If you’re an employer or foreign worker looking to apply for a low-wage LMIA under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), take note:
As of April 4, 2025, the federal government has updated its list of cities (called Census Metropolitan Areas or CMAs) where low-wage LMIA applications will not be processed due to high unemployment rates.
Why is this happening?
Since August 2024, Canada has paused low-wage LMIA processing in cities with unemployment rates of 6% or more. This is updated every 3 months.
CMAs Where Low-Wage LMIAs Are Not Being Accepted (April–July 2025):
| Census metropolitan area (CMA) | Unemployment rate |
| St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador | 7.6% |
| Saint John, New Brunswick | 7.7% |
| Fredericton, New Brunswick | 6.9% |
| Drummondville, Quebec | 8.0% |
| Montréal, Quebec | 6.7% |
| Kingston, Ontario | 7.2% |
| Peterborough, Ontario | 9.9% |
| Oshawa, Ontario | 8.0% |
| Toronto, Ontario | 8.6% |
| Hamilton, Ontario | 7.3% |
| St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario | 7.7% |
| Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario | 8.5% |
| Brantford, Ontario | 7.2% |
| Guelph, Ontario | 6.2% |
| Windsor, Ontario | 9.3% |
| Barrie, Ontario | 7.5% |
| Calgary, Alberta | 7.8% |
| Red Deer, Alberta | 8.4% |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 7.3% |
| Kelowna, British Columbia | 6.7% |
| Kamloops, British Columbia | 7.1% |
| Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia | 6.2% |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | 6.6% |
| Nanaimo, British Columbia | 6.0% |
This list is valid until July 10, 2025.
What is a CMA?
A Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is a large urban area with 100,000+ people, based on census data.
CMAs Removed from the Ineligible List This Quarter:
These areas are now eligible for low-wage LMIA applications again:
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- Regina, SK – now at 5.9%
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- London, ON – now at 5.5%
Not Sure if Your Job Is in a CMA?
- Use your postal code in the Census of Population search.
- If it says Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and it’s on the ineligible list, LMIAs won’t be processed.
- If it says Census Agglomeration or nothing at all, your application may still be eligible.
What Can Employers or Workers Do?
Employers:
Consider offering a higher wage to apply under the high-wage LMIA stream.
Workers:
- Ask if your employer can wait until the next list update.
- Focus your job search in areas where LMIAs are still being processed.
- If your work permit expires and can’t be renewed, consider applying for a visitor record.
Read more about LMIA HERE.