Last year, the Canadian government released a list of census metropolitan areas (CMAs) that are not accepting low-wage LMIAs. The list has since been updated to reflect the latest unemployment rates across various regions in Canada.
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As outlined in our previous article, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under the low-wage stream of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) are no longer being accepted in regions where the unemployment rate exceeds 6%, according to the CMA list.
Since the previous update, the CMA list has seen many changes. Unemployment rates have generally risen across most regions, from April 4 to July 10. However, several areas have defied this trend, including Moncton (New Brunswick), Ottawa-Gatineau (Ontario/Quebec), Guelph (Ontario), London (Ontario), Thunder Bay (Ontario), and Regina (Saskatchewan), where unemployment rates have either remained stable or decreased slightly. Additionally, the CMA of Belleville was changed to Belleville – Quinte West.
New Regions Added to the CMA List
The previous CMA list covering the periods of October 11, 2024, to January 9, 2025, and January 10 to April 3, 2025, did not include the following regions which have now been added to the list as well:
- Chilliwack, British Columbia
- Drummondville, Quebec
- Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Kamloops, British Columbia
- Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Red Deer, Alberta
Regions Where Low-Wage LMIAs Will Not Be Processed: April 4 to July 10, 2025
All the following regions have an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.
- Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia
- Barrie, Ontario
- Brantford, Ontario
- Calgary, Alberta
- Drummondville, Quebec
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Fredericton, New Brunswick
- Guelph, Ontario
- Hamilton, Ontario
- Kamloops, British Columbia
- Kelowna, British Columbia
- Kingston, Ontario
- Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario
- Montréal, Quebec
- Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Oshawa, Ontario
- Peterborough, Ontario
- Red Deer, Alberta
- Saint John, New Brunswick
- Catharines-Niagara, Ontario
- John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Toronto, Ontario
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Windsor, Ontario
Regions Where Low-Wage LMIAs Will Be Processed: From April 4 to July 10, 2025
All the following regions have an unemployment rate of less than 6%.
- Belleville – Quinte West, Ontario
- Chilliwack, British Columbia
- Greater Sudbury, Ontario
- Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- London, Ontario
- Moncton, New Brunswick
- Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec
- Québec, Quebec
- Regina, Saskatchewan
- Saguenay, Quebec
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Sherbrooke, Quebec
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
- Trois-Rivières, Quebec
- Victoria, British Columbia
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
The CMA list is updated quarterly, with the previous update covering the period from January 10 to April 3. The next update is scheduled for July 11, 2025. These updates reflect shifts in regional unemployment rates, and the government of Canada updates the list every three months based on the latest data from each region. The updated CMA list can be accessed on the government of Canada website.
Before submitting a low-wage LMIA application, it is highly advised to verify whether the work location is within a census metropolitan area (CMA) with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, as indicated above at the time of application. Applying in such regions could lead to unnecessary paperwork and rejection.
Contact us today to begin your LMIA application to ensure your process is free from potential delays or refusals.
Written by
Mariam Baher
Immigration Journalist
Mariam holds a Bachelor of Journalism with a minor in English from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her early interest in the intersection of law and marketing has grown into nearly seven years of experience in legal marketing, where her journalism background brings a storyteller's perspective to strategic, engaging marketing initiatives within the legal industry.
