Canada Temporarily Halts Low-Wage LMIA Processing in 24 CMAs
The federal government has announced a significant change to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process for low-wage positions. Effective April 4 to July 10, 2025, employers should check the unemployment rate of the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) where the job is located before submitting a low-wage LMIA application.
CMAs with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will temporarily halt processing of low-wage LMIA applications. This includes 24 CMAs across Canada. Employers can verify if their work location falls within a CMA using the Census of Population search with the full postal code. Notably, Regina, Saskatchewan and London, Ontario were removed from the list this quarter due to unemployment rates below 6%.
CMAs with unemployment rates below 6% or those not listed will continue to have low-wage LMIAs processed as usual. Employers can circumvent the temporary halt by increasing the wage to fall under the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The list of CMAs will be updated every three months, with the next update scheduled for July 11.
This temporary measure aims to prioritise Canadian job seekers in areas with higher unemployment rates. Employers are advised to stay informed about the unemployment rates in their regions and plan their hiring strategies accordingly.
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