Updated High-Wage and Low-Wage LMIA Thresholds — What Employers and Foreign Workers Need to Know
A Key Number Just Changed for Almost Every LMIA Application in Canada
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has published updated hourly wage thresholds that determine whether a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application falls under the high-wage or low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The new thresholds take effect on July 17, 2026, and apply to all high-wage and low-wage LMIA applications received from that date forward.
At Visarete Immigration Services, we know that even a small shift in a wage threshold can change which program stream an employer must apply under — and which additional requirements a foreign worker’s job offer may now be subject to. In this blog, we break down the full list of updated thresholds by province and territory, how they are calculated, and what the changes mean for employers and workers alike.
Every province and territory except the Northwest Territories saw its wage threshold increase this cycle, with changes ranging from $0.92 per hour in Ontario to $3.00 per hour in Nunavut.
How LMIA Wage Thresholds Are Calculated
The hourly wage threshold for each province and territory is set at the applicable provincial or territorial median hourly wage, plus 20%. ESDC derives the median hourly wage from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, and the 20% markup is a deliberate policy buffer designed to distinguish genuinely higher-paying positions from entry-level and lower-paying roles.
This threshold is the single reference point that determines which stream an LMIA application must follow. If the offered wage is at or above the threshold, the application must go through the high-wage stream. If the offered wage falls below the threshold, it must go through the low-wage stream.
Thresholds are updated periodically as new Labour Force Survey data becomes available, and this July 17, 2026 update replaces the figures that had been in effect since June 27, 2025. It is important to note that the threshold is not the same as the prevailing wage for a specific occupation — the threshold decides which program stream applies, while the prevailing wage sets the minimum an employer must actually offer for that specific role.
Complete Wage Threshold Table for July 17, 2026
The table below shows the updated hourly wage thresholds that apply to LMIA applications received on or after July 17, 2026, compared with the thresholds that had been in effect since June 2025.
| Province / Territory | New Threshold (Jul 17, 2026) | Previous Threshold | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $37.50 | $36.00 | +$1.50 |
| British Columbia | $38.40 | $36.60 | +$1.80 |
| Manitoba | $31.33 | $30.16 | +$1.17 |
| New Brunswick | $31.73 | $30.00 | +$1.73 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.60 | $32.40 | +$1.20 |
| Northwest Territories | $48.00 | $48.00 | — |
| Nova Scotia | $31.96 | $30.00 | +$1.96 |
| Nunavut | $45.00 | $42.00 | +$3.00 |
| Ontario | $36.92 | $36.00 | +$0.92 |
| Prince Edward Island | $31.20 | $30.00 | +$1.20 |
| Quebec | $36.00 | $34.62 | +$1.38 |
| Saskatchewan | $34.62 | $33.60 | +$1.02 |
| Yukon | $45.60 | $44.40 | +$1.20 |
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, published by ESDC on July 10, 2026.
Biggest Increases by Province and Territory
- Nunavut recorded the largest dollar increase at $3.00 per hour, pushing the threshold from $42.00 to $45.00.
- Nova Scotia saw the second-largest increase at $1.96, bringing its threshold from $30.00 to $31.96.
- British Columbia’s threshold rose by $1.80 to $38.40, giving it the highest threshold among all provinces.
- New Brunswick increased by $1.73 to $31.73, while Alberta rose by $1.50 to $37.50.
- Ontario recorded the smallest increase among provinces at just $0.92, moving from $36.00 to $36.92.
- The Northwest Territories is the only jurisdiction where the threshold remains unchanged, holding the national high at $48.00, followed by Yukon at $45.60 and Nunavut at $45.00.
Among the provinces, British Columbia’s $38.40 is the highest, followed by Alberta at $37.50 and Ontario at $36.92. Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia remain the four lowest, all clustered between $31.20 and $31.96.
What the Threshold Determines for Employers
The wage threshold is the dividing line between two distinct LMIA program streams, each with its own requirements, restrictions, and compliance obligations.
Employers offering a wage at or above the threshold must apply under the high-wage stream, which generally requires a transition plan, although specified positions and application categories are exempt. Employers offering a wage below the threshold must apply under the low-wage stream, which carries additional requirements, including a cap on the proportion of temporary foreign workers in the workforce and the CMA unemployment rate restriction.
ESDC explicitly warns that artificially adjusting the offered wage to fit a preferred stream, or to avoid a specific program requirement, could result in a negative LMIA decision. The offered wage must remain consistent with the prevailing wage rate for the occupation at the work location.
How This Affects the Low-Wage LMIA Stream
The higher thresholds mean more positions will now fall under the low-wage stream than before, because wages that previously sat at or above the old threshold may now fall below the new one. This matters because the low-wage stream carries several additional restrictions that do not apply to high-wage applications, including the CMA unemployment rate measure.
Most low-wage applications in a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will not be processed unless the position qualifies for an exemption. Currently, 26 of Canada’s 41 tracked CMAs have unemployment rates at or above that level.
Employers in provinces where the threshold increased substantially — such as Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Nunavut — should review all current and planned job offers to determine whether any positions previously classified as high-wage now fall below the updated line.
The low-wage stream also requires employers to advertise positions for 8 consecutive weeks before filing an LMIA (up from 4 weeks prior to April 1, 2026), demonstrate adequate efforts to target youth in recruitment, and stay within a cap on the proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers in their total workforce.
How This Affects the High-Wage LMIA Stream
Employers filing under the high-wage stream are not subject to the CMA unemployment rate restriction, workforce proportion caps, or the 8-week advertising requirement that applies to low-wage applications.
The high-wage stream generally requires employers to submit a transition plan with specific, measurable commitments, such as increasing wages for domestic workers, investing in training programs, or targeting recruitment toward underrepresented groups in the Canadian labour force. The minimum advertising requirement remains 4 consecutive weeks within the 3 months before the LMIA submission date, and high-wage applications carry the standard $1,000 processing fee per position, which can never be recovered from the temporary foreign worker.
What Foreign Workers Should Know
Foreign workers awaiting employer-supported work permits should understand how higher wage thresholds can affect their job prospects and application timelines. A position that was classified as high-wage under the previous threshold may now fall into the low-wage category if the offered wage sits between the old and new figures — which can trigger the CMA unemployment rate restriction in affected regions.
Workers should ask their prospective employer to confirm which LMIA stream a position falls under based on the updated thresholds before making relocation or employment decisions. Workers already holding a valid work permit are not directly affected by this change, since the new thresholds apply only to LMIA applications received on or after July 17, 2026 — not to existing permits or applications already submitted under the previous figures.
Workers exploring LMIA-exempt pathways under the International Mobility Program are unaffected by these threshold changes, since IMP work permits do not require an LMIA in the first place.
What Employers Must Do Now
Employers preparing to submit LMIA applications on or after July 17, 2026, should take the following steps immediately:
- Review every current and planned job offer against the updated wage threshold for the applicable province or territory to confirm which LMIA stream the position falls under.
- If a position that was previously high-wage now falls below the new threshold, meet all low-wage stream requirements, including the 8-week advertising rule, youth recruitment obligation, workforce proportion cap, and CMA unemployment rate restriction.
- Check the CMA unemployment rate for any work location that falls into the low-wage stream, since most applications in CMAs at or above 6% will not be processed unless the position qualifies for an exemption.
- Confirm whether the position qualifies for an exemption — these apply to specified roles in primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, caregiving, permanent-residence-only applications, and certain short-duration or highly mobile occupations.
- Ensure the offered wage is consistent with the prevailing wage rate for the occupation and work location — artificially inflating a wage solely to qualify for the high-wage stream can result in a negative LMIA decision.
Employers with LMIA applications already submitted before July 17, 2026 will be assessed under the previous thresholds that were in effect at the time of submission.
Final Thoughts
With 12 of 13 provinces and territories seeing increases, the dividing line between high-wage and low-wage LMIA streams has shifted meaningfully across most of the country. The practical effect is that more positions may now fall into the low-wage stream, subjecting them to the full range of additional restrictions the federal government has been tightening steadily since September 2024.
Employers should plan their hiring strategies around these updated figures, and workers should factor the new thresholds into their assessment of job offers and LMIA feasibility — particularly in provinces where the increase is large enough to shift a borderline position from one stream to the other.
Book a consultation with Visarete Immigration Services today — our team can help you determine which LMIA stream applies to your situation, whether you’re an employer preparing a new application or a foreign worker evaluating a job offer under the updated 2026 thresholds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If my employer submitted an LMIA application before July 17 but ESDC has not yet made a decision, which threshold applies?
The threshold in effect at the time the LMIA application was received by ESDC determines which stream applies. If your employer submitted the application before July 17, 2026, the previous thresholds remain in effect for that application regardless of when the decision is made. ESDC does not retroactively apply updated thresholds to applications already in the queue.
Q2. Can an employer offer a wage that is exactly at the threshold to qualify for the high-wage stream?
Yes, ESDC confirms that if the offered wage is at or above the provincial or territorial hourly wage threshold, the application must be submitted under the high-wage stream. However, the wage must still be consistent with the prevailing rate for the occupation and location, so offering precisely the threshold amount could face scrutiny if it does not reflect what similarly employed Canadians are being paid.
Q3. Does the wage threshold apply to overtime pay, tips, or bonuses?
No, the comparison between the offered wage and the threshold is based only on the base hourly wage rate stated on the LMIA application. Overtime premiums, gratuities, commissions, bonuses, and other variable compensation are not factored into the threshold comparison.
Q4. Are there any occupations or sectors exempt from the wage threshold classification?
The Primary Agriculture stream and Global Talent Stream operate outside the standard high-wage and low-wage application streams. In-home caregiver applications follow a separate pathway, but several requirements still depend on whether the position is classified as high-wage or low-wage, including the minimum advertising period.
Q5. Will the wage thresholds change again before the end of 2026?
ESDC treats this as an annual hourly wage threshold update, so the next revision would ordinarily be expected in 2027. That said, employers should always verify the official ESDC threshold table before submitting any LMIA application, since figures can be revised when new Labour Force Survey data becomes available.
Q6. I hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit and I’m applying for an LMIA-based job offer — does this change affect me?
It can. If your job offer’s wage falls between the old and new threshold for your province, a position that would previously have qualified as high-wage may now be classified as low-wage, which can trigger additional restrictions such as the CMA unemployment rate measure. It is worth confirming with your prospective employer which stream your specific offer falls under before making any decisions based on that job offer.
