Canada’s LMIA Processing Times Edge Higher Across Most Streams

Canada’s LMIA Processing Times

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has published its latest monthly report, which shows a rise in processing times for the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for most streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

The July 2026 update, issued on August 7, 2026, reported that processing times had increased by one to nine business days in most LMIA streams. The biggest gain was in the high-wage stream, where the average processing duration increased from 79 days in June to 88 days in July.

At the same time, processing times improved for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the permanent residence stream. The biggest drop was in the permanent resident stream – down from 99 days to 86 days.

July 2026 LMIA Processing Times

TFWP Stream	July 2026	June 2026	Change
Global Talent Stream	10 days	9 days	+1 day
Agricultural Stream	23 days	22 days	+1 day
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program	8 days	9 days	-1 day
High-Wage Stream	88 days	79 days	+9 days
Low-Wage Stream	73 days	71 days	+2 days
Permanent Resident Stream	86 days	99 days	-13 days

Examiners and evaluators are included among the occupations that may qualify for a work permit exemption. Being listed as an exempt category does not automatically mean a person can work without authorization; the individual must still satisfy the applicable requirements.

The updated IRCC instructions provide greater detail about who can qualify and what conditions apply.

Key Requirements for Academic Examiners

Category	Details
Work Authorization	May be authorized to work without a work permit under the examiner and evaluator exemption
Updated Instructions	July 31, 2026
Eligible Professionals	Senior academic or industry professionals with an established reputation in the relevant field
Invitation	Official invitation letter from the governing body inviting the examiner
Eligible Activities	Thesis examinations, research proposal evaluations, and program or university project evaluations
Duration	Less than six months
Canadian Remuneration	The foreign national cannot receive remuneration from within Canada for the exempt activities
Officer Authority	Officers may impose specific limitations on the authorization
Visitor Record	An officer may issue a visitor record listing conditions associated with the permit-exempt work
Entry Requirements	The individual must still satisfy Canada’s requirements for temporary residents

The LMIA processing times are the average number of business days it takes Service Canada to assess a full application and make a decision. Real processing times depend on the stream, on the number of applications, and on whether all the required information has been provided.

High Wage LMIA Processing Time Rises to 88 Days

The high-wage stream saw the largest increase in the latest update. The average processing time rose nine days from 79 days in June to 88 days in July.

The high-wage stream has been seeing an increase in processing times during 2026. The most recent data shows the average wait has gone from 60 days in February to 88 days in July, and July’s average wait is the highest for the stream this year.

Employers seeking to hire foreign workers under this stream should therefore take into account the current processing time when determining anticipated employment start dates.

Processing Time for Low-Wage LMIA Also Rises

Processing durations for the low-wage stream rose slightly in July. The average wait went up by two business days to 73 days in July, up from 71 days in June. The monthly increase was modest, though, with processing times still substantially longer than the 48-day average seen in February 2026.

Employers should also note that in some parts of Canada, including parts where the unemployment rate is at the applicable threshold, there are additional restrictions on low wage LMIA applications.

Global Talent Stream Remains Among the Fastest

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) continued to be one of the fastest LMIA processing pathways. Its average processing time only rose by one day, from nine days in June to 10 days in July.

The Global Talent Stream is a way for Canadian employers to attract top global talent. The government has a 10-business-day service standard for eligible GTS applications, which it aims to meet 80% of the time. The eligibility requirements for the Global Talent Stream are different from the processing-time service standard, and employers should be aware of this.

Agricultural Stream Slightly Improved

Average processing time (Agricultural Stream) increased from 22 days to 23 days One day’s increase is only a small change each month.

But the agricultural stream has witnessed a bigger jump since February when the average processing time was 15 days.

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program Processing Acceleration

Processing time was reduced for one of the two streams: the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). Processing time dropped from an average of nine days in June to eight days in July.

This makes the SAWP the most rapid stream in the most recent processing-time update from ESDC. The SAWP is designed to assist Canadian agricultural employers in hiring temporary foreign workers from other participating nations when Canadian workers are insufficient.

Biggest Gain Observed in Permanent Resident Stream

The largest month-over-month increase was in the permanent resident stream. Processing time went down 13 business days from 99 days in June to 86 days in July. The permanent resident stream, however, still has the maximum average processing time of the streams listed in the latest update.

The bigger has been the longer-term trend. Since February 2026, this stream has cut its processing time by more than five months.

What Is an LMIA?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is an assessment conducted by ESDC to determine whether hiring a temporary foreign worker is likely to have a positive, neutral or negative impact on Canada’s labour market. In cases where an LMIA is required, a Canadian employer generally must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA before the foreign worker can apply for an employer-specific work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The assessment helps determine whether:

The employer has made appropriate efforts to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
There is a genuine need for the foreign worker.
The employment is consistent with the requirements of the relevant TFWP stream.
Hiring the foreign worker is unlikely to have a negative impact on Canada’s labour market.

LMIA Processing Times Do Not Include Recruitment Advertising

The published LMIA processing times do not account for the required advertising and hiring period employers may have to go through prior to submitting an application. Depending on the stream, advertising standards for recruitment could be roughly two to eight weeks during the three months leading up to the submission of the LMIA application.

This means the total time to get through the LMIA process can be substantially longer than the processing-time number provided by ESDC. Employers should therefore think of recruitment, advertising, LMIA preparation and work permit handling as separate stages.

When does the LMIA processing time start?

According to ESDC, processing begins when an LMIA application is submitted online via LMIA Online. An application is finished when all the necessary paperwork has been submitted, the employer has signed the required documents, and any required processing fee has been paid.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Government of Canada says that employers can apply for an LMIA up to six months before the intended start date of employment.

What Next After a Positive LMIA?

Once ESDC issues a positive LMIA, the employer provides the foreign worker with the LMIA decision letter and information about the job offer required.

The foreign worker can then apply with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an employer-specific work permit, if applicable. The LMIA and work permit are separate stages of the immigration process. A positive LMIA does not give the foreign national the right to work in Canada.

LMIA Validity Period

Employers and workers must also be informed that positive LMIAs issued for applications submitted on or after May 1, 2024 will generally be valid for a maximum of six months.

The foreign worker must apply for the work permit before the LMIA expires. Timing is therefore even more crucial when employers are faced with longer LMIA processing times.

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Are Leaving

This latest update on processing time comes as Canada aims to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers admitted through the TFWP. Canada plans to let in 60,000 temporary foreign workers in 2026 under the TFWP, down from a target of 82,000 in 2025.

Between January and April 2026, 19,240 workers arrived in Canada through the TFWP, a 29.1% drop relative to the same period in 2025 and a 54% drop relative to 2024. The federal government has been striving to reduce the share of temporary residents in the population, aiming to bring the number of temporary residents down to less than 5% of the population by 2027.

What This Means for Canadian Employers

The latest LMIA processing figures highlight the importance of planning ahead when recruiting foreign workers. Employers should:

dentify the appropriate LMIA stream before beginning recruitment.
Review the latest eligibility requirements.
Complete mandatory advertising requirements where applicable.
Prepare a complete LMIA application.
Please submit the application as early as possible.
Account for the current processing time when planning the employee’s start date.
Consider the time required for the subsequent work permit application.
Ensure the positive LMIA remains valid when the worker applies for the work permit.

Employers should not assume that the published average processing time represents a guaranteed processing period.

What This Means for Foreign Workers

Foreign workers pursuing an LMIA-supported Canadian work permit should understand that the LMIA process is primarily employer-driven. The Canadian employer generally must complete the LMIA process before the worker can apply for an employer-specific work permit. Workers should ensure that:

The Canadian job offer is genuine.
The employer has completed the required LMIA process.
The position meets the requirements of the applicable stream.
The LMIA decision letter is available before applying where required.
The work permit application is submitted within the applicable LMIA validity period.
All IRCC work permit requirements are satisfied.

Processing times can change from month to month, so applicants should rely on the latest official information rather than older estimates.

Key Takeaways

The most important points from Canada’s latest LMIA processing-time update are:

LMIA processing times increased across four of the six listed streams in July.
The high-wage stream recorded the largest increase, rising from 79 to 88 business days.
The low-wage stream increased from 71 to 73 days.
The Global Talent Stream increased from nine to 10 days.
The Agricultural Stream increased from 22 to 23 days.
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program decreased from nine to eight days.
The permanent resident stream decreased from 99 to 86 days.
LMIA processing times represent average business days and are updated monthly.
Mandatory recruitment advertising periods are not included in the published processing times.
Employers can generally submit LMIA applications up to six months before the expected job start date.
A positive LMIA does not itself provide a work permit; the foreign worker must still apply to IRCC where a work permit is required.
Positive LMIAs for applications received from May 1, 2024, are generally valid for up to six months.

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Disclaimer
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration programs, processing times, eligibility requirements, and application procedures may change without notice. Readers should consult official Government of Canada resources or seek professional immigration advice before making any immigration decisions.