Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has announced an increase in the wage threshold under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), effective June 27, 2025. This change impacts whether an application for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is submitted under the High Wage or Low Wage Stream.
For LMIA applications submitted on or after June 27, 2025, the hourly wage for workers coming into Canada through the High-Wage stream will be increased to the median wage in the applicable province or territory of work. For example, employers in Ontario previously needed to offer an hourly wage of $34.07 CAD or higher. Effective immediately, this has increased to $36.00 CAD or higher. Employers in British Columbia previously needed to offer an hourly wage of $34.62 CAD or higher, which has now increased to $36.60 CAD per hour.
If a foreign national's wage is at or above the wage threshold listed above (in the province where their employment is based), then the employer must apply under the high-wage stream of the TFWP.
If a foreign national's wage is below the wage threshold in the relevant province, then the employer must apply under the low-wage stream of the TFWP.
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