LMIA CheckGovernment policy tracker
What changed in Canada’s LMIA rules
The rules that decide whether a job offer can be real keep moving. This page tracks every change, what it means in plain language, and the official source — so you can check a claim yourself instead of taking a recruiter’s word for it.
Last verified August 15, 2026 against Government of Canada sources.
- Worth knowing
LMIA processing times rose again across almost every stream
ESDC published updated processing times. The high-wage stream now averages 88 days — up from 60 days in February. Times rose in every stream except Seasonal Agricultural and the Permanent Residence stream.
What this means for your offer
Nobody can get you an LMIA in two weeks. If a recruiter promises a fast LMIA, that promise does not match how long the government is actually taking.
- Affects your offer
Wage thresholds reset — many jobs moved from high-wage to low-wage
The line dividing the high-wage and low-wage streams is now 120% of the median wage in each province. Every province went up. A job paying $36/hour in Ontario was high-wage in June; it is low-wage now.
What this means for your offer
Low-wage positions carry far more restrictions. If someone told you your offer is "high-wage", check it against the table below — the answer may have changed on July 17.
- Affects your offer
26 cities are closed to low-wage LMIA applications until October 9
ESDC will not process low-wage LMIA applications in census metropolitan areas where unemployment is 6% or higher. That currently includes Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montréal. Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops and Chilliwack were newly added. Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina, Saint John, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara and Drummondville reopened.
What this means for your offer
This is the clearest test on this page. If someone is selling you a low-wage job in one of these cities right now, an LMIA cannot legally be issued for it. The offer cannot be what they say it is.
ESDC — refusal to process →Next government update: October 9, 2026 - Worth knowing
Penalties against non-compliant employers more than doubled
ESDC published its enforcement results for April 2025 to March 2026: 1,488 inspections, 12% of inspected employers found non-compliant, $10.2 million in penalties (up from $4.5 million the year before), and 30 employers banned from the program.
What this means for your offer
Enforcement is increasing, and banned employers are published. Checking an employer against that list before you pay anyone is now more useful than it has ever been.
- Worth knowing
Low-wage jobs must be advertised for 8 weeks, and youth must be recruited first
Employers must advertise a low-wage position for 8 consecutive weeks — double the previous 4 — and must show they tried to recruit young Canadians first. Rural employers in participating provinces can raise their low-wage cap from 10% to 15% until March 31, 2027.
What this means for your offer
The 8 weeks must be finished before the employer applies. A "fast LMIA" on a low-wage job is not possible within that window.
- Background
Canada cut how many temporary foreign workers it will admit in 2026
The 2026 target is 60,000 workers through the TFWP — 22,000 fewer than the 82,000 targeted for 2025, part of a plan to bring temporary residents below 5% of the population by 2027.
What this means for your offer
Fewer available positions and longer waits mean more pressure — and more people willing to sell offers that do not exist. Scarcity is exactly when fraud rises.
High-wage vs low-wage, by province
An offer below your province’s threshold is a low-wage position, which carries more restrictions — including the city rules below. Effective July 17, 2026.
| Province / Territory | Threshold | Was |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $37.50/hr | $36.00 |
| British Columbia | $38.40/hr | $36.60 |
| Manitoba | $31.33/hr | $30.16 |
| New Brunswick | $31.73/hr | $30.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.60/hr | $32.40 |
| Northwest Territories | $48.00/hr | unchanged |
| Nova Scotia | $31.96/hr | $30.00 |
| Nunavut | $45.00/hr | $42.00 |
| Ontario | $36.92/hr | $36.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $31.20/hr | $30.00 |
| Quebec | $36.00/hr | $34.62 |
| Saskatchewan | $34.62/hr | $33.60 |
| Yukon | $45.60/hr | $44.40 |
Cities closed to low-wage LMIAs right now
ESDC will not process a low-wage LMIA application in these 26 areas until October 9, 2026. If you are being offered a low-wage job in one of them, an LMIA cannot be issued for it.
This list changes every three months. It is accurate as of August 15, 2026 and the government reviews it again on October 9, 2026.
- St. John's, NL
- Moncton, NB
- Montréal, QC
- Ottawa-Gatineau, ON/QC
- Belleville–Quinte West, ON
- Peterborough, ON
- Oshawa, ON
- Toronto, ON
- Hamilton, ON
- Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON
- Brantford, ON
- Guelph, ON
- London, ON
- Windsor, ON
- Barrie, ON
- Greater Sudbury, ON
- Saskatoon, SK
- Calgary, AB
- Red Deer, AB
- Edmonton, AB
- Kelowna, BC
- Kamloops, BC
- Chilliwack, BC
- Abbotsford-Mission, BC
- Vancouver, BC
- Nanaimo, BC
Rules are one half of the answer
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We summarise official Government of Canada announcements and link to each source. This is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact Service Canada or a licensed immigration representative.