LMIA Processing Times Rise for Employers Using Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Canadian employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) faced longer Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) processing times in August 2026.

According to the latest update from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), wait times increased under almost every TFWP stream. In some cases, the increase was significant.

The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program was the only stream that saw an improvement, with processing times dropping by two days.

ESDC published its August 2026 LMIA processing times on September 10, 2026.

What Are the Latest LMIA Processing Times?

ESDC updates LMIA processing times every month. These timelines show the average number of business days needed to assess an LMIA application.

Processing times can vary depending on several factors, including:

• The TFWP stream
• Whether the application is complete
• The number of applications waiting to be reviewed
• The complexity of the file
  
  

It is important to note that these processing times do not include the advertising period employers must complete before submitting an LMIA application.

Depending on the stream, the required advertising period can range from 14 days to eight weeks.

LMIA Processing Times: August 2026 vs July 2026

Here is how processing times changed from July to August 2026:

• Global Talent Stream: 10 days in August, unchanged from July
• Agricultural Stream: 25 days, up from 23 days
• Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: 6 days, down from 8 days
• High-Wage Stream: 90 days, up from 88 days
• Low-Wage Stream: 82 days, up from 73 days
• Permanent Resident Stream: 156 days, up from 86 days
  
  

The biggest increase was seen in the permanent resident stream.

Processing time for this stream increased by 70 days in one month, rising from 86 days in July to 156 days in August.

This was the largest increase recorded across all LMIA streams in 2026.

Permanent Resident Stream Sees Major Increase

The permanent resident LMIA stream had previously been showing a downward trend in processing times.

However, the August update reversed that trend.

Employers using this stream were facing an average processing time of 156 business days, compared with 86 days in July.

This increase could have a significant impact on employers and foreign workers who are relying on an LMIA-supported job offer as part of their immigration or work permit plans.

Low-Wage LMIA Processing Also Slows Down

The low-wage stream recorded the second-largest increase in August.

Processing times increased from 73 days in July to 82 days in August.

According to the figures provided, low-wage LMIA processing times have increased by 70.8% since the beginning of 2026.

Low-wage LMIA processing is also affected by federal restrictions in regions where the unemployment rate reaches 6% or higher.

The list of affected regions is reviewed every quarter, with the next update scheduled for October 10, 2026.

High-Wage Stream Reaches New 2026 High

Employers applying under the high-wage stream were also facing longer delays.

The average processing time increased from 88 days in July to 90 days in August.

The high-wage stream generally applies to positions where the wage offered is at least 20% above the relevant provincial or territorial wage threshold.

The August processing time represented a new high for this stream in 2026.

Agricultural Stream Processing Time Increases

The agricultural stream also experienced an increase.

Average LMIA processing time reached 25 days in August, compared with 23 days in July.

By August, employers using this stream were facing wait times that were almost twice as long as those recorded in February.

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program Improves

The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program was the only stream where processing times improved.

The average wait dropped from 8 days in July to 6 days in August.

This represented a modest two-day improvement.

Global Talent Stream Remains at 10 Days

The Global Talent Stream remained stable at 10 business days.

ESDC continued to meet its 10-day service standard for this stream.

The Global Talent Stream is designed to help Canadian employers hire certain highly skilled workers in specialized or in-demand occupations more quickly.

What Is an LMIA?

An LMIA is an assessment completed by ESDC.

Canadian employers who want to hire foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program generally need to receive a positive or neutral LMIA before the worker can apply for a work permit.

The LMIA process is intended to confirm that:

• The employer made the required efforts to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents; and
• Hiring a temporary foreign worker is not expected to negatively affect the Canadian labour market.
  
  

Employers must also meet the specific requirements of the TFWP stream they are using.

These requirements can include advertising rules, recruitment methods and wage requirements.

What Happens After an LMIA Is Approved?

Once an LMIA is approved, the employer can provide the foreign worker with:

• The LMIA decision letter; and
• The job offer letter.
  
  

The foreign worker can then use these documents to support a work permit application.

While ESDC may recommend an appropriate length of employment, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final decision on the duration and expiry date of the work permit.

Foreign workers generally have six months from the date the LMIA is issued to apply for the related work permit.

Some Workers May Apply While the LMIA Is Still Pending

Certain foreign nationals in Canada may benefit from concurrent processing measures.

These measures can allow an eligible worker to submit a work permit application even while the employer's LMIA application is still under review.

This can be important in situations where a worker is approaching the expiry of their current work authorization.

However, eligibility depends on the specific circumstances of the applicant and the applicable immigration rules.

Finding Jobs Connected to LMIAs

Foreign nationals interested in working in Canada may use the Government of Canada's Job Bank to search for positions connected to approved or pending LMIA applications.

At the time of the original report, more than 5,600 such job postings were listed.

Applicants should still carefully review the job requirements and confirm that the employer and position meet the applicable immigration rules.

Canada Plans Fewer Temporary Foreign Worker Admissions in 2026

The federal government plans to admit 60,000 workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2026.

This is lower than the 2025 target of 82,000.

During the first six months of 2026, 23,190 temporary foreign workers entered Canada.

This was:

• 42.1% lower than during the same period in 2025; and
• 55.7% lower than during the same period in 2024.
  
  

The reduction is part of the federal government's broader plan to reduce the share of temporary residents in Canada's population to below 5% by 2027.

If fewer temporary foreign workers are admitted, LMIA application volumes could also decline over time, which may eventually reduce pressure on processing times.

International Mobility Program Admissions Also Reduced

Canada has also reduced its admissions target under the International Mobility Program (IMP).

Unlike the TFWP, the IMP includes work permits that are exempt from the LMIA requirement.

The IMP admissions target dropped from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026.

Between January and June 2026, 74,940 workers were admitted through the IMP.

This was:

• 12.1% lower than during the same period in 2025; and
• 61.1% lower than during the same period in 2024.
  
  

What Employers Should Know

The latest LMIA processing times show that employers may need to plan hiring decisions well in advance.

For some streams, especially the permanent resident, high-wage and low-wage streams, processing can now take several months.

Employers should make sure their applications are complete and that they meet all advertising, recruitment and wage requirements before applying.

Foreign workers should also consider these longer timelines when planning work permit applications or immigration strategies.