As an employer in Canada looking to recruit foreign workers, the timelines for obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) can significantly influence the pace of your hiring process. In May 2025, Service Canada announced changes to its LMIA processing times, highlighting areas of efficiency as well as severe delays. This blog will analyze the new LMIA timelines according to different streams, discuss the factors influencing these processing rates, and provide you with updated information to assist in planning your recruitment strategies. Service Canada releases average monthly processing times for various LMIA categories. These durations indicate the time it took to complete the applications that were finalized over the past 30 days. The following chart displays the most recent statistics. StreamTime (Working Days). Global Talent Stream 7. Program for Seasonal Agricultural Workers 8.