Employers are now allowed to do LMIA applications for low wage occupations in Accommodation and Food Services and Retail Trade sectors
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has resumed processing LMIA applications for certain low wage occupations in Accommodation and Food Services and Retail Trade sectors, in regions where the unemployment rate is below 6%. This means that Canadian employers can now submit new LMIA applications for the following occupations:
6541 - Security guards and related security service occupations
6611 - Cashiers
6622 - Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers
6711 - Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
6721 - Support occupations in accommodation, travel and facilities set-up services
6731 - Light duty cleaners
6732 - Specialized cleaners
6733 - Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
7611 - Construction trades helpers and labourers
8612 - Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers
Regions where the unemployment rate was below 6% effective October 24, 2021:
British Columbia
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) |
|---|---|
| Vancouver Island and Coast | 5.2
|
| Thompson-Okanagan | 5.4 |
| Northeast | 5.7 |
Alberta
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) |
|---|---|
| Lethbridge-Medicine Hat | 5.7 |
Saskatchewan
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) |
|---|---|
| Yorkton-Melville | 4.2 |
| Prince Albert and Northern | 5.1 |
Manitoba
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) |
|---|---|
| Southeast | 4.5 |
| Southwest | 4.0 |
| Interlake | 4.9 |
Ontario
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) effective |
|---|---|
| Stratford-Bruce Peninsula | 3.6 |
Quebec
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) effective |
|---|---|
| Bas-Saint-Laurent | 3.3 |
| Capitale-Nationale | 4.0 |
| Chaudière-Appalaches | 3.6 |
| Estrie | 4.5 |
| Centre-du-Québec | 5.1 |
| Montérégie | 5.1 |
| Lanaudière | 4.4 |
| Laurentides | 5.0 |
| Outaouais | 4.4 |
| Abitibi-Témiscamingue | 3.9 |
| Mauricie | 4.8 |
| Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean | 5.4 |
| Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec | 5.1 |
Northwest Territories
| Economic region | 2021-09 unemployment rates (%) |
|---|---|
| Northwest Territories | 4.5 |
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been continually monitoring key labour market indicators, in order to ensure their policies remain responsive to economic conditions.
ESDC has a policy of refusing to process Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for the above mentioned low-wage occupations in the accommodation, food services, and retail trade sectors, where the unemployment rate in the economic region is at, or exceeds, 6%.
In response to widespread unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an interim Refusal to Process policy was introduced effective May 8, 2020. Under the interim policy, all regions in Canada were considered to have unemployment rates of at least 6% and officials had therefore been refusing any applications for the 10 specified low-wage occupations.
As the national unemployment rate is decreasing, there has been progress on vaccinations and a shift away from containment restrictions point to signs of recovery, the TFW Program returned to the standard Refusal to Process policy, refusing to process only where the unemployment rate in the economic region is at, or exceeds, 6%, for new LMIA applications.
Unemployment rates will be posted quarterly (end of the month: October, January, April, July), using the latest three-month average available from Statistics Canada, until further notice.
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