Hire a temporary foreign worker in a high-wage or low-wage position
New measures for low-wage positions
Starting September 26, 2024, certain LMIA applications submitted for low-wage positions will be affected by the following measures:
- certain LMIA applications for low-wage positions in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher won't be processed
- in some sectors, the current 20% cap on the proportion of low-wage positions is being reduced to 10%
- in the construction and healthcare sectors, the cap on the proportion of low-wage positions is being reduced to 20%
- the maximum employment duration for low-wage positions is being reduced from 2 years to 1 year
The wage being offered for the position will determine if you need to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under the stream for high-wage positions or the stream for low-wage positions. Each stream has different requirements.
If you're offering a wage to a temporary foreign worker (TFW) that’s:
- at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, you must apply under the stream for high-wage positions
- below the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, you must apply under the stream for low-wage positions
Temporary refusal to process LMIA applications for low-wage positions in Montréal
From September 3, 2024, to March 3, 2025, certain LMIA applications submitted for low-wage positions in the economic region of Montréal won't be processed.
For more information, visit Hiring in the province of Quebec.
| Province/territory | Median hourly wages before April 2, 2024 | Median hourly wages as of April 2, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $28.85 | $29.50 |
| British Columbia | $27.50 | $28.85 |
| Manitoba | $23.94 | $25.00 |
| New Brunswick | $23.00 | $24.04 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00 | $26.00 |
| Northwest Territories | $38.00 | $39.24 |
| Nova Scotia | $22.97 | $24.00 |
| Nunavut | $35.90 | $35.00 |
| Ontario | $27.00 | $28.39 |
| Prince Edward Island | $22.50 | $24.00 |
| Quebec | $26.00 | $27.47 |
| Saskatchewan | $26.22 | $27.00 |
| Yukon | $35.00 | $36.00 |
Sources:
- Wage rates before April 2, 2024 (column 2): Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2021 to 2022, based on National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021
- Wage rates as of April 2, 2024 (column 3): Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2022 to 2023, based on NOC 2021
NOC migration
The TFW Program has switched to the 2021 version of the NOC. Learn more about the NOC 2021 transition.
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