LMIA for Healthcare & Long-Term Care Employers
Healthcare and long-term care are treated more generously than any other sector under the current rules. Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities carry the elevated 20% cap — and a specific set of caregiving roles in healthcare institutions are exempt from the cap entirely.
20%
Cap for Hospitals & Long-Term Care
Exempt
From the CMA Processing Freeze
26
CMAs Frozen for Low-Wage
$1,000
LMIA Fee per Position
Where healthcare stands right now
While most sectors have been tightened since 2024, healthcare has been deliberately protected — on every restriction that matters. Hospitals (NAICS 622) and nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623) sit on the elevated 20% cap, double the standard allowance. Both are also on ESDC’s list of applications exempted from the refusal-to-process measure, which means the census metropolitan area unemployment freeze does not apply to you at all. And caregiving positions for healthcare institutions (NAICS 62) in three specific occupations — registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides and patient service associates — carry no cap whatsoever. Healthcare is also a named priority in provincial nominee programs across the country. The one hard restriction to know about is in-home care with a live-in requirement, which is not processed.
Which stream applies to you
Many regulated healthcare roles clear the provincial wage threshold comfortably — registered nurses and licensed practical nurses frequently qualify as high-wage, which removes the cap and shortens advertising from 8 weeks to 4. Personal support, nurse aide, and orderly roles more often fall below the threshold and sit in the low-wage stream. That matters far less here than it would elsewhere: because hospitals and long-term care are exempt from the CMA freeze, a low-wage healthcare position is not blocked by local unemployment, and for institutional caregiving in the three named occupations the cap does not apply either way. Licensing with the provincial regulator is a separate requirement from the LMIA and is usually the longer pole in the tent.
Wage Thresholds by Province
The wage thresholds below were updated July 10, 2026 and apply to LMIA applications received on or after July 17, 2026.
The two rules that decide your outcome
Hospitals and long-term care get 20% — and some roles have no cap at all
Hospitals (NAICS 622) and nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623) are permitted 20% of the workforce at a work location in low-wage positions, against a 10% standard elsewhere. Beyond that, caregiving positions for healthcare institutions (NAICS 62) under NOC 31301 (registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses), NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses), and NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) are exempt from the cap entirely. Certain in-home caregiver positions in a private household under NOC 31301, 32101, 44100 and 44101 also fall under the 20% cap.
Hospitals and long-term care are exempt from the CMA processing freeze
Positions in hospitals (NAICS 622) and in nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623) are on ESDC’s list of applications exempted from the refusal-to-process measure. A low-wage position at your facility therefore remains eligible for processing even in a census metropolitan area with unemployment at 6% or higher. Specific in-home caregiver positions in a private household under NOC 31301, 32101, 44100 and 44101 are also exempt — with one condition in Quebec: in Quebec CMAs the exemption applies only where the care is for a person with medical needs, or for a child in the custody of someone who cannot care for them for medical reasons, and a physician’s note attesting to that person’s state of health is required.
26 census metropolitan areas are currently affected by the low-wage freeze (July 10 – October 8, 2026). The list is refreshed quarterly — next update October 9, 2026. See the full list and rules.
Healthcare Occupations Worth Knowing
| NOC | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 31100 | Specialist physicians |
| 31101 | Specialist physicians |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 32102 | Paramedical occupations |
| 32124 | Pharmacy technicians |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 44101 | Attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal care attendant |
NOC 31301, 32101 and 33102 are the three occupations exempt from the low-wage cap when the caregiving is for a healthcare institution (NAICS 62). NOC 31301, 32101, 44100 and 44101 are the in-home caregiver occupations that fall under the 20% cap — and are also the occupations caught by the live-in restriction below. The distinction between institutional and in-home care is doing a lot of work in these rules, and it is the first thing we pin down.
Your realistic options
These are the levers that actually change the answer for healthcare & long-term care employers. Which one fits depends on your wage, your work location, and your existing workforce.
Confirm whether your role is cap-exempt
If you are a healthcare institution hiring registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or nurse aides and patient service associates, the low-wage cap does not apply to those positions at all. That is a materially different starting point from every other sector, and worth confirming before you assume a limit you do not actually have.
Run the wage test on regulated roles
Registered nurse and licensed practical nurse wages often clear the provincial threshold, which puts them in the high-wage stream: no cap, no freeze, 4 weeks of advertising rather than 8. Support roles more often fall below it. Each position is assessed separately.
Plan licensing in parallel, not afterwards
Provincial regulator licensing for nurses and other regulated professions runs on its own timeline and is entirely separate from the LMIA. It is routinely the longest step, and starting it late is the most common reason a healthcare hire stalls after a positive LMIA.
Use the provincial permanent pathways
Healthcare is a priority in provincial nominee programs nationwide — Nova Scotia’s Graduate stream targets paramedics, pharmacy technicians and nurse aides, and it runs dedicated physician pathways through both the NSNP and Express Entry. For staff you intend to keep, a nomination route is usually the stronger plan.
Restrictions and risks specific to healthcare
Non-compliance can carry penalties of up to $100,000 per violation, to a maximum of $1 million per year, plus a program ban and public disclosure. See employer compliance.
How Asteco helps healthcare & long-term care employers
The rules change quarterly and the cost of getting them wrong is an eight-week recruitment campaign for an application that was never going to be processed. Our RCIC-regulated team tells you where you stand before you spend anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that some healthcare roles have no cap at all?
Yes. Caregiving positions for healthcare institutions (NAICS 62) under NOC 31301 (registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses), NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) and NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) are exempt from the low-wage cap. Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities otherwise sit on the elevated 20% cap.
Can I hire a live-in caregiver through an LMIA?
In-home caregiver positions in a private household with a live-in requirement are not processed. The restriction covers NOC 31301, 32101, 44100 and 44101 where the position is advertised and identified as requiring the caregiver to live in. There are limited exceptions, and care provided in an institution rather than a private household is treated differently.
Does the CMA freeze affect long-term care homes?
No. Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623) and hospitals (NAICS 622) are on ESDC’s list of applications exempted from the refusal-to-process measure, so the census metropolitan area unemployment freeze does not apply to them. Your low-wage positions remain eligible for processing regardless of the local unemployment rate. The caps on the proportion of low-wage positions are a separate rule and still apply — though several institutional caregiving occupations are exempt from those too.
Do I need the nurse licensed before the LMIA?
The LMIA and provincial licensing are separate processes with separate timelines. Licensing is usually the longer one, and it is the most common reason a hire stalls after a positive LMIA is issued — so it should be started in parallel rather than after.
Disclaimer: LMIA requirements, wage thresholds, CMA freeze lists, and program rules are established by ESDC and are subject to change without notice. The CMA unemployment freeze list is updated quarterly — always verify current status at canada.ca before submitting an application. This page reflects program requirements as of July 15, 2026. This information is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Consult Asteco before making any LMIA-related decisions.
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Information reflects TFWP rules as of July 15, 2026. Program criteria, wage thresholds, and the CMA freeze list are set by ESDC and change without notice. This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice.
Other LMIA Guides
The rules land differently depending on your sector and where you operate. These guides cover the specifics.
Construction
NAICS 23 · 20% cap · Exempt from the CMA freeze
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NAICS 72 · 10% cap · Most affected by the freeze
Read the guideLocation GuidePrince Edward Island
No CMAs in PEI · Freeze does not apply · Lowest wage threshold
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