Canada's June LMIA Update: High-Wage and Low-Wage Waits Climb as the PR Stream Speeds Up

Key Takeaways

• LMIA processing times rose in June for the TFWP's high-wage (+15 days) and low-wage (+10 days) streams.
• Three streams improved, led by the permanent-resident stream, which fell 15 days to about 14 weeks — down from 38 weeks in November 2025.
• Ottawa is cutting temporary-worker intake sharply, which may ease LMIA pressure over time.

Processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) moved in both directions in June, according to the July 9 update from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the department that reviews LMIA applications. The high-wage and low-wage streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) slowed, while three streams — most notably the permanent-resident stream — sped up.

How June compared to May

The steepest rise landed on the high-wage stream, which had held at 64 days since April 2026 before jumping by more than two weeks. The low-wage stream — under which the government does not process LMIAs in census metropolitan areas with unemployment of 6% or higher — was the only other stream to slow, now sitting above 10 weeks. Every other stream improved except the agricultural stream, through which employers can hire workers for up to 24 months. The permanent-resident stream fell the most, continuing a steady decline to just over 14 weeks — a marked improvement on its 38-week wait in November 2025. These figures exclude the mandatory advertising period beforehand, which runs from 14 days to eight weeks depending on the stream.

Where LMIAs fit in hiring

Before a foreign national can apply for an employer-specific work permit under the TFWP, the Canadian employer must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA from ESDC, confirming that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident could be found for the role and that hiring a foreign worker should not harm the labour market. Employers must first meet advertising and recruitment requirements. Once a favourable LMIA is issued, the employer provides the worker with the decision letter and a job offer, both needed for the work permit application. ESDC recommends a work duration, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sets the final work permit expiry when it assesses the application. An LMIA is generally valid for up to six months, and the worker must apply before it expires. Canada's Job Bank currently lists more than 5,700 postings from employers that already hold or have applied for an LMIA, and in some cases workers may apply under IRCC's concurrent-processing measures before the employer's LMIA is finalized.

A shrinking temporary-worker intake

Ottawa has set a target of 60,000 TFWP admissions this year, 82,000 below its 2025 target. From January to April 2026, 14,655 workers entered under the program — a 25.6% drop from the same period in 2025 and 53.6% below 2024. The pullback reflects the government's plan to bring the temporary-resident share of the population under 5% by 2027. The International Mobility Program, which handles LMIA-exempt permits, has also been scaled back, with planned admissions falling from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026; IMP admissions were down 15.3% year-over-year from January to April 2026 and 69.4% below 2024.

What This Means for Applicants: Employers and workers in the high-wage and low-wage streams should now budget for longer LMIA waits — roughly 11 and 10 weeks respectively, before the advertising period. Those on the permanent-resident stream, by contrast, are seeing the fastest turnaround in over a year. With overall intake shrinking, a complete, well-prepared LMIA file is the best lever applicants control to avoid the slow end of these ranges.