Canada Updates LMIA Wait Times Across Work Streams

Employment and Social Development Canada has released its latest processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessments, showing a mixed picture for Canadian employers.

The May 2026 update was issued on June 9, 2026. It shows that processing times increased slightly for most streams under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. However, the permanent residence stream saw a major improvement, dropping by nearly one month.

An LMIA is an assessment that many Canadian employers need before hiring a foreign worker. It helps the government decide whether hiring a foreign national would affect Canadian workers or permanent residents.

Most Streams See Longer Waits

According to the latest figures, the Global Talent Stream increased from eight days in April to 10 days in May. The Agricultural Stream rose from 21 days to 22 days, while the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program moved from 10 days to 11 days.

The high-wage stream remained unchanged at 64 days. The low-wage stream increased from 58 days to 61 days, making it the largest increase among the streams that saw longer waits.

The permanent residence stream was the only stream to improve. Its processing time fell from 140 days in April to 114 days in May, a reduction of 26 days.

ESDC notes that these processing times do not include the time employers need to complete advertising requirements before submitting an LMIA. Depending on the stream, employers may need to advertise a position for 14 days to eight weeks within the three months before applying.

Low-Wage and Global Talent Streams

The low-wage stream remains closely tied to regional unemployment rates. The government only processes low-wage LMIA applications in regions where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The list of ineligible regions is updated every three months, with the next update scheduled for July 10.

The Global Talent Stream now sits exactly at the government’s 10-day service standard. This stream is designed to support faster LMIA and work permit processing for certain skilled roles.

Why LMIAs Matter

Before many foreign nationals can apply for a work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, their employer must first receive a positive or neutral LMIA from ESDC.

The assessment confirms that the employer could not find a suitable Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the job. It also checks that hiring a foreign worker is unlikely to harm Canada’s labour market.

After receiving an LMIA, the employer gives the foreign worker the decision letter and job offer. The worker then includes both documents in their work permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Some applicants may be able to submit a work permit application while the employer is still waiting for the LMIA decision under IRCC’s concurrent processing measures.

The Canada Job Bank can also help workers find LMIA-supported jobs. At the time of the report, it listed nearly 5,400 available job postings.

Temporary Worker Admissions Are Falling

Canada plans to admit 60,000 temporary foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program this year. That is 82,000 fewer than the 2025 target.

From January to April 2026, Canada admitted 14,655 workers under the program. That was 25.6% lower than the same period in 2025 and 53.6% lower than in 2024.

The International Mobility Program is also seeing lower planned admissions. Its target dropped from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026. Between January and April 2026, admissions were down 15.3% from 2025 and 69.4% from 2024.

These changes reflect Ottawa’s plan to reduce temporary residents to less than 5% of Canada’s population by 2027.