'We are seeing a backlog now of more than a year. … It's the first time we are seeing such a delay'
Migrant workers across Canada are increasingly losing their legal right to work due to prolonged delays in the processing of key employment documents, according to a recent report.
A Reuters investigation has found that backlogs at Service Canada have significantly extended the processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), which are required for the renewal of most temporary foreign worker permits.
An internal email reviewed by Reuters confirmed that, as of April 1, 2025, Service Canada was still processing LMIA applications submitted one year earlier.
"We are seeing a backlog now of more than a year. … It’s the first time we are seeing such a delay," said immigration consultant Kanwar Sierah in the report.
Recently, three Ontario-based employers were fined a total of $450,000 for employing foreign nationals without proper authorisation to work in Canada, according to the federal government.
Processing times for LMIAs have surged to unprecedented levels, according to the Reuters report. As of March 2025, LMIA processing had nearly tripled from 58 business days in September 2023 to 165 business days, according to the report, citing data from Employment and Social Development Canada.
Because of this, multiple cases where individuals have fallen out of status, according to the report.
Some of these workers are working under...
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