ESDC updated processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessment streams

On March 4, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the average LMIA processing time has decreased for all streams except the Global Talent and High-wage streams.

• Global Talent Stream - 12 business days (+1 day)

• Agricultural stream – 15 business days (-4 days)

• Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10 business days (-6 days)

• Permanent Residence Stream - 244 business days (-33 days)

• High-wage Stream - 60 business days (+4 days)

• Low-wage Stream - 48 business days (-1 days)

#esdc, #service_canada, #lmia #tfwp, #work_permit, #agricultural_workers, #caregivers