These contemplating making use of for Labour Market Impression Assessments (LMIAs) beneath the low-wage stream of the Momentary International Employee Program (TFWP) can now entry a listing of areas the place LMIAs won’t be processed.
On August 26, 2024, the federal authorities introduced that it could not course of LMIAs beneath the low-wage stream of the TFWP in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment charge of 6% or increased.
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With out an LMIA, employers can not rent a international nationwide beneath the TFWP, nor can a TFWP employee renew their work allow.
As of January 10, the federal government has shared a listing of CMAs with unemployment charges over 6%.
This desk might be up to date each three months, with the subsequent replace approaching April 4, 2025.
Right here’s what it is advisable know:
Which CMAs are ineligible as of January 2025?
As of January 10, the federal government has recognized 15 CMAs with unemployment charges 6% or increased.
Census metropolitan space (CMA)Unemployment charge
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador6%
Saint John, New Brunswick6.1%
Montréal, Quebec6.2%
Oshawa, Ontario7.5%
Toronto, Ontario7.9%
Hamilton, Ontario6.3%
St. Catharines-Niagara, Ontario6.2%
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario7.3%
Guelph, Ontario6.2%
London, Ontario6.4%
Windsor, Ontario8.8%
Barrie, Ontario6%
Regina, Saskatchewan6.1%
Calgary, Alberta7.5%
Edmonton, Alberta6.8%
The federal government will replace the record of CMAs each three months, with the subsequent replace approaching April 4, 2025.
How do I do know if a piece location is in a CMA?
To find out whether or not your job falls into one in all these CMAs,
Enter the entire postal code of the work location at Census of Inhabitants; and
Underneath the Geography search outcomes web page, search for “Census metropolitan area/ Census agglomeration.”
The online web page will present which CMA your job is in, and you may see whether or not that CMA is on the record.
What’s the low-wage stream of the TFWP?
Canada’s TFWP permits employers to rent eligible international employees to fill labour shortages within the nation.
The stream beneath which an employer should apply for a LMIA is dependent upon the wage provided.
If the place’s wage is at or above the provincial or territorial wage threshold, the employer can fill this place beneath the high-wage stream of the TFWP.
If the wage is under the provincial or territorial wage threshold, the employer should fill the place beneath the low-wage stream of the TFWP.
As of November 8, 2024, the hourly wage for employees coming into Canada by means of the high-wage stream was elevated to twenty% increased than the median wage within the relevant province or territory of labor, or equal to or better than what others employees (with the identical place and expertise) for a similar employer earn—whichever is increased. If the wage falls beneath this threshold, the employer should apply beneath the low-wage stream of the TFWP.
Wage thresholds by province or territory will be seen right here.
What can I do if the place is in a CMA with an unemployment charge above 6%?
Each employers and staff ought to test the unemployment charge of the CMA the place the job place is positioned earlier than submitting an LMIA utility. This may assist them discover out whether or not the appliance might be processed or not.
If an employer needs to rent a international employee beneath the TFWP in a CMA with an unemployment charge of 6% or increased, the employer has the choice of accelerating the wage of the place in order that it could fall beneath the high-wage stream.
Workers with a job supply beneath the low-wage stream inside a CMA with an unemployment charge of 6% or increased can ask if their employers are keen to attend three months and see if there may be any change to the CMA unemployment charges earlier than making use of for an LMIA.
These nonetheless looking for an appropriate job beneath the low-wage steam of the TFWP can focus their job hunt on a CMA the place LMIAs are nonetheless being processed.
These at present on a low-wage TFWP work allow who lose standing as a result of their allow can’t be prolonged should cease working. A employee who loses work standing can apply for a customer file to stay in Canada as a customer, if they want.
What CMAs had been on the record prior to now?
Some CMAs had unemployment charges of 6% or increased between October 11 and January 9, however are not on the record as of January 10. These embrace
Trois-Rivières, Quebec (5.2);
Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec (5.4);
Kingston, Ontario (5.7);
Brantford, Ontario (4.2);
Winnipeg, Manitoba (5.6);
Abbotsford-Mission, British Columbia (5.4); and
Vancouver, British Columbia (5.9).
What’s a CMA?
A CMA is a area shaped by a number of adjoining municipalities round a core inhabitants middle.
A CMA should have a inhabitants of at the very least 100,000, with at the very least 50,000 residing within the core, primarily based on adjusted information from the newest Census of Inhabitants Program.
Municipalities included in a CMA should display a excessive degree of financial and social integration with the core, as measured by commuting patterns.
As soon as an space is designated as a CMA, it retains this standing even when its inhabitants falls under the inhabitants threshold.
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