Employment and Social Development Canada’s May 2026 update shows mixed movement in Labour Market Impact Assessment processing times, with most Temporary Foreign Worker Program streams getting slightly slower while the permanent resident stream improved by nearly one month.
ESDC, the federal department responsible for assessing LMIA applications, issued the May 2026 processing time update on 9 June 2026. LMIA processing times depend on the stream selected, whether the application is complete, and current processing volumes.
The published processing times do not include the period required to meet minimum advertising requirements before submitting an LMIA. Depending on the stream, employers may need to advertise the position for 14 days to eight weeks within the three months before submission.
May 2026 LMIA processing times
| TFWP stream/program | April 2026 | May 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Talent Stream | 8 days | 10 days | +2 days |
| Agricultural stream | 21 days | 22 days | +1 day |
| Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program | 10 days | 11 days | +1 day |
| High-wage stream | 64 days | 64 days | No change |
| Low-wage stream | 58 days | 61 days | +3 days |
| Permanent resident stream | 140 days | 114 days | -26 days |
The permanent resident stream was the only stream to see a reduction in wait time, falling from 140 days in April to 114 days in May.
Most other streams saw small increases. The high-wage stream remained unchanged at 64 days. This stream is intended for hiring workers whose wage is at least 20% higher than the provincial or territorial wage threshold.
The largest increase was in the low-wage stream, which rose from 58 days to 61 days. The government processes low-wage LMIAs only in regions where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The list of ineligible regions is updated quarterly, with the next update scheduled for 10 July.
The Global Talent Stream increased from 8 days to 10 days, placing it exactly at the stream’s 10-day service standard.
Why an LMIA matters
Before a foreign national can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the employer generally must obtain a neutral or positive LMIA from ESDC.
The LMIA is meant to confirm two points:
- The employer could not find a suitable Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the role.
- Hiring the foreign worker is unlikely to negatively affect the Canadian labour market.
Once an LMIA is issued, the employer gives the foreign worker the LMIA decision letter and an offer of employment. These documents are then included in the work permit application submitted to IRCC.
The amount of time a foreign national may work in Canada depends on the validity of the LMIA-backed work permit. This is separate from the LMIA processing period and is based on the work duration recommended by ESDC during the LMIA process.
IRCC’s concurrent processing measures may allow some applicants to submit a work permit application while the employer is still waiting for an LMIA decision.
The Canada Job Bank can also be used to search for LMIA-supported jobs from employers that have already received an LMIA or submitted an LMIA application. At the time of writing, the platform had nearly 5,400 available job postings.
Some workers may be able to apply for a work permit without an LMIA if they qualify under the International Mobility Program.
Temporary foreign worker admissions are falling
Canada plans to admit 60,000 temporary foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2026. This is 82,000 fewer than the 2025 target.
Between January and April 2026, Canada admitted 14,655 workers under the TFWP. This was:
- 25.6% lower than the same period in 2025
- 53.6% lower than the same period in 2024
The decline reflects the government’s broader goal of reducing the temporary resident population to less than 5% of Canada’s total population by 2027.
Lower TFWP work permit issuance may also reduce the number of LMIA applications submitted by employers, which could help shorten processing times.
The International Mobility Program is also seeing lower planned admissions. The target fell from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026. Between January and April 2026, IMP admissions were down 15.3% compared with the same period in 2025 and down 69.4% compared with the same period in 2024.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
