Work Permit – Median Wage Updated
Hello World! Today we would like to provide an update on the median hourly wage used for Work Permit applications under the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Effective May 31, 2023, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) increased the median hourly wage for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
If you are applying for an LMIA-based Work Permit, please be sure to read it!
What is Median Hourly Wage?
The median wage is the criteria for determining whether to apply for an LMIA-based Work Permit under the High-Wage category or Low-Wage category. Each category has its own requirements.
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What is LMIA?
LMIA is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.
A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.
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The High-Wage and Low-Wage categories have different requirements for employers – for example, the cap of foreign workers to total employees and recruitment efforts etc.
The maximum duration of employment also differs between the two categories. The maximum duration of employment for High-Wage workers has been extended from 2 years to 3 years since the change was made in April 2022 (See related article). While the Low-Wage category is for a maximum of 2 years.
Median Hourly Wages by Province/Territory
Effective May 31, 2023, the following wages are used to determine whether it’s High-Wage or Low-Wage categories.
If your wage is at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, you must apply under the High-Wage category, below the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, you must apply under the Low-Wage category.
| Province/territory | Median hourly wages prior to May 31, 2023 | Median hourly wages as of May 31, 2023 |
| Alberta | $28.85 | $28.85 |
| British Columbia | $26.44 | $27.50 |
| Manitoba | $23.00 | $23.94 |
| New Brunswick | $21.79 | $23.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $24.29 | $25.00 |
| Northwest Territories | $37.30 | $38.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $22.00 | $22.97 |
| Nunavut | $36.00 | $35.90 |
| Ontario | $26.06 | $27.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $21.63 | $22.50 |
| Quebec | $25.00 | $26.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $25.96 | $26.22 |
| Yukon | $32.00 | $35.00 |
For more information on the new median wage, please visit the following government website.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage.html
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As mentioned above, effective May 31, 2023, the median wage for TFWP has been increased. If you apply for an LMIA-based Work Permit, please double-check your hourly wage and the revised wage listed.
While it is important to understand the changes for granting applications, the program is complex with many regulations and categories.
If you have any questions about this topic or need assistance in the LMIA process, please feel free to send your form from here.
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