The new rates for CMA unemployment issued by Canada for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) have been implemented and are applicable for all low-wage LMIA applications made from July 10, 2026, to October 8, 2026.
This quarterly update marks the loosening trend that was not experienced in the previous April quarter update and opens up the low-wage LMIA for a number of important labour markets in Canada.
A total of 15 Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) have now fallen below the unemployment rate of 6%, from 11 observed during the April 2026 quarter.
8 CMAs that had previously been restricted because of high unemployment rates have now fallen below 6% and have become eligible for the low-wage LMIA application.
4 CMAs have seen an opposing trend where they rose above the 6% mark and lost their eligibility having been below it during the April 2026 quarter.
The end result of this quarter’s trend is 4 additional CMAs that are eligible for the TFWP than the April 2026 quarter.
What The 6% CMA Rule Means For LMIA Applications
Since September 26, 2024, the Canadian Government’s ESDC has implemented the refusal-to-process policy on LMIA applications at low wages in areas of high unemployment.
If the proposed wage is lower than the provincial or territorial median hourly wage and the location of the job opening is within a CMA with an unemployment rate of 6% or more at the time of application, then that LMIA application will not be processed.
This is not a discretionary measure and does not serve as a score in the LMIA evaluation process.
This is an automatic administrative barrier which will go into effect the moment the application is received, based only upon the current quarterly unemployment rate of that CMA.
The unemployment rates are updated quarterly, and the current rates will stay in effect until the next update scheduled for October 8, 2026.
This means that employers who need temporary foreign workers for entry-level or hourly positions are blocked from using this hiring avenue until the next quarter if they operate within the restricted CMA.
Foreign workers awaiting a job offer in order to obtain a work permit under the LMIA are similarly blocked by a restricted CMA.
8 CMAs Newly Eligible This Quarter
The following eight CMAs have been at or above 6% in the April cycle, but have now fallen below the threshold, opening up the low-wage LMIA processing from July 10, 2026, until October 8, 2026.
| Census Metropolitan Area | Current Rate (%) | Previous Rate (%) |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| Saint John, New Brunswick | 5.9 | 6.0 |
| Fredericton, New Brunswick | 5.3 | 6.5 |
| Drummondville, Quebec | 5.7 | 7.3 |
| Kingston, Ontario | 5.3 | 6.2 |
| St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario | 5.8 | 7.2 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 5.6 | 6.0 |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | 5.9 | 6.4 |
The biggest single quarter decline within the newly eligible pool belongs to St. Catharines-Niagara, which has gone from 7.2% to 5.8%.
Drummondville has also experienced an especially rapid drop, falling back down to 5.7% from 7.3% in just one quarter of time, after previously rising above the threshold.
The opening up of Halifax at 5.9% allows LMIA based hiring for the low-wage labour market in the largest labour market in Atlantic Canada, while Saint John and Fredericton join it in falling below the 6% threshold. Meanwhile Moncton stays closed off as the only restricted CMA in New Brunswick.
Winnipeg has just fallen below the threshold at 5.6%, after previously registering at precisely 6.0%. This provides employers in Manitoba with access to the LMIA program once again.
Regina has fallen from 6.4% to 5.9%, allowing LMIA access to the capital of Saskatchewan.
Finally, Kingston comes in at 5.3%, down from 6.2%.
4 CMAs Newly Restricted This Quarter
Four CMAs that previously recorded a ratio below 6% have now climbed above the 6% mark, thereby halting the processing of low-wage LMIA in those cities from July 10, 2026, until October 8, 2026.
| Census Metropolitan Area | Current Rate (%) | Previous Rate (%) |
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| Red Deer, Alberta | 7.2 | 5.9 |
| Kamloops, British Columbia | 7.0 | 5.2 |
| Chilliwack, British Columbia | 7.9 | 5.7 |
A steep rise from 5.7% to 7.9% in Chilliwack constitutes the highest increase within a single quarter out of the four new restricted CMAs at 2.2 percentage points.
While Kamloops recorded an equally steep decline to below the 6% ratio in the previous update, it has since rebounded to 7.0% from 5.2%.
The rapid rise from 5.9% to 7.2% in Red Deer represents a reversal of the earlier decline of 8.9% to 5.9% within one quarter to once again qualify as a restricted CMA.
Saskatoon’s climb from 5.5% to 6.5% is especially noteworthy since this represents the first time it has become restricted within this quarter’s LMIA evaluation cycle.
With both Saskatoon and Regina being on opposite sides of the threshold, Saskatchewan presents a split decision for employers assessing their LMIA hiring options.
7 CMAs That Remain Eligible
Seven CMAs which were already under 6% last quarter remain eligible for the quarter ending April.
| Census Metropolitan Area | Current Rate (%) | Previous Rate (%) |
| Saguenay, Quebec | 3.4 | 3.9 |
| Québec, Quebec | 4.0 | 3.3 |
| Sherbrooke, Quebec | 4.3 | 5.2 |
| Trois-Rivières, Quebec | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | 4.9 | 5.9 |
| Lethbridge, Alberta | 5.4 | 5.9 |
| Victoria, British Columbia | 4.6 | 4.9 |
Saguenay has the lowest unemployment rate among all the CMAs in the list at 3.4%, maintaining an upward trend of consistent labour market performance for several quarters now.
Québec City comes in at 4.0%, up by a point from last quarter’s 3.3%, but still comfortably within the eligible range and one of the top labour markets in Canada.
Victoria has lowered its unemployment rate from 4.9% to 4.6%, making it one of just two CMAs outside Quebec which have been consistently eligible for the whole year 2026.
Thunder Bay has seen its unemployment rate fall from 5.9% to 4.9%, giving it some room over the eligibility limit when it was dangerously near 6% last quarter.
Lethbridge has seen a decrease in unemployment from 5.9% to 5.4%, following a second quarter of falling below the limit after being restricted for most of 2025.
How To Verify If Your Work Location Falls In A Restricted CMA
Prior to submitting any LMIA applications with a low wage, employers have to verify whether the worksite is located in a Census Metropolitan Area where the current unemployment rate is equal to or higher than 6%.
The verification procedure consists of two stages.
First, you should enter the full postal code of the worksite into Statistics Canada’s Census of Population Geography Search Tool.
From the list of search results, find the geographical classification “Census Metropolitan Area” or “Census Agglomeration”.
In case there is no classification “Census Metropolitan Area” among search results, then the worksite is not located in any CMA and the application is still eligible.
When the classification is “Census Agglomeration”, the LMIA application is also eligible.
In the event that the output is found to be a Census Metropolitan Area, the employer will then have to confirm the unemployment rate for that particular CMA by referring to the ESDC table below.
The unemployment rate of any CMA that reaches 6% or more implies that the LMIA application for low-wage workers in that particular area won’t be processed for that quarter.
Complete CMA Unemployment Rate Table For July To October 2026
The following table below represents the current unemployment rates valid for LMIA applications submitted from July 10, 2026, to October 8, 2026, including two previous quarters for comparison purposes.
All CMAs with unemployment rates of 6% and above are marked in bold as they are currently restricted from LMIA low-wage processing.
| Census metropolitan area | Unemployment rate (%) in effect for applications submitted from July 10, 2026, to October 8, 2026 | Unemployment rate (%) in effect for applications submitted from April 10, 2026, to July 9, 2026 | Unemployment rate (%) in effect for applications submitted from January 9, 2026, to April 9, 2026 |
| St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.1 |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.2 |
| Moncton, New Brunswick | 8.1 | 7.4 | 5.5 |
| Saint John, New Brunswick | 5.9 | 6 | 5.8 |
| Fredericton, New Brunswick | 5.3 | 6.5 | 5.2 |
| Saguenay, Quebec | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Québec, Quebec | 4 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| Sherbrooke, Quebec | 4.3 | 5.2 | 4.8 |
| Trois-Rivières, Quebec | 5.3 | 5.2 | 3.9 |
| Drummondville, Quebec | 5.7 | 7.3 | 5.6 |
| Montréal, Quebec | 6.8 | 6.8 | 5.5 |
| Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec | 6.7 | 6.2 | 6.8 |
| Kingston, Ontario | 5.3 | 6.2 | 5.6 |
| Belleville – Quinte West, Ontario | 6.7 | 7.9 | 10.6 |
| Peterborough, Ontario | 7 | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| Oshawa, Ontario | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8 |
| Toronto, Ontario | 7.3 | 7.9 | 7.5 |
| Hamilton, Ontario | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.4 |
| St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario | 5.8 | 7.2 | 6.5 |
| Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario | 8.1 | 9.1 | 8.1 |
| Brantford, Ontario | 6.2 | 6.8 | 8.5 |
| Guelph, Ontario | 7.4 | 6.5 | 7.4 |
| London, Ontario | 7.8 | 9.3 | 7.3 |
| Windsor, Ontario | 7.9 | 8.8 | 7.1 |
| Barrie, Ontario | 7.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Greater Sudbury, Ontario | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6 |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | 4.9 | 5.9 | 4.2 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 5.6 | 6 | 5.7 |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | 5.9 | 6.4 | 6.3 |
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Lethbridge, Alberta | 5.4 | 5.9 | 7.2 |
| Calgary, Alberta | 7 | 7.1 | 6.3 |
| Red Deer, Alberta | 7.2 | 5.9 | 8.9 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 7.2 | 7 | 6.9 |
| Kelowna, British Columbia | 7.5 | 8.9 | 8.5 |
| Kamloops, British Columbia | 7 | 5.2 | 6.6 |
| Chilliwack, British Columbia | 7.9 | 5.7 | 7.3 |
| Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia | 8 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | 6.7 | 6.5 | 5.9 |
| Victoria, British Columbia | 4.6 | 4.9 | 3.7 |
| Nanaimo, British Columbia | 6.5 | 7.2 | 6.3 |
The next update for the table will be due on October 8, 2026.
What Employers Must Do Before Filing
Employers intending to apply for an LMIA under the low-wage stream from July 10, 2026, to October 8, 2026, should consider taking these actions prior to filing.
Ensure that you have the precise CMA designation of all work locations through the use of the Statistics Canada postal code lookup, as municipalities may not coincide with CMAs.
Determine whether the proposed wage falls above or below the applicable provincial/territorial median wage requirement, as the 6% unemployment requirement only pertains to the low-wage stream.
Do not make any submissions where a formerly open CMA becomes restricted, as this would result in applying the wrong rate.
Remember that what is relevant is the rate in effect as of the date of application, and not the date of the job offer or the date of the ad.
Employers working in newly eligible CMAs, such as Halifax, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara, and Winnipeg, should file as soon as possible if the need is urgent, as the status could revert at the next update on October 8, 2026.
Keep good records of your recruitment efforts and your recruitment of Canadians and permanent residents. This includes the required 8 weeks of advertising for low-wage jobs starting on April 1, 2026.
If you are an employer in a restricted CMA, and you urgently require filling positions, consider whether the position is one of those covered by one of the sector exemptions described below in this article.
The other choice is to consider if offering a higher salary than the provincial median can allow you to apply for LMIA approval under the high-wage stream, which is not affected by the CMA unemployment restriction, although it has its own criteria, including the transition plan.
Employers operating in several CMAs should look at each work site separately because your eligibility may vary among them, even when they are all in the same province.
What Foreign Workers Should Know
Foreign workers who are waiting to receive a work permit sponsored by their employer should be aware of the impact that the changes to the quarterly cycles will have on their case.
Employment options linked to low-wage LMIAs will increase in the eight newly eligible CMAs since employers located in these areas have gained access to the low-wage stream under the TFWP program.
Since employers in the four newly restricted CMAs no longer have access to the low-wage stream, they might face issues in completing the process of offering employment and hiring a foreign worker.
The unemployment rate is calculated based on the date when the LMIA application is made to the ESDC, not the date when the job offer is made and the work permit application is filed by the worker.
This implies that the timing of the quarterly cycle is very important.
Workers who are already in Canada working legally through an existing work permit in one of the restricted CMAs are not impacted by this measure.
Those workers who are evaluating an offer of employment from a business in one of the newly restricted CMAs should find out whether the employer is going to apply for high wage or exempt sector when making up their mind to move or take up that new job.
In regard to workers looking for a job in one of the newly eligible CMAs, time is running out since the next report on October 8, 2026, might make CMAs ineligible again.
Those workers who are in Canada on another valid status should seek advice from a qualified immigration advisor when receiving an offer from an employer for a restricted CMA.
Sector Exemptions From The CMA Restriction
In fact, even when the rate is greater than 6% in certain CMAs, LMIA applications for certain sectors and occupations will not fall under the refusal-to-process policy.
Primary agriculture occupations will still get processed despite the CMA unemployment rate; such occupations include applications submitted via the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.
Construction occupations falling into NAICS 23 will not fall under the CMA unemployment rate requirement.
Occupations in food manufacturing falling under NAICS 311 are eligible for processing regardless of CMA unemployment rates.
Occupations in hospitals falling under NAICS 622 and those of nursing and residential care facilities under NAICS 623 are also exempt from the policy.
Special in-home caregiver occupations in NOC 31301, 32101, 44100, and 44101 occupations will still be processed in all CMAs.
Short-term occupation periods of 120 days or fewer which are temporary and highly mobile occupations may be exempt as well; however, the employer needs to provide a written justification in his/her LMIA application.
Position applications which apply towards permanent residency only and which do not seek a work permit are also exempted from the CMA rule.
Although the exemption applies, other LMIA criteria will continue to apply in full, such as advertisements, wage criteria, and workplace safety criteria.
The employers are supposed to indicate the relevant exemption clearly in the LMIA application.
In addition, the July 2026 update on the CMA unemployment rate brings good news to employers and employees in eight areas which lost eligibility status in the April update.
Currently, the number of CMAs below the 6% threshold is 15 compared to 11 in the previous quarter, marking the first loosening of LMIA eligibility in several months since the January 2026 update.
Notably, the restriction of four CMAs which had enjoyed the eligibility status until then shows how these shifts can go both ways even within one update.
However, it would be wrong for employers to expect their existing eligibility status to extend into the October 2026 period given that recent quarters have demonstrated that rates just above or below the 6% mark may shift one way or another at each update.
The quarterly update process continues to be the most important factor in LMIA applications within low wage environments, and all employers and individuals need to base their recruitment efforts on the upcoming update scheduled for October 8, 2026.
In the meantime, employers working within restricted CMAs can still consider the LMIA-exempt work permit process and sector exemptions discussed in this article.
