Effective July 10, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has removed a moratorium on processing low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in eight census metropolitan areas (CMAs), including Halifax, Winnipeg and Regina. The decision follows a quarterly review showing unemployment falling below the 6 % threshold in those regions. Under Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) rules, employers seeking to hire foreign workers at wages below the provincial or territorial median must obtain a positive LMIA. When local unemployment exceeds 6 %, ESDC suspends LMIA intake to encourage domestic hiring.
![Canada reopens low-wage LMIA processing in eight regions as labour markets tighten]()
For employers and HR teams digesting these policy shifts, VisaHQ can bridge the gap between a freshly approved LMIA and a ready-to-work foreign hire. Through its Canada portal, the firm offers step-by-step visa processing, document validation and appointment scheduling, freeing companies to concentrate on onboarding while VisaHQ manages the regulatory minutiae.
The updated list leaves 26 CMAs — down from 30 last quarter — where low-wage applications remain closed until at least October 9. For multinational firms, the reopening is particularly significant in Atlantic Canada and the Prairies, where hospitality, agri-food and back-office sectors have struggled with staffing shortages since pandemic-era mobility restrictions eased. Companies should move quickly: application volumes typically spike once a moratorium is lifted, lengthening processing queues and biometrics appointments. Meanwhile, employers in cities such as Saskatoon and Kamloops must still look to intra-company transfer or International Mobility Program exemptions, as their unemployment rates remain above the cutoff. Global-mobility leaders are advised to re-check the LMIA exemption codes and wage floors, which ESDC adjusts annually each May. Stakeholders expect the next unemployment-based review in early October; if rates continue to fall, additional CMAs could regain LMIA eligibility heading into the peak holiday hiring season.
For employers and HR teams digesting these policy shifts, VisaHQ can bridge the gap between a freshly approved LMIA and a ready-to-work foreign hire. Through its Canada portal, the firm offers step-by-step visa processing, document validation and appointment scheduling, freeing companies to concentrate on onboarding while VisaHQ manages the regulatory minutiae.
The updated list leaves 26 CMAs — down from 30 last quarter — where low-wage applications remain closed until at least October 9. For multinational firms, the reopening is particularly significant in Atlantic Canada and the Prairies, where hospitality, agri-food and back-office sectors have struggled with staffing shortages since pandemic-era mobility restrictions eased. Companies should move quickly: application volumes typically spike once a moratorium is lifted, lengthening processing queues and biometrics appointments. Meanwhile, employers in cities such as Saskatoon and Kamloops must still look to intra-company transfer or International Mobility Program exemptions, as their unemployment rates remain above the cutoff. Global-mobility leaders are advised to re-check the LMIA exemption codes and wage floors, which ESDC adjusts annually each May. Stakeholders expect the next unemployment-based review in early October; if rates continue to fall, additional CMAs could regain LMIA eligibility heading into the peak holiday hiring season.
