1. What ESDC provides
According to ESDC’s official page, Service Canada may refuse to process certain LMIA applications for public policy reasons. This applies in particular to low-wage positions located in a census metropolitan area (CMA) with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, and to low-wage positions above the 10% or 20% workforce caps. Temporary refusals to process also target certain low-wage positions in the Montréal and Laval economic regions.
The unemployment rates used were updated on October 9, 2026 and apply to applications submitted from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027. The next update is scheduled for January 8, 2027.
2. Rates in Quebec (applications from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027)
Only CMAs count: if the work location is in a census agglomeration, the application remains eligible for processing.
| CMA | Unemployment rate | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Montréal | 7.2% | Affected (6% or higher) |
| Ottawa-Gatineau | 7.9% | Affected (6% or higher) |
| Québec | 4.3% | Not affected |
| Trois-Rivières | 5.7% | Not affected |
| Sherbrooke | 4.2% | Not affected |
| Drummondville | 3.8% | Not affected |
| Saguenay | 3.7% | Not affected |
Wage also matters: the measure targets positions paying below the provincial threshold. Check the current threshold on the ESDC median wage page.
3. Exemptions
Applications continue to be processed for certain occupations in these sectors: primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, and certain in-home caregiver positions (with, in Quebec, a physician’s note in some cases). Positions in support of permanent residence only are also exempt and, on a reasoned request, so are some short-duration positions (generally 120 days or less) that are truly temporary or highly mobile.
4. What this means
If your application is refused for processing, the LMIA fee is not charged and a letter explains the reason. Before filing, check three things: the wage offered against the threshold, the CMA of the work location, and whether an exemption applies. Depending on the situation, another route (high-wage LMIA, LMIA-exempt permit or an immigration program) may be more realistic.
Source: ESDC — Refusal to process an LMIA application (rates updated October 9, 2026).
See also: Work permit extensions and pending LMIAs: why some are being refused · Official source: ESDC — Hiring in Quebec
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This article is for information only and does not replace personalized advice. Always check current requirements on the IRCC, ESDC and MIFI websites.