Low-Wage LMIA Processing Reopens in Eight Regions: What It Means for Your Hiring

• Low-wage LMIA processing reopened in eight census metropolitan areas on July 10, 2026, including Halifax, Winnipeg, and Regina.

• A total of 26 census metropolitan areas stay closed to low-wage LMIA processing from July 10 to October 9, 2026.

• Four regions were newly restricted: Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, and Chilliwack.

• The measure applies only where unemployment is 6% or higher, and several sectors stay exempt, including primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, and health care.

• The list is reviewed every three months, so a region open today may close at the next update on October 10, 2026.

What changed with low-wage LMIA processing in July 2026?

On July 10, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada refreshed the list of regions where low-wage LMIA applications are refused for processing. Eight regions reopened, four were added, and 26 census metropolitan areas remain closed until October 9, 2026. It is a routine quarterly update that keeps the program aligned with current local labour markets.

For a hiring team, the practical takeaway is timing and location. Whether you can move forward depends on the job’s exact census metropolitan area and the date you apply. A role that was paused in the spring may be open now, and a role that was open last quarter may be paused today. Checking the current status for your specific location is the step that keeps a plan on track.

Eight census metropolitan areas reopened on July 10, 2026 because their unemployment rate fell below the 6% threshold. Employers in these regions may again submit low-wage LMIA applications, subject to all other program rules. If you paused a hire here earlier in 2026, this is a good window to move.

• Halifax, Nova Scotia — 5.9%

• Saint John, New Brunswick — 5.9%

• Fredericton, New Brunswick — 5.3%

• Drummondville, Quebec — 5.7%

• Kingston, Ontario — 5.3%

• St. Catharines–Niagara, Ontario — 5.8%

• Winnipeg, Manitoba — 5.6%

• Regina, Saskatchewan — 5.9%

Four census metropolitan areas were added to the pause on July 10, 2026 because their unemployment rate rose to 6% or higher. If your hire is in one of these regions, a low-wage application will not be processed until the rate falls back below the threshold, unless the position sits in an exempt sector.

• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — 6.5%

• Red Deer, Alberta — 7.2%

• Kamloops, British Columbia — 7.0%

• Chilliwack, British Columbia — 7.9%

If you are affected here, it is worth checking whether your role qualifies under an exempt sector or the high-wage stream, both of which are standard parts of the program.

In August 2024, the federal government began refusing to process low-wage LMIA applications in census metropolitan areas where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The aim is to give workers already in the area a first chance at available jobs before employers hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, keeping hiring aligned with local labour market conditions.

The measure applies to the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). It uses unemployment data from the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, and the affected regions are refreshed on a fixed quarterly schedule. Because the list updates every three months, the reliable habit is to confirm a region’s current status right before you file, rather than working from an earlier quarter.

Several sectors stay open to low-wage LMIA processing even in paused regions. Applications are still accepted for “short-duration positions generally of 120 calendar days or less,” along with primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, and core health-care roles. If your position fits an exempt category, regional unemployment does not affect processing.

The full list of exempt categories includes:

• Primary agriculture occupations

• Construction (NAICS 23)

• Food manufacturing (NAICS 311)

• Hospitals (NAICS 622)

• Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623)

• Specific in-home caregiver roles

• Positions that support permanent residence applications only

• Short-duration positions of about 120 calendar days or less

Confirming whether your role is exempt can open a compliant path even in a paused region, so it is worth checking against the current list before you rule out a location.

An LMIA is low-wage when the offered hourly pay is below the median hourly wage for the province or territory where the job is located. Roles paid at or above that median fall under the high-wage stream, which follows its own rules and is not part of the regional processing pause.

Employment and Social Development Canada updated the provincial and territorial wage thresholds effective July 17, 2026, so the exact cut-off depends on the job location. The high-wage stream is a separate, fully compliant route with its own requirements. For some roles, offering a wage at or above the provincial median may make it the right fit, and that decision depends on getting the current numbers right.

The rules are clear. The practical challenge is staying current, because the list updates every quarter, applies by exact census metropolitan area, interacts with exempt sectors, and shifts alongside wage thresholds. Getting a detail wrong can lead to a refused application and a lost $1,000 processing fee per position.

Most Canadian employers do not have an in-house immigration team tracking these updates. That is where errors creep in: a hire planned around last quarter’s list, an offer that lands just under the wage line, or a location assumed to be open when it closed at the latest review. Each of these is avoidable with the right check at the right moment, and each keeps your hiring firmly inside the rules.

BorderPass gives you end-to-end visibility with legal oversight built in, so you are working from the current rules rather than an earlier quarter. Before you file, that means confirming the region’s live status, checking whether the role is exempt, and testing which wage stream applies, so your application is accurate and compliant from the start.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

• A current read on whether your job’s region is open, closed, or exempt, so you file at the right time.

• A wage-stream check against the July 17, 2026 thresholds, so you know whether the high-wage stream is the right compliant fit.

• Legal review of the application before it goes in, which can help reduce the risk of a refusal on a technicality.

• One place to track status, so your team is not rechecking government pages every quarter.

“Confirm the region and the wage stream before you file, not after,” says Varinder Johal, immigration lawyer working with BorderPass. Small details in location and pay decide whether an application can move forward, and in most cases they are simple to check up front.

If your hire sits in one of the eight reopened regions, this quarter is a clear window, and the list may change again in October. If you are in a newly paused region, check whether an exempt sector or the high-wage stream fits your role, since both are standard parts of the program. Either way, the move is the same: confirm the current status before you commit.

Our guide to the new low-wage LMIA rules for Canadian employers breaks down the measure in detail, and our employer solutions give you visibility and legal review from offer to work permit. If you are a worker weighing a job offer, our newcomer support can help you check that the offer and permit path are sound.

The program resets every three months. BorderPass is the smarter way to stay current with it, so a changing list turns into a well-timed application rather than a refused one. For the latest changes as they land, follow BorderPass news.

- Q: Is low-wage LMIA processing open again in Canada?

  A: Partly. On July 10, 2026, processing reopened in eight census metropolitan areas, including Halifax, Winnipeg, and Regina. At the same time, 26 regions stay closed to low-wage LMIA processing until October 9, 2026 because unemployment is 6% or higher. The list is reviewed every three months, so status can change.

- Q: What does the July 2026 low-wage LMIA update mean for employers?

  A: It changes where you can hire. If your job is in one of the eight reopened regions, you can file a low-wage LMIA again this quarter. If it is in a newly paused region, an exempt sector or the high-wage stream may fit your role. Confirm your region and wage stream before you apply.

- Q: Which jobs are exempt from the low-wage LMIA pause?

  A: Exempt categories include primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care, specific in-home caregiver roles, positions supporting permanent residence only, and short-duration positions of about 120 calendar days or less. If a role fits an exempt category, regional unemployment does not affect processing. Confirm your role against the current canada.ca list.

- Q: How can BorderPass help with a low-wage LMIA application?

  A: BorderPass gives employers end-to-end visibility with legal oversight, so you work from current rules and file accurately. That includes confirming your region’s live status, checking exempt sectors, testing which wage stream applies, and reviewing the application before you file, which can help reduce the risk of a refusal and a lost processing fee.

- Q: When is the next low-wage LMIA processing update?

  A: The list of affected regions is reviewed every three months. The current list runs from July 10 to October 9, 2026, and the next scheduled update is October 10, 2026. Because regions can move on or off the list, check the canada.ca refusal to process page, or ask BorderPass, before you apply.