Low Wage Worker Stream

Each Canadian province and territory has a median hourly wage as determined by Statistics Canada. High-wage workers are those earning at or above the median hourly wage for a given occupation in a specified region. 

Employers who plan to hire a temporary foreign worker who will be paid less than the median hourly wage of their province or territory must apply for an LMIA through the TFWP stream for low-wage workers, demonstrating that they were unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position.

Hiring low-wage workers require employers to meet additional requirements to ensure the workplace rights and safety of low-wage non-resident workers. Once an employer is issued a positive LMIA for a low-wage skilled position, they must send a copy of the LMIA to the worker which enables them to apply for a Canadian work permit through a work permit application or a permanent residency application, depending on eligibility. The LMIA is valid for six months after being issued.