Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) have released their latest processing times for work permit applications in May 2026.
The updated numbers show contrasting trends. While in-Canada work permit processing times have plummeted to a 2026 record low, processing speeds for several standard Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) streams face noticeable adjustments amid a tightened temporary resident cap.
ESDC, the federal department responsible for assessing LMIA applications, issued its May 2026 processing time update for work permit applications.
The time required to process an LMIA application depends on several factors, including the stream selected, whether the application is complete, and current processing volumes.
Before a foreign national can apply for an LMIA-supported work permit, the Canadian employer must secure an approved LMIA from ESDC.
The latest monthly updates show that the Permanent Resident Stream has drastically recovered, while low-wage categories face slight delays due to stricter recruitment check guidelines implemented earlier this year.
Average LMIA Processing Times by Stream
ESDC data tracks how fast decisions are rendered across different employer pathways:
Global Talent Stream (GTS): 8 to 10 business days (Meets the federal 10-day service standard for high-tech and unique executive roles).
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program: 10 business days (Stable due to seasonal food security priorities).
High-Wage Stream: 64 business days (Slight increase; employers must plan roughly three months).
Low-Wage Stream: 58 business days (Up by 10 days, reflecting stricter advertising and regional capping rules enforced since April)
Permanent Resident Stream: 140 days (A massive drop from the 244-day high earlier this year, vastly accelerating PR-supported job offers)
The only TFWP stream to see a reduction in LMIA wait time was the PR stream, which continues to improve significantly month-over-month.
Except for the high-wage stream—intended for the hiring of workers with a wage that is at least 20% higher than the provincial or territorial threshold—LMIA wait times have increased slightly across all other TFWP streams.
The most notable increase was for the low-wage stream, for which the government only processes LMIAs in regions where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The list of ineligible regions is updated on a quarterly basis, with the next update to take place on July 10. The current list is here.
This data comes as the Canadian government intends to admit 60,000 temporary foreign workers to Canada through the TFWP in 2026—82,000 fewer than its 2025 admissions target.
Canada admitted 14,655 workers under the TFWP between January and April 2026, a 25.6% decrease from the same period in 2025 and a 53.6% decrease in 2024.
This decrease reflects the government’s broader push to limit the temporary resident population to less than 5% of Canada’s total population by 2027.
A decline in TFWP work permit issuance may also reduce the number of LMIA applications employers submit, potentially helping to shorten processing times.
The IMP has also seen a major reduction in planned admissions, falling from 285,750 in 2025 to 170,000 in 2026. Between January and April 2026, Canada admitted 15.3% fewer workers compared with the same period in 2025, and 69.4% fewer in 2024.
