LMIA Processing Times — Our Actual Cases
Short answer: across the 4 LMIAs we filed that were approved, actual processing took 58 to 241 days, with a median of 177 days. Each figure counts from the day the application reached ESDC to the positive decision, and every case comes from a published write-up with the approval document attached. The table updates automatically with each new case.
| Decided | Occupation | Province | Filed → decided | Processing time | Write-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-26 | Restaurant Manager ×2 | 2026-01-25 → 2026-08-26 | 213 days | Case | |
| 2026-07-29 | Early Childhood Supervisor | BC | 2026-03-09 → 2026-07-29 | 142 days | Case |
| 2026-07-24 | Chef | 2025-11-25 → 2026-07-24 | 241 days | Case | |
| 2026-06-11 | Home child care provider | BC | 2026-04-14 → 2026-06-11 | 58 days | Case |
How to read these numbers
- The sample is small — these are our measured cases, not a national average.
- Processing time varies with the stream (low- or high-wage), region, occupation and whether ESDC asks for more documents.
- The advertising period (8 weeks low-wage, 4 weeks high-wage) happens before filing and is not included.
- ESDC publishes stream averages on its official processing times page.
Data as of: 2026-08-26