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Beginning July 10, the federal government will start processing low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications in eight regions across Canada, including in Halifax, Winnipeg, and Regina.

Other regions, such as Saskatoon and Kamloops, are now no longer eligible for low-wage LMIA processing until at least October 9.

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From July 10 to October 9, low-wage LMIAs will not be processed in a total of 26 census metropolitan areas (CMAs), due to these regions having an unemployment rate of 6% or higher—four fewer than in the previous quarter.

The federal government only processes low-wage LMIAs in CMAs where the unemployment rate is below 6%.

An employer must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA before a foreign worker can be issued a work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Every quarter, the federal government releases a list of CMAs in Canada where low-wage LMIAs will not be processed. The next update is scheduled to take place on October 10.

Which CMAs were removed from the processing freeze, starting July 10?

Which CMAs were added to the processing freeze, starting July 10?

The full list of ineligible CMAs as of July 10

Low-wage LMIAs will not be processed in the following CMAs until October 9 at the earliest:

Why LMIAs aren’t being processed in select regions

The federal government tightened access to the low-wage stream of the TFWP in August 2024, announcing that LMIA applications would not be processed in CMAs with unemployment rates of 6% or more.

The measure was introduced to better align the TFWP with regional labour market needs and to ensure Canadian citizens and permanent residents receive priority for available job opportunities.

The government has since published updated CMA unemployment rates every quarter. These figures determine where low-wage LMIA applications can be processed during each three-month period, and where they cannot.

There are, however, certain occupations that are exempt from the government’s refusal to process measure, including:

You can find more details surrounding these exemptions on the federal government’s Refusal to process a Labour Market Impact Assessment application webpage.

Canadian employers may use the TFWP to hire foreign nationals when domestic recruitment efforts are unsuccessful. The employer cannot hire a foreign worker if they do not first obtain a positive or neutral LMIA. This applies to initial work permits and work permit extensions.

What to do if your job offer aligns with one of the impacted regions

You and your employer should promptly check the unemployment rate for the CMA of your job location—those with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will be ineligible for LMIA processing.

If the positions is in a CMA with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, one option may be discussing a wage increase with your employer—one that would move the position out of the low-wage stream and into the high-wage stream of the TFWP, which isn't subject to these processing restrictions.

You can find the current hourly wage thresholds by province/territory (in CAD) below, for LMIAs received by July 16, and those received from July 17 onward:

Positions below the provincial/territorial hourly threshold will require LMIA processing under the low-wage stream; those at or above it fall under the high-wage stream.

Those with a low-wage job offer in an affected CMA may also wait for the next quarterly update (October 10) to see whether the region falls back below the unemployment threshold.

Foreign nationals who have yet to secure a job offer may wish to focus their job hunt on CMAs where low-wage LMIAs are still being processed, or occupations that fall under an exemption mentioned above.

Low-wage TFWP workers who are unable to extend their work permits as a result of the July 10 update must stop working once their authorization expires. To remain in Canada without losing their status, they may wish to change their status to visitor by applying for a visitor record.

A recently introduced temporary public policy may also increase demand for foreign workers in rural communities across participating provinces, providing another potential avenue for those affected. Eligible employers outside CMAs can now employ low-wage TFWP workers for up to 15% of their workforce, rather than the usual 10%.

The Government of Canada's Census of Population website can be used to determine whether a job is located in an affected CMA:

A listed CMA is subject to the processing restriction for the current three-month period.

An unlisted CMA remains eligible. Work locations identified as part of a census agglomeration also remain eligible.