If you run a business in Brampton, Mississauga or anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area and you have tried to hire a temporary foreign worker for a lower-paid role, you may have been told your LMIA can't be processed. Here's why — and what you can still do.
The rule
Since September 26, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) refuses to process LMIA applications in the low-wage stream when the job is in a census metropolitan area (CMA) with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher at the time of submission. A position is "low-wage" when the offered wage is below the provincial or territorial wage threshold.
The list of affected CMAs is updated every three months. For applications submitted from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, the Toronto CMA's rate is 7.5% — well above the threshold. The next update is January 8, 2027. Most other large Ontario cities, including Hamilton, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ottawa-Gatineau and London, are also on the list for this period.
Jobs that are still processed
ESDC continues to process low-wage LMIAs for:
- Primary agriculture occupations
- Construction (NAICS 23), food manufacturing (NAICS 311), hospitals (NAICS 622) and nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623)
- Certain in-home caregiver positions (NOC 31301, 32101, 44100 and 44101)
- LMIAs that support permanent residence only, with no work permit
- Short-duration positions — generally 120 calendar days or less — that are truly temporary or highly mobile, with a written exemption request
Options for GTA employers
If the role is genuinely skilled and you can pay at or above the median wage threshold, the high-wage stream is not affected by this policy. Some workers may qualify for an LMIA-exempt permit, or already hold an open work permit. And for long-term hires, Express Entry changes taking effect on November 3, 2026 mean an LMIA is no longer needed for a qualifying high-wage job offer to count for points — which can make supporting an employee's permanent residence simpler.
Fewer TFWP spaces ahead
The 2026–2028 Levels Plan cuts Temporary Foreign Worker Program arrivals from 60,000 in 2026 to 50,000 in each of 2027 and 2028. Employers should expect closer scrutiny of recruitment efforts, wages and compliance, and should not build hiring plans around low-wage TFWP workers in the GTA.
Getting it right
An LMIA refused or returned costs time and the processing fee. Before you advertise, confirm the correct wage, the stream, whether an exemption applies, and whether your recruitment plan meets program rules. Our LMIA services for employers cover the process end to end, and our guide to LMIA vs open work permits explains the worker side.
This article is general information, not legal advice. CMA rates change quarterly — always check ESDC's current table before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a low-wage LMIA in Brampton?
Generally not right now. Brampton is part of the Toronto CMA, whose unemployment rate (7.5% for October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027) is above the 6% threshold, so most low-wage LMIAs are refused unless an exemption applies.
Which low-wage jobs are exempt from the refusal policy?
Primary agriculture; construction, food manufacturing, hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities; certain in-home caregiver occupations; PR-only LMIAs; and short-duration positions of generally 120 days or less with an exemption request.
When is the LMIA refusal list updated?
Every three months. The current period runs from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, and the next update is January 8, 2027.
Official sources
Written by Meena Sharma, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant licensed by the CICC and authorized to represent clients before the Immigration and Refugee Board. This article is general information, not legal advice.