- Canada expanded its low-wage refusal list to 30 CMAs for applications submitted October ninth, twenty twenty-six, through January seventh, twenty twenty-seven.
- Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines–Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge joined; Kamloops and Chilliwack left the list.
- Refusal applies only when all three tests are met: low wages, a job inside a CMA and local unemployment of at least six percent.
Employment and Social Development Canada expanded the low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments refusal list from 26 to 30 census metropolitan areas. The new rules apply to applications submitted from October 9, 2026, through January 7, 2027.
Six areas joined the list. Two British Columbia markets came off it.
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The unemployment-based refusal list now covers 30 of Canada’s 41 listed CMAs. The other 11 remain below the unemployment cutoff.
A rate of exactly 6.0% meets the test. That puts Lethbridge, at 6.0%, on the restricted list.
The agency’s rule targets low-wage applications, not every LMIA filed in an affected city. The location, offered pay and local unemployment rate must all meet the stated conditions.
Updated rates and city coverage appear in the October LMIA information and the revised refusal-list details.
Six new CMAs enter the list as two British Columbia cities leave
The newly restricted areas are Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines–Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge. The rate attached to each is shown in the table. Kamloops and Chilliwack are no longer covered.
| Region | CMA | Unemployment rate | Update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Canada | St. John’s | 6.4% | |
| Atlantic Canada | Halifax | 6.1% | New |
| Atlantic Canada | Moncton | 8.1% | |
| Atlantic Canada | Fredericton | 6.2% | New |
| Quebec | Montréal | 7.2% | |
| Ontario | Oshawa | 9.8% | |
| Ontario | London | 9.1% | |
| Ontario | Ottawa–Gatineau | 7.9% | |
| Ontario | Windsor | 7.9% | |
| Ontario | Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo | 7.6% | |
| Ontario | Toronto | 7.5% | |
| Ontario | Guelph | 7.5% | |
| Ontario | Hamilton | 7.4% | |
| Ontario | St. Catharines–Niagara | 6.5% | New |
| Ontario | Belleville–Quinte West | 6.4% | |
| Ontario | Kingston | 6.3% | New |
| Ontario | Peterborough | 6.3% | |
| Ontario | Brantford | 6.3% | |
| Ontario | Barrie | 6.2% | |
| Ontario | Greater Sudbury | 6.2% | |
| Prairies | Edmonton | 7.6% | |
| Prairies | Red Deer | 6.9% | |
| Prairies | Regina | 6.7% | New |
| Prairies | Saskatoon | 6.5% | |
| Prairies | Calgary | 6.4% | |
| Prairies | Lethbridge | 6.0% | New |
| British Columbia | Kelowna | 8.6% | |
| British Columbia | Abbotsford–Mission | 7.6% | |
| British Columbia | Vancouver | 7.0% | |
| British Columbia | Nanaimo | 6.6% |
Kamloops’ unemployment rate fell from 7.0% to 3.6%. Chilliwack also left the restricted group after its rate no longer met the 6% threshold.
The refusal rule applies only when all three tests are met
The offered wage must fall below the applicable provincial or territorial low-wage threshold. The job must also be inside a CMA. Finally, the CMA’s unemployment rate must be 6.0% or higher when the application is made.
All three conditions have to apply. An application outside a CMA does not meet the location test, while a wage at or above the applicable cutoff does not meet the pay test.
The exact 6.0% boundary explains Lethbridge’s inclusion. Its rate sits at the threshold, not below it.
Hourly wage cutoffs vary by province
The current hourly thresholds listed for LMIAs received on or after July 17, 2026, differ across the seven provinces named in the figures.
| Province | Hourly low-wage threshold |
|---|---|
| Alberta | $37.50 |
| British Columbia | $38.40 |
| New Brunswick | $31.73 |
| Nova Scotia | $31.96 |
| Ontario | $36.92 |
| Quebec | $36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $34.62 |
The threshold is one part of the refusal test; local unemployment and the job’s CMA location also determine whether the rule applies.
Several sectors remain outside the refusal rule
The restrictions do not apply to primary agriculture, construction or food manufacturing. Hospitals and nursing and residential-care facilities are also exempt.
Some in-home caregiver positions are excluded, including jobs for nurses, child-care providers and personal-support workers. The exemption is limited to certain positions in those occupations.
The next scheduled quarterly update is January 8, 2027. Applications submitted during the current period fall under the list that took effect October 9.
