer of employment, paid the compliance fee, and handed the worker the offer of employment number. Chase the wrong document and the work permit stalls before it starts. Confirm the current rule on IRCC's official Help Centre answer for the IMM 5802 form.

What is the IMM 5802 form?

The IMM 5802 is the offer of employment an employer makes to a foreign national they want to hire under the International Mobility Program, the stream for jobs that are exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment. It is an employer document, not a worker one: the employer completes it, and the worker later relies on it to apply for their work permit.

It is easy to confuse this with an LMIA, but they sit on different tracks. An LMIA is a labour market assessment that an employer needs before hiring in most cases. The IMM 5802 belongs to the LMIA-exempt work permit pathway, where no LMIA is required but the employer still has to register the job offer with IRCC.

When you still need the IMM 5802 form

Here is the reality behind the search: IRCC no longer provides the IMM 5802 for general download, and will not accept it in most cases. According to IRCC's Help Centre, offers of employment must be submitted online through the Employer Portal, and the paper form is no longer accepted for routine hires. It is issued only on request, in the special cases below.

You may still need to request an IMM 5802 in special cases, such as:

1. You are a foreign entrepreneur coming to Canada to incorporate a new business and you do not yet have a Canada Revenue Agency business number.

2. You are having problems logging into your Employer Portal account and IRCC cannot fix the issue in time.

To get the form, you email the Employer Portal to request it. IRCC asks you to include the worker's passport information exactly as shown (full name, date of birth, place of birth, country of citizenship) plus the business name and contact address if known.

How to submit an offer of employment (the normal route)

For almost everyone hiring an LMIA-exempt worker, the process runs through the Employer Portal, not the IMM 5802. In most cases you must pay the employer compliance fee of $230 and create and submit an offer of employment form through the portal, covering your business, the worker, the job details, and the wage and benefits.

Once submitted, IRCC gives you a seven-digit offer of employment number. You give that number to the worker, and only then can they complete their work permit application. If the worker already holds an open work permit, you do not submit an offer or pay the compliance fee at all.

In practice, the most common mix-up we see at Ansari Immigration is an employer assuming they still fill out a PDF and email it in, when the portal is the real path, or a worker waiting on an “IMM 5802” that was never the right document for their situation. Metro Vancouver employers hiring foreign workers through intra-company transfers or treaty categories hit this often, because the LMIA-exempt route is less familiar than a standard LMIA hire.

Hiring under an exemption and not sure whether you submit online or request the form? That is a 30-minute question you can put to Ansari Immigration's licensed RCIC directly ($80), before a filing mistake costs your worker weeks. Ask an RCIC.

Why this matters for your work permit application

The offer of employment, whether through the portal or a special-case IMM 5802, is the foundation of an employer-specific work permit. If its details do not match what the worker later tells IRCC about the job, that inconsistency can follow the file and is the kind of detail that surfaces in work permit misrepresentation findings. Employers can review their obligations in our LMIA employer requirements guide.

Have you hired through the International Mobility Program and dealt with the offer of employment number? Share what tripped you up in the comments, keep it general, and for advice on your specific hire use a consultation.

Frequently asked questions about IMM 5802

Where can I download the IMM 5802 form?

You generally cannot download it as a public PDF. IRCC issues it on request in special cases only. For a routine hire, you submit the offer through the Employer Portal instead of using the form.

Is the IMM 5802 form still used in 2026?

Rarely. IRCC says the form is no longer accepted in most cases and offers must be submitted online. It survives only for narrow situations, such as a foreign entrepreneur without a CRA business number or an Employer Portal login problem.

Who fills out the IMM 5802, the employer or the worker?

The employer. It is the employer's offer of employment. The worker uses the resulting offer of employment number to apply for their work permit.

Do I need to pay the employer compliance fee?

In most cases, yes. Hiring an LMIA-exempt worker generally requires the $230 employer compliance fee, unless you are exempt or the worker holds an open work permit. Confirm your situation on IRCC's official page.

What is the difference between the IMM 5802 and an LMIA?

An LMIA is a labour market test an employer usually needs before hiring. The IMM 5802 is the offer of employment used in the LMIA-exempt stream, where by definition no LMIA is required for that hire.

Related Posts

• LMIA Exempt Work Permit in Canada: Who Qualifies and How to Apply (2026): The pathways that let a foreign worker skip the LMIA and how the employer offer fits in.

• Understanding the International Mobility Program: C11 Work Permit: How the LMIA-exempt program works and which exemption codes apply.

• LMIA Employer Requirements in Canada: A 2026 Guide for Vancouver Businesses: What Vancouver employers must do to hire a foreign worker the right way.

Why work with Ansari Immigration: Flat, transparent fees quoted upfront, additional family members quoted separately. Every Ansari Immigration file is handled personally by the firm's licensed RCIC, R709304, who teaches immigration law at three colleges and trains practicing RCICs, with direct access to your consultant throughout.

Three signs your offer of employment needs a professional read before you file: you are hiring under an exemption code you have never used, you cannot tell whether the Employer Portal or the IMM 5802 applies to your case, or the job details keep shifting between the offer and the work permit application. Any one of these is what Ansari Immigration's licensed RCIC untangles in a 30-minute consultation ($80). What would you like us to break down next on employer-side hiring? Tell us in the comments, or book your consultation.

This article is for general information only. It is not legal advice. Program criteria, requirements, processing times, and selection approaches can change without notice. Always confirm details on official government websites or consult a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) for advice specific to your situation.