Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) processing times have risen across most streams of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in the July 2026 update released by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). While the permanent‑resident stream saw a modest decline, the high‑wage and low‑wage streams now have the longest waits on record for 2026.
July 2026 LMIA processing times (average business days)
| TFWP stream / program | July 2026 | June 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Talent Stream | 10 | 9 | +1 day |
| Agricultural stream | 23 | 22 | +1 day |
| Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program | 8 | 9 | –1 day |
| High‑wage stream | 88 | 79 | +9 days |
| Low‑wage stream | 73 | 71 | +2 days |
| Permanent‑resident stream | 86 | 99 | –13 days |
- The high‑wage stream has climbed from 60 days in February 2026 to 88 days, the highest figure for that stream this year.
- The low‑wage stream remains well above its February level of 48 days, now at 73 days.
- The permanent‑resident stream dropped by nearly two weeks but still records the longest processing time among all streams.
- Other streams shifted by at most one day between June and July.
Processing times are calculated as the average number of business days required to assess an LMIA application and do not include the mandatory advertising period, which varies from two to eight weeks depending on the stream.
LMIA’s role in hiring temporary foreign workers
- Employer requirement – A Canadian employer must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA from ESDC before a foreign national can apply for an employer‑specific work permit under the TFWP.
- Recruitment proof – The LMIA confirms that the employer has made reasonable efforts to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents and that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the labour market.
- Work‑permit application – After the LMIA is issued, the employer provides the worker with the LMIA decision letter and a job‑offer letter, both required for the work‑permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- Validity – An LMIA is valid for up to six months; the work‑permit application must be submitted before the LMIA expires.
- Job‑bank listings – More than 6,000 LMIA‑supported positions were posted on the Canada Job Bank at the time of reporting.
- Concurrent processing – Under IRCC’s concurrent processing measures, certain foreign nationals may submit a work‑permit application while the employer’s LMIA decision is still pending.
Temporary foreign worker admissions trends
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TFWP admissions target – Canada plans to admit 60,000 temporary foreign workers in 2026, down from the 82,000 target for 2025.
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Recent intake – From January to April 2026, 19,240 workers entered under the TFWP, a 29.1 % drop from the same period in 2025 and a 54 % decline from 2024.
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Policy context – The reduction aligns with the federal goal of keeping temporary residents below 5 % of Canada’s total population by 2027. Lower admission numbers could eventually ease LMIA processing pressures.
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International Mobility Program (IMP) – Admissions for the LMIA‑exempt IMP were reduced from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026. Between January and May 2026, IMP admissions fell to 58,675, a 13.4 % decrease from the same period in 2025 and a 64.8 % drop from 2024.
Regional restrictions on low‑wage LMIAs
The federal government does not process low‑wage LMIAs in regions where the unemployment rate is 6 % or higher. Ineligible regions are updated quarterly; the next update is scheduled for October 10, 2026.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
