Comparing high-wage and low-wage LMIA
About one-third of temporary foreign workers need an LMIA before applying. Of course, LMIA is a Service Canada letter for the Labour Market Impact Assessment. They issue a positive or neutral LMIA letter when hiring a foreign national does not negatively affect Canada’s labour market. There are many LMIA types. However, the most popular ones are high-wage and low-wage programs. By comparing high-wage and low-wage LMIA options, you may decide how to move forward. Of course, you will also find out if it is worth it to go through the process.
Table of contents
The main difference between high-wage and low-wage LMIAs
The designation between high-wage and low-wage LMIAs is in the following table. The position is high-wage if you offer a salary at or above this table’s values. Otherwise, it is a low wage. Of course, you must refer to the provincial or territorial figures relevant to the job.
| Province or Territory | Previous Threshold | Threshold From July 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $36.00 | $37.50 |
| British Columbia | $36.60 | $38.40 |
| Manitoba | $30.16 | $31.33 |
| New Brunswick | $30.00 | $31.73 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $32.40 | $33.60 |
| Northwest Territories | $48.00 | $48.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $30.00 | $31.96 |
| Nunavut | $42.00 | $45.00 |
| Ontario | $36.00 | $36.92 |
| Prince Edward Island | $30.00 | $31.20 |
| Quebec | $34.62 | $36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $33.60 | $34.62 |
| Yukon | $44.40 | $45.60 |
It would be best if you always considered hourly wages. Therefore, avoid offering weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annual wages to foreign nationals to prevent mistakes or confusion.
Some useful examples
Imagine you are offering $40 per hour to a foreign national. This position pays a high wage in all provinces of Canada. However, jobs in Canadian territories (e.g., Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon) are low-wage.
For example, let’s say you are hiring someone to work in Red Deer, Alberta. If you want to apply under the high-wage option, you must offer that person at least $35.40 per hour. Of course, a lower salary could qualify only for the low-wage LMIA. Moreover, regardless of the high-wage/low-wage situation, the salary cannot be below the median wage for Red Deer.
Working in two provinces simultaneously is not typical for foreign nationals. However, if you have an employee who needs to work in Ontario and Manitoba, consider the highest wage as the minimum requirement. In other words, you must offer at least $34.07 per hour to qualify for a high-wage position.
Comparing the application process for high-wage and low-wage LMIAs
Generally speaking, the application process for a high-wage LMIA is more straightforward. Moreover, we expect higher approval rates for this group. The following tables show the main differences between the two programs. Consequently, you can review the tables to make your own decisions.
The basic criteria
The following table compares the basic expectations for both options.
| The Criterion | High-wage LMIA | Low-wage LMIA |
| Salary | The prevailing regional wage! However, they are equal to or higher than the “defining” provincial hourly wages. | The prevailing regional wage! However, they are lower than the “defining” provincial hourly wages. |
| Processing fee | $1000 (exceptions apply) | Same as high-wage |
| Business legitimacy | Submit at least two documents to show the business is active and capable of covering the foreign national’s salary. Of course, you must include convincing official documents. | Same as high-wage |
| Cap on the number of employees | Not applicable! However, you must meet the business legitimacy requirements. | In many sectors, the cap is 10% (i.e., a maximum of 10% of your employees can be low-wage). However, there are some exemptions. |
| Transition plan | You must provide a transition plan to show you will try to reduce your reliance on foreign nationals. Nonetheless, some exemptions apply. | No need for a transition plan! |
| Unemployment Rate | Not Applicable | Not eligible for census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher |
The recruitment efforts
This table shows how recruitment efforts differ for high-wage and low-wage options. Of course, I have not discussed the details or exceptional situations.
| The Criterion | High-wage LMIA | Low-wage LMIA |
| Recruitment efforts | You must post the job on at least three sources for at least four weeks. However, one of the references must be Job Bank, and at least one of the ads must run until the officer finalizes their decision. | It is the same as high-wage. However, see the next two rows. |
| Job Match service on Job Bank | You must invite anyone with four stars or more to apply for the job. | You must invite anyone with two stars or more to apply for the job. |
| Targetting underrepresented groups in the recruitment efforts | Not mandatory! | You must target at least two of the following groups in your recruitment efforts: (1) Indigenous persons, (2) Vulnerable youth, (3) Persons with disabilities, (4) Newcomers; (5) Asylum seekers with valid work permits, Of course, you could go beyond the minimum. |
Other issues that differ between high-wage and low-wage LMIAs
The following table shows those requirements for low-wage LMIA that are not mandatory for the high-wage option. Of course, I highly recommend discussing the matters with a professional for more information.
| The Criterion | High-wage LMIA | Low-wage LMIA |
| Transportation | It does not apply to high-wage LMIA. | The employer must pay for the round trip costs of the applicant. Of course, you cannot recover this cost from the foreign worker later. |
| Housing | Not applicable! | You must make sure affordable housing is available to foreign workers. However, you do not need to pay the rent. |
| Healthcare | Not mandatory! | The employer must purchase coverage for the employee. However, the obligation extends until the provincial programs apply to the foreign worker. |
| Employment contract | You may sign a contract with the foreign worker. However, you do not need to present it to Service Canada. | Although presenting a contract is not mandatory for the LMIA application (exceptions exist), the employer must present one to the employee by the first day of work. |
I just included the main issues. Of course, some obvious criteria include the following:
- Not using the hiring for affecting the current or future labour disputes
- Providing a safe work environment to foreign workers
NOTE: Read the following article for a comparison between the PR LMIA and high-wage/low-wage options:
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Al Parsai, LLM, MA, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Adjunct Professor, Queen’s University Faculty of Law
Instructor, Ashton College, Immigration Consulting Program
Author of 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada and Inadmissibility to Canada for Human Rights Violations
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