Employers in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax and 27 other census metropolitan areas will have to rethink hiring plans after the federal government expanded its quarterly freeze on low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications, effective April 10 2026. The latest list—published April 12 by BW Times—adds Montréal, Kingston and Peterborough while removing Lethbridge, Red Deer, Kamloops and Chilliwack due to improved job markets. The freeze bars processing of LMIA requests under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s low-wage stream where regional unemployment tops six per cent.
![Ottawa widens LMIA processing freeze to 30 urban areas, hitting Vancouver, Winnipeg and Halifax]()
Amid these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. Through its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service helps employers and foreign nationals navigate LMIA-exempt pathways, secure work-permit filings and manage status extensions, offering step-by-step guidance and real-time tracking that keep recruitment plans on schedule despite the moratorium.
Employers can still access foreign talent by offering high-wage salaries (at or above the provincial median) or using LMIA-exempt routes such as the International Mobility Program, but costs and processing times often rise sharply. Sectors most affected include retail, hospitality and call centres—industries that rely heavily on entry-level wages and seasonal surges. For global companies with operations in multiple Canadian cities, workforce planners will need to pivot recruitment to rural areas untouched by the moratorium or leverage intra-company transfer provisions. The policy intersects with Ottawa’s new rural pilot that raises low-wage TFW caps, effectively pushing foreign-worker demand outside large cities. Foreign nationals already holding work permits in the frozen regions are not directly impacted, but extensions that require a new LMIA will be refused unless the wage is adjusted. Employers have until July 10, when Employment and Social Development Canada will review labour market data again, to decide whether to refile or relocate roles. From a compliance standpoint, hiring without a valid LMIA where required can trigger fines of up to CAD 100,000 and a ban on the TFW Program. Mobility teams should audit upcoming renewals, explore high-wage classifications and brief business units on the stricter advertising rules that doubled the recruitment period from four to eight weeks on April 1.
Amid these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. Through its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service helps employers and foreign nationals navigate LMIA-exempt pathways, secure work-permit filings and manage status extensions, offering step-by-step guidance and real-time tracking that keep recruitment plans on schedule despite the moratorium.
Employers can still access foreign talent by offering high-wage salaries (at or above the provincial median) or using LMIA-exempt routes such as the International Mobility Program, but costs and processing times often rise sharply. Sectors most affected include retail, hospitality and call centres—industries that rely heavily on entry-level wages and seasonal surges. For global companies with operations in multiple Canadian cities, workforce planners will need to pivot recruitment to rural areas untouched by the moratorium or leverage intra-company transfer provisions. The policy intersects with Ottawa’s new rural pilot that raises low-wage TFW caps, effectively pushing foreign-worker demand outside large cities. Foreign nationals already holding work permits in the frozen regions are not directly impacted, but extensions that require a new LMIA will be refused unless the wage is adjusted. Employers have until July 10, when Employment and Social Development Canada will review labour market data again, to decide whether to refile or relocate roles. From a compliance standpoint, hiring without a valid LMIA where required can trigger fines of up to CAD 100,000 and a ban on the TFW Program. Mobility teams should audit upcoming renewals, explore high-wage classifications and brief business units on the stricter advertising rules that doubled the recruitment period from four to eight weeks on April 1.
