Regions Where Low-Wage LMIAs Are No Longer Accepted as of July 11

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Regions Where Low-Wage LMIAs Are No Longer Accepted as of July 11

As of July 11, 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has halted the processing of low-wage LMIA applications in 26 Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with unemployment rates ≥ 6%. This freeze remains in effect until at least October 10, 2025

Updated CMA List & Unemployment Rates:

Census metropolitan area (CMA)Unemployment rate
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador7.2
Halifax, Nova Scotia6.2
Moncton, New Brunswick6.4
Saint John, New Brunswick7.4
Fredericton, New Brunswick6.2
Montréal, Quebec6.9
Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec6.4
Kingston, Ontario7.2
Belleville – Quinte West, Ontario7.1
Peterborough, Ontario9.9
Oshawa, Ontario9.2
Toronto, Ontario8.9
Hamilton, Ontario6.6
St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario6.4
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario6.9
Brantford, Ontario6.8
London, Ontario6.9
Windsor, Ontario11
Barrie, Ontario7.3
Calgary, Alberta7.3
Edmonton, Alberta7.6
Kamloops, British Columbia8.7
Chilliwack, British Columbia6.3
Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia6.1
Vancouver, British Columbia6.3
Nanaimo, British Columbia7.3

CMAs Regaining Eligibility

The following CMAs have dropped below the 6% unemployment threshold and reopened to low-wage LMIA applications since July 11:

  • Drummondville (QC)
  • Guelph (ON)
  • Kelowna (BC)
  • Red Deer (AB)

Why This Is Happening?

ESDC policy prohibits processing low-wage LMIAs in CMAs with unemployment ≥ 6% to protect the local labor force.

These quarterly updates occur in January, April, July, and October—next review due October 10, 2025

Employers offering wages below provincial/territorial TFWP thresholds must submit low-wage LMIA; those above must use the high-wage stream, which is unaffected by this restriction.

Implications & Next Steps

For Employers in Affected CMAs:

  • Cannot apply for or renew low‑wage LMIAs until October.
  • Options include:
    1. Raise wages to qualify under high-wage stream,
    2. Relocate roles to eligible CMAs or rural areas,
    3. Use LMIA-exempt categories (e.g., agricultural, healthcare)

For Foreign Workers:

  • Unable to renew low-wage work permits in restricted CMAs.
  • Could seek employer support to switch to high-wage stream or relocate.
  • Those with expiring permits may apply for maintained status or apply for a visitor record to remain and seek alternatives.

What You Should Do?

  1. Identify CMA via postal code lookup on the Statistics Canada website.
  2. Check current status:
    • If in a restricted CMA, evaluate wage increase, relocation, or sector alternatives.
    • If in resumed CMA (Drummondville, Guelph, Kelowna, Red Deer), low-wage LMIA is now acceptable again.
  3. Stay informed—the policy updates again on October 10, 2025.

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