Low-Wage LMIA Refusal List Updated: 30 Metro Areas Paused From October 9, 2026

What happened

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) published its quarterly update to the low-wage LMIA refusal list on October 9, 2026. The list applies from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, and the next update is due January 8, 2027.

Under a rule in place since September 26, 2024, ESDC will not process a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a low-wage job (paid below the provincial or territorial wage threshold) if the job is in a census metropolitan area (CMA) with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.

Who is affected

The current list has 30 CMAs at or above 6%, including:

• Ontario: Toronto (7.5), Ottawa-Gatineau (7.9), Hamilton (7.4), Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (7.6), London (9.1), Windsor (7.9), Oshawa (9.8), and eight others
• British Columbia: Vancouver (7.0), Kelowna (8.6), Abbotsford-Mission (7.6), Nanaimo (6.6)
• Alberta: Calgary (6.4), Edmonton (7.6), Red Deer (6.9), Lethbridge (6.0)
• Prairies and East: Regina, Saskatoon, Montréal, Halifax, St. John’s, Moncton, Fredericton

CMAs below 6%, where low-wage LMIAs are still processed, are Saint John, Saguenay, Québec, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Drummondville, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Kamloops, Chilliwack and Victoria. Areas outside a CMA are not covered by this rule.

Exempt from the pause: primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care, certain in-home caregiver positions, LMIAs that support permanent residence only, and some short jobs of about 120 days or less. Montréal and Laval also have a separate low-wage pause; see ESDC’s page.

What it means for your move

A low-wage LMIA is often how workers in jobs such as food service, retail or general labour get or renew an employer-specific work permit. In most large cities that door is now closed until at least January 2027. Losing work authorization can break the Canadian work experience you need for Express Entry or a provincial nominee stream.

High-wage LMIAs and LMIA-exempt permits are not affected by this rule.

What to do now

• Workers: check your permit expiry now. If renewal depends on a low-wage LMIA in a listed CMA, talk to your employer about high-wage roles, exempt sectors, or a job outside the listed areas. See our LMIA guide.
• Check whether a provincial nominee stream or the In-Canada Workers Initiative applies to you.
• Employers: confirm the unemployment rate for the work location on the day you submit.
• Get advice from a licensed consultant (RCIC) or lawyer before your status expires.

What happens next

ESDC will publish the next list on January 8, 2027, based on new unemployment data. The 2027-2029 Levels Plan, due by November 1, 2026, will set next year’s temporary worker targets. Follow our Canada page and updates.