Key Takeaways
- Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines–Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge joined the low-wage LMIA freeze on October 9, bringing 30 of 41 major cities under restrictions.
- Kamloops and Chilliwack were removed from the freeze after unemployment fell below 6%, showing that eligibility changes with local labour data.
- The rules run until January 7, 2027, with the next regional update due January 8, 2027.
What changed
Canada has expanded its refusal to process low-wage LMIA applications to six more regions. Employers in Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines–Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge will not have low-wage LMIA applications processed for jobs in those CMAs.
At the same time, two B.C. cities — Kamloops and Chilliwack — were removed from the list after their unemployment rates fell below the threshold.
The new rates apply to LMIA applications submitted between October 9, 2026 and January 7, 2027. The list will be refreshed again on January 8, 2027.
How the freeze works
Since September 26, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada has refused to process certain low-wage LMIA applications for jobs in a census metropolitan area (CMA) where unemployment is 6% or higher. Three conditions must all apply:
- The job pays below the provincial or territorial wage threshold
- The job is located inside a census metropolitan area
- That area's unemployment rate is 6% or higher
Service Canada says applications meeting these criteria will not be processed. The rate that counts is the one in force when the employer submits the application.
The 6 new regions and their unemployment rates
- Halifax: 6.1%
- Fredericton: 6.2%
- Kingston: 6.3%
- St. Catharines–Niagara: 6.5%
- Regina: 6.7%
- Lethbridge: 6.0% — at the threshold for the current update
Five of the six had regained eligibility in July, showing how quickly this map can change.
The bigger picture: only 11 cities still below the threshold
Only 11 of 41 census metropolitan areas now sit below the 6% line, down from 15 in July. Thunder Bay is the only Ontario CMA below the threshold. Alberta and Saskatchewan have none.
Among the highest unemployment rates in the CMAs listed are Oshawa (9.8%), London (9.1%), Kelowna (8.6%), Ottawa–Gatineau (7.9%), Windsor (7.9%) and Toronto (7.5%).
What counts as "low-wage"
A job is subject to this measure if it pays below the provincial or territorial wage threshold.
A job that pays at or above the threshold is not subject to this particular refusal-to-process measure.
Who is still exempt
The measure does not apply to every application. Exemptions remain for:
- Primary agriculture, construction and food manufacturing
- Hospitals and nursing/residential care facilities
- Private households hiring specified nurses, childcare providers or personal support workers as in-home caregivers
- Certain short-duration or highly mobile jobs, subject to a written request for consideration
The short-duration exemption generally covers jobs lasting 120 calendar days or less that are genuinely temporary or highly mobile. Examples listed by the government include travelling carnival and fair operators, proprietary-equipment repair technicians, one-time projects or events, and short-duration events.
AI-generated image — photorealistic illustration created for this article, not a real photograph.