Low-wage LMIA processing suspended in six additional regions

The federal government has announced the next quarterly list of Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in Canada where Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) low-wage applications will not be processed.

A total of 32 CMAs have been listed as areas where LMIA applications will not be processed this quarter. This is an increase from the previous quarter of the year (from 11 July to 9 October), when only 26 areas were listed.

Starting 10 October, areas such as Peterborough, Ontario, will begin processing low-wage LMIA applications, while areas such as Guelph, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, will stop processing low-wage LMIA applications until the list is updated again.

An LMIA is required for work permit issuance under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

In August 2024, the government announced that it would stop processing LMIA applications under the low-wage stream of the TFWP for CMAs with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.

Since then, the federal government has published a quarterly list of CMAs with their unemployment rates so that foreign workers know which areas will not process the low-wage LMIA required for a work permit.

CMA added to the list

• Guelph, Ontario
• Greater Sudbury, Ontario
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Regina, Saskatchewan
• Lethbridge, Alberta
• Red Deer, Alberta
• Kelowna, British Columbia

From 10 October to 8 January 2026, low-wage stream LMIA applications under the TFWP from these areas will not be processed.

CMA removed from the list

• Peterborough, Ontario

From 10 October to 8 January 2026, low-wage stream LMIA applications under the TFWP from this area will be processed.

List of ineligible CMAs as of 10 October

Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)	Unemployment rate
St. John’s, NL	6,8
Halifax, NS	6,1
Moncton, NB	7,3
Saint John, NB	7,3
Fredericton, NB	6,7
Montréal, QC	6,7
Ottawa-Gatineau, ON/QC	7,7
Kingston, ON	6,6
Belleville – Quinte West, ON	6,6
Oshawa, ON	9,5
Toronto, ON	9,5
Hamilton, ON	7,6
St. Catharines-Niagara, ON	7,0
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON	7,4
Brantford, ON	9,4
Guelph, ON	9,2
London, ON	7,0
Windsor, ON	11,3
Barrie, ON	7,5
Greater Sudbury, ON	7,0
Winnipeg, MB	7,3
Regina, SK	6,8
Lethbridge, AB	8,5
Calgary, AB	8,0
Red Deer, AB	8,7
Edmonton, AB	9,0
Kelowna, BC	6,0
Kamloops, BC	8,6
Chilliwack, BC	7,8
Abbotsford-Mission, BC	8,1
Vancouver, BC	6,8
Nanaimo, BC	9,7

The next update for this list will be on 8 January 2026.

What to do if the position is located in a CMA with an unemployment rate above 6%?

Both employers and employees should check the unemployment rate of the CMA where the position is located before applying.

For employers

If an employer wishes to hire a foreign worker under the TFWP in a CMA with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, they may increase the wage to have the position fall under the high-wage stream of the TFWP. For a position to fall under the high-wage stream of the TFWP, the offered wage must be at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage for the occupation and the location where the employee will work.

Another option is to wait 3 months in case there are changes to the unemployment rate of the CMA where the position is located.

For foreign nationals

Job seekers under the low-wage stream of the TFWP can focus their job search on occupations exempt from this refusal-to-process measure, including:

• Primary agriculture occupations
• Positions in construction
• Positions in food manufacturing
• Positions in hospitals
• Positions in nursing and residential care facilities
• Specific home care provider positions
• Permanent resident support positions only (no work permit application
• Short duration (120 calendar days or less) that also meet specific criteria

Foreign nationals can also focus their job search on CMAs where low-wage LMIAs are still being processed.

Foreign workers on a low-wage TFWP work permit who lose status because their work permit cannot be extended must stop working. They may apply for a visitor record to remain in Canada as a visitor, if they wish.

How to check the CMA where the position is located?

Here is how to determine whether a position falls within a CMA that processes or does not process low-wage LMIAs:

• Enter the full postal code of the work location into the Census search at here.
• Check the “Census metropolitan area / Census agglomeration” result on the Geography search results page:
  • If this level is not listed, your application remains eligible.
  • If it shows a Census Agglomeration, your application remains eligible.
  • If it shows a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), you can check whether the CMA is listed in the table above. If it is, your application will not be processed for the next 3 months.