30 Canadian Cities Face Low-Wage Work Permit Freeze

October 11, 2026

Six New Canadian Regions Hit by Low-Wage Work Permit Refusals

Canadian employers operating in 30 census metropolitan areas can no longer process low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments to hire or renew temporary foreign workers paying below 120% of their provincial or territorial median wage.

Employment and Social Development Canada expanded the processing moratorium on October 9, 2026, adding six new urban centers to the refusal list: Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara, Regina, and Lethbridge. The freeze applies automatically to regions where the local unemployment rate reaches or exceeds 6%. Two markets, Kamloops and Chilliwack, were removed from the list after local conditions improved, while 24 previously restricted regions remain blocked. This policy phase remains active through January 7, 2027, with the next regional list update scheduled for January 8, 2027.

Exempt Sectors and Hourly Wage Thresholds

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The hiring block applies strictly to positions paying below 120% of the provincial or territorial median wage under the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. To bypass the restriction in affected regions, employers must pay at or above the designated hourly wage threshold for their jurisdiction:

Province or Territory	Hourly Low-Wage Threshold
Alberta	$37.50
British Columbia	$38.40
Manitoba	$31.33
New Brunswick	$31.73
Newfoundland and Labrador	$33.60
Northwest Territories	$48.00
Nova Scotia	$31.96
Nunavut	$45.00
Ontario	$36.92
Prince Edward Island	$31.20
Quebec	$36.00
Saskatchewan	$34.62
Yukon	$45.60

Several key sectors remain fully exempt from the refusal policy regardless of local unemployment rates. Employers can still obtain Labour Market Impact Assessments for positions in primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, and nursing or residential care facilities. Private households hiring in-home caregivers, specifically nurses, childcare providers, or personal support workers, are also exempt. Businesses operating temporary or highly mobile setups, such as carnivals, fairs, or concerts, can apply for case-specific exemptions upon request.

For foreign nationals currently working in Canada whose permits are expiring, extension applications can still be submitted concurrently with an employer’s pending document assessment within a 60-day window. As long as the extension application reaches Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before the existing permit expires, the employee retains legal authorization to work under maintained status until a final decision is reached.