Employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) were facing longer waits for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) under nearly every stream in August, with some delays growing by more than two months.
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program posted the only improvement, with processing times falling by a modest two days.
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Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the federal department responsible for reviewing LMIA applications, published its August 2026 processing times on September 10, 2026.
ESDC’s LMIA processing times are updated on a monthly basis and measure the average number of business days required to assess an application.
How have LMIA processing times changed from July to August?
Several factors can shape how long an LMIA application remains in processing, including the stream, whether the file is complete, and the number of applications awaiting review.
LMIA timelines exclude the advertising period employers must complete before applying, which ranges from 14 days to eight weeks depending on the stream.
The table below shows the month-over-month change in processing times from July to August:
| TFWP stream/program | August 2026 | July 2026 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Talent Stream | 10 days | 10 days | — |
| Agricultural stream | 25 days | 23 days | +2 days |
| Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program | 6 days | 8 days | -2 days |
| High-wage stream | 90 days | 88 days | +2 days |
| *Low-wage stream | 82 days | 73 days | +9 days |
| Permanent resident stream | 156 | 86 days | +70 days |
A months-long downward trend in LMIA processing times for the permanent resident stream reversed in the latest update, with waits rising by 70 days—the largest jump this year across all streams.
The low-wage TFWP stream saw the second-highest jump in the August update, with processing times up 70.8% since early 2026.
LMIA processing times for the high-wage stream, intended for positions with wages at least 20% above the relevant provincial or territorial threshold, climbed to a new high for the year.
By August, employers using the agricultural stream were facing LMIA wait times nearly double those seen in February.
The department continued to meet its 10-day LMIA service standard for the Global Talent Stream, designed to fast-track work permits for workers in specialized or in-demand jobs.
*Low-wage LMIA processing is subject to a federal moratorium in regions where unemployment reaches 6% or higher. The list of affected regions is updated every quarter, with the next revision due October 10.
The role of LMIAs in the hiring of temporary foreign workers
Canadian employers hiring through the TFWP must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA from ESDC before a foreign national can apply for a work permit.
The LMIA confirms that the employer carried out the required recruitment efforts to fill the position with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and that hiring a temporary foreign worker is not expected to adversely affect the Canadian labour market.
Before an employer can submit an LMIA application, they are required to satisfy the conditions of the TFWP stream through which they intend to hire, including rules around advertising duration and recruitment methods.
After ESDC approves the LMIA, the employer provides the foreign national with the LMIA decision letter and the job offer letter required for the work permit application.
While ESDC recommends an appropriate employment duration, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sets the work permit’s final expiry date.
Foreign nationals have six months from the date of LMIA issuance to apply for the work permit.
Those seeking employment in Canada may use the Canada Job Bank to search for positions tied to approved or pending LMIA applications; more than 5,600 such postings are listed at the time of writing.
Certain foreign nationals in Canada may also benefit from concurrent processing measures, which allow for the submission of a work permit application even if the employer’s LMIA is still pending review.
Canada’s temporary foreign worker admissions
The federal government plans to admit 60,000 workers through the TFWP in 2026, compared with a target of 82,000 in 2025.
In the first six months of 2026, 23,190 temporary foreign workers entered Canada—42.1% fewer than in the same period in 2025 and 55.7% fewer than in 2024.
This reduction supports Ottawa’s plan to bring temporary residents below 5% of the national population by 2027.
Fewer TFWP admissions could also translate into fewer LMIA applications over time, potentially reducing pressure on processing volumes.
The International Mobility Program (IMP) has also seen its admissions target cut, from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026. Between January and June 2026, 74,940 workers were admitted through the LMIA-exempt program, 12.1% fewer than in the same period in 2025 and 61.1% fewer than in 2024.
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