Work permit freeze extended to Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Halifax

Starting April 10, the federal government will stop processing low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in nine regions across Canada, including Vancouver in British Columbia, Winnipeg in Manitoba, and Halifax in Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, regions such as Lethbridge in Alberta and Kamloops, British Columbia, will be eligible for LMIA processing until the list is updated once more on July 10.

In total, 30 CMAs have been listed as regions where low-wage LMIAs will not be processed by the federal government this quarter. This is a increase from the previous quarter, when 24 regions were listed.

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Every quarter, the federal government releases its next quarterly list of census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada where low-wage will not be processed. LMIAs are needed for the issuance of work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

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

• Lethbridge, Alberta — 7.2% → 5.9%
• Red Deer, Alberta — 8.9% → 5.9%
• Kamloops, British Columbia — 6.6% → 5.2%
• Chilliwack, British Columbia — 7.3% → 5.7%

From April 10 to July 9, low-wage LMIAs under the TFWP from these regions will once again be processed.

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

• Halifax, Nova Scotia — 5.2% → 6.1%
• Moncton, New Brunswick — 5.5% → 7.4%
• St. John, New Brunswick — 5.8% → 6.0%
• Fredericton, New Brunswick — 5.2% → 6.5%
• Drummondville, Quebec — 5.6% → 7.3%
• Montréal, Quebec — 5.5% → 6.8%
• Kingston, Ontario — 5.6% → 6.2%
• Peterborough, Ontario — 5.3% → 6.3%
• Vancouver, British Columbia — 5.9% → 6.5%
• Winnipeg, Manitoba — 5.7% → 6.0%

From April 10 to July 9, low-wage LMIAs under the TFWP from these regions will not be processed.

Note: despite being "removed" from the processing freeze list in the last quarter, LMIAs in Montreal did not get processed due to Quebec having a moratorium on low-wage LMIA processing in the administrative regions of Montreal and Laval until December 31, 2026

Full list of CMAs under the low-wage LMIAs processing freeze as of April 10

Census Metropolitan Area	Unemployment rate for Q2 2026
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador	7.6
Halifax, Nova Scotia	6.1
Moncton, New Brunswick	7.4
Saint John, New Brunswick	6
Fredericton, New Brunswick	6.5
Drummondville, Quebec	7.3
Montréal, Quebec	6.8
Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec	6.2
Kingston, Ontario	6.2
Belleville - Quinte West, Ontario	7.9
Peterborough, Ontario	6.3
Oshawa, Ontario	7.5
Toronto, Ontario	7.9
Hamilton, Ontario	6.7
St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario	7.2
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario	9.1
Brantford, Ontario	6.8
Guelph, Ontario	6.5
London, Ontario	9.3
Windsor, Ontario	8.8
Barrie, Ontario	8.8
Greater Sudbury, Ontario	6.4
Winnipeg, Manitoba	6
Regina, Saskatchewan	6.4
Calgary, Alberta	7.1
Edmonton, Alberta	7
Kelowna, British Columbia	8.9
Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia	6.2
Vancouver, British Columbia	6.5
Nanaimo, British Columbia	7.2

Low-wage LMIA applications in these regions will not be processed until the next quarterly update, expected on July 10.

What does this mean for employers and foreign workers?

Both employers and foreign nationals should check the unemployment rate of the CMA where the job is located before submitting a low-wage LMIA application.

If the job is located in a CMA with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, the application will not be processed unless an exemption applies.

If an employer wishes to hire a foreign national in an affected CMA, one possible option is to raise the wage being offered so that the job falls under the high-wage stream of the TFWP.

Foreign nationals with a job offer under the low-wage stream in an affected CMA may also wish to wait for the next quarterly update, in case the unemployment rate changes and the CMA becomes eligible again.

Foreign nationals who do not have a job offer yet can focus their job hunt on occupations exempt from the refusal to process measure. This includes the following:

• Occupations under primary agriculture;
• Positions in construction;
• Positions in food manufacturing;
• Positions in hospitals;
• Positions in nursing and residential care facilities;
• Specific in-home caregiver positions;
• Positions in support of permanent residency only (no application for work permit; and
• Short duration (120 calendar days or less) that also meets specific criteria.

It is also worth noting that foreign nationals in participating provinces may also benefit from a recent temporary public policy that allows employers in rural areas of Canada (those identified as outside of CMAs) to increase their percentage of low-wage LMIA workers from 10% to 15%. This means employers in rural areas in some regions may be looking to hire more workers under the low-wage stream of the TFWP.

Why doesn’t Canada process LMIAs in certain regions?

In August 2024, the federal 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.

According to the feds, the policy change was implemented to align the TFWP with local labour market needs, and ensure job opportunities were offered to Canadian and permanent residents first.

Since then, the government has been releasing a quarterly list of CMAs and their unemployment rates so that foreign nationals and employers know where low-wage LMIA applications will and will not be processed.

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows employers to hire eligible foreign workers to fill labour shortages. Without a positive or neutral LMIA, a foreign national cannot apply for or renew a work permit under the TFWP.

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