This week's AAIP backlog (3.67:1 ratio, 242 files competing for 66 spots), the July LMIA wage threshold update across 34 CMAs, and a BC PNP draw with no entrepreneur scores — three business immigration file patterns every practitioner should track in H2 2026.

ESDC raised BC's LMIA wage threshold to $38.40/hr effective July 17, 2026, and four CMAs — including Kamloops and Red Deer — are now frozen for low-wage LMIA processing. Here is what that means for active PNP and C11 business plans.

ESDC set a clear baseline at NCIC 2026: 45 business days, tighter genuineness standards, and a recruitment bar that is higher than ever. Here is what a well-built LMIA file looks like under 2026 standards.