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. 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.
Source: CIC News
