New Regional Unemployment Rates for LMIA Applications Apply From July 10, 2026

The July 10, 2026 update is a relatively positive one: 15 Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) are now open for low-wage LMIA processing. This is up from 11 last quarter, with eight regions regaining eligibility — including Halifax, Winnipeg, and Regina.

If your employer needs to apply for a low-wage LMIA to support your work permit, the eligibility status of your CMA determines whether that process can move forward at all.

Key Takeaways

• ESDC’s July 10 update raised the number of eligible regions from 11 to 15.
• Halifax, Fredericton, Saint John, Kingston, Winnipeg, and Regina all regained eligibility.
• Four regions lost eligibility: Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, and Chilliwack.
• The next quarterly update is scheduled for October 9, 2026.

Cities Now Eligible for Low-Wage LMIA Processing (July 10 to October 8, 2026)

Eight regions that were ineligible last quarter have dropped below the threshold. Three of the four Atlantic Canadian CMAs that lost eligibility in April are back — Halifax, Saint John, and Fredericton all came in below 6 percent. Moncton remains ineligible at 8.1 percent and is the only Atlantic CMA still above the line.

St. Catharines-Niagara is a notable addition. It has not appeared in the eligible list in recent periods, and at 5.8 percent it opens a new option in Ontario for workers and employers who have had very few choices in the province.

The 15 regions currently eligible for low-wage LMIA processing are:

1. Halifax, NS (5.9% unemployment rate)
2. Saint John, NB (5.9%)
3. Fredericton, NB (5.3%)
4. Saguenay, QC (3.4%)
5. Québec City, QC (4.0%)
6. Sherbrooke, QC (4.3%)
7. Trois-Rivières, QC (5.3%)
8. Drummondville, QC (5.7%)
9. Kingston, ON (5.3%)
10. St. Catharines-Niagara, ON (5.8%)
11. Thunder Bay, ON (4.9%)
12. Winnipeg, MB (5.6%)
13. Regina, SK (5.9%)
14. Lethbridge, AB (5.4%)
15. Victoria, BC (4.6%)

This list only covers CMAs. Employers in smaller communities outside these areas are generally not subject to this restriction. As a temporary measure running through March 2027, employers in rural areas outside CMAs can also hire low-wage temporary foreign workers for up to 15 percent of their workforce, rather than the usual 10 percent cap.

Cities Where Low-Wage LMIAs Will Not Be Processed (July 10 to October 8, 2026)

Four regions that were eligible last quarter have crossed above the 6 percent threshold: Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, and Chilliwack. All four gained eligibility in April after being locked out for several periods. None held below the threshold for a second consecutive quarter.

Saskatoon’s move is worth noting specifically. It had sat below 6 percent for multiple consecutive periods before this update — this is the first time it has been restricted in the current cycle. Red Deer tells a different story. It was at 8.9 percent in January, dropped to 5.9 percent in April, and is now back at 7.2 percent. A single positive quarter in a volatile market does not mean the trend has changed.

The 26 regions currently ineligible for low-wage LMIA processing are:

1. St. John’s, NL (7.3%)
2. Moncton, NB (8.1%)
3. Montréal, QC (6.8%)
4. Ottawa-Gatineau, ON/QC (6.7%)
5. Belleville-Quinte West, ON (6.7%)
6. Peterborough, ON (7.0%)
7. Oshawa, ON (8.5%)
8. Toronto, ON (7.3%)
9. Hamilton, ON (6.9%)
10. Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, ON (8.1%)
11. Brantford, ON (6.2%)
12. Guelph, ON (7.4%)
13. London, ON (7.8%)
14. Windsor, ON (7.9%)
15. Barrie, ON (7.9%)
16. Greater Sudbury, ON (6.2%)
17. Saskatoon, SK (6.5%)
18. Calgary, AB (7.0%)
19. Red Deer, AB (7.2%)
20. Edmonton, AB (7.2%)
21. Kelowna, BC (7.5%)
22. Kamloops, BC (7.0%)
23. Chilliwack, BC (7.9%)
24. Abbotsford-Mission, BC (8.0%)
25. Vancouver, BC (6.7%)
26. Nanaimo, BC (6.5%)

What This Quarter’s Data Tells Us About Low-Wage LMIA Trends

Quebec outside of Montreal continues to be the most consistent region in the country for low-wage LMIA eligibility. Saguenay, Québec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières have sat below 6 percent unemployment in every quarterly period since April 2025. Drummondville is back after a spike last quarter. For workers in low-wage roles who have some flexibility around where they live and work, Quebec’s smaller cities remain the most reliable option in the data.

Of course, one important consideration for Quebec is that the province is French speaking. Most job opportunities in Quebec will require French-language proficiency.

Ontario’s picture has not improved materially beyond the two new additions this quarter — Kingston and St. Catharines-Niagara. Toronto’s unemployment rate sits at 7.3 percent. Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo is at 8.1 percent. London pulled back from 9.3 percent last quarter but remains at 7.8 percent.

Alberta is largely back to where it was before April’s brief improvement. Only Lethbridge’s unemployment rate remains below the threshold, at 5.4 percent. Calgary and Edmonton are both above 7 percent. Red Deer’s drop to 5.9 percent in April only lasted one quarter.

British Columbia’s interior cities — Kamloops, Chilliwack, and Kelowna — are all back above 6 percent. Victoria has remained below the threshold for over a year and remains the only consistently eligible CMA in BC.

What This Means for Your Work Permit

If your CMA is now eligible, your employer can submit a low-wage LMIA application under the current rates. The unemployment rate that counts is the one in effect on the date the LMIA application is submitted (not when the job offer is made or when advertising begins).

If your region lost eligibility in this update, a low-wage LMIA application submitted on or after July 10 will not be processed. There is no workaround unless the role falls under an exempt occupation category, or the employer offers a wage at or above the provincial or territorial median wage threshold — which would move the position into the high-wage stream, where the CMA unemployment restriction does not apply.

What Happens If My Employer Already Submitted a Low-Wage LMIA Application Before July 10?

If your employer submitted a low-wage LMIA application before July 10, it will be assessed under the unemployment rates that were in effect at the time of submission. The July 10 update does not apply retroactively.

The Unemployment Rate in My CMA Changed. Will It Affect My Existing Work Permit?

No. The quarterly unemployment rate update only determines whether ESDC will process new low-wage LMIA applications in a given region. If you already hold a valid work permit, you can continue working under the terms of that permit regardless of what the unemployment rate in your CMA is. The restriction does not apply to existing permits, and it does not cut short your authorized period of work.