High-Wage LMIA Canada

The high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is the primary LMIA pathway for employers hiring skilled workers in professional, technical, management, and other occupations where the wage offered meets or exceeds the provincial or territorial median hourly wage. It is the most widely used LMIA stream and the most scrutinized — ESDC assessments have become increasingly rigorous since 2024, and a poorly prepared application wastes time, costs money, and can delay a worker's arrival by months.

A positive high-wage LMIA confirms that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was available to fill the role and that hiring the temporary foreign worker will have a positive or neutral effect on Canada's labour market. It authorizes the worker to apply for an employer-specific work permit from IRCC, tied to the employer, occupation, and location specified in the LMIA. The employment duration may be up to three years.

At Magellan Immigration, we work with Canadian employers to prepare complete, compliant high-wage LMIA applications — managing the recruitment documentation, transition plan, wage compliance, and provincial requirements that determine whether your application succeeds.

Is the Position High-Wage?

A position is classified as high-wage if the wage offered is at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage. The median wage is determined by reference to Job Bank's Compare Wages tool using the applicable NOC 2021 code and the location of the work. If the Job Bank median wage for the specific community is listed as "n/a," use the provincial or territorial wage. If that is also unavailable, use the national wage.

Only guaranteed wages count toward meeting the prevailing wage threshold. Overtime, tips, benefits, profit sharing, bonuses, commissions, and other forms of compensation are excluded from the wage rate calculation.

Processing Fee

 

The processing fee is $1,000 per position requested. The fee is non-refundable if the application is withdrawn, cancelled, or results in a negative LMIA decision. The processing fee cannot be charged to or recovered from the temporary foreign worker.

Processing fee exemptions apply for:

  • Families and individuals hiring a foreign caregiver for a person with high medical needs, where a medical certificate is submitted

  • Families with a gross annual income of $150,000 or less hiring a foreign caregiver for childcare of a child under 13

  • On-farm primary agriculture positions in specified NOC codes

Recruitment Requirements

 

Before submitting an LMIA application, you must conduct at least three distinct recruitment activities over a minimum of four consecutive weeks within the three months prior to application. At least one activity must be ongoing until the date of the LMIA decision.

Required activities:

  • Job Bank — mandatory. You must advertise the position on Job Bank and use the Job Match service. You must invite all candidates matched at four stars or more within the first 30 days of the advertisement to apply. You must also consider all applications submitted through Job Bank's Direct Apply feature

  • At least two additional methods — consistent with the occupation and targeting an audience with the appropriate education, professional experience, or skill level. One of the two additional methods must be national in scope. If both additional methods are online, they must each reach a genuinely different audience

The job advertisement must include the company name and address, job title, duties, terms of employment, language of work, wage (including any incremental raises or performance pay), benefits, work location, contact information, and skills requirements including education and work experience.

Recruitment records must be retained for a minimum of six years from the worker's first day of employment.

Prevailing Wage

The wage offered must meet or exceed the prevailing wage — the higher of the Job Bank median hourly wage for the occupation and location, or the wage being paid to current employees in the same job at the same location with similar skills and experience. Offering a wage below the prevailing wage results in a negative LMIA.

Employers must review and update TFW wages annually using the updated Job Bank wage data published each fall, with the review deadline of January 1 of the following year. The updated wage can never fall below the wage identified in the positive LMIA at any time during the worker's employment.

Transition Plan

A transition plan is mandatory for all high-wage LMIA applications. It must be valid for the full duration of the worker's employment and describe the specific activities the employer commits to undertaking to recruit, retain, and train Canadians and permanent residents — and to reduce reliance on the TFWP over time.

If you have previously submitted a transition plan for the same position and work location, you must report on the results of the commitments made in your previous plan before a new LMIA will be assessed.

Transition plan exemptions apply to:

  • In-home caregiver and certain healthcare provider positions under specified NOC codes

  • Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, agricultural stream, and other primary agriculture positions

  • Specialized occupations qualifying for Quebec's facilitated LMIA process (first request only)

  • Positions of limited duration that are project-based and will not exist after the worker's departure

  • Positions with unique skills belonging to a specific individual not readily available in Canada

  • Positions supporting permanent residence only with no associated work permit application

Business Legitimacy

All LMIA applications must be accompanied by documentation demonstrating that the business and the job offer are genuine. This includes your most recent business licence, Canada Revenue Agency tax documents, and any provincially required documentation.

Employer Obligations After a Positive LMIA

A positive LMIA does not end your obligations as an employer. You must:

  • Provide each worker with a copy of the LMIA decision letter and its Annex A on or before their first day of work

  • Provide a signed employment agreement in English or French as preferred by the worker, on or before the first day of work

  • Obtain and pay for private health insurance covering emergency medical care during any period the worker is not yet covered by provincial or territorial health insurance

  • Ensure the worker is covered by provincial or territorial workplace safety insurance from day one

  • Pay the prevailing wage — not the wage in the LMIA, if the prevailing wage has increased

  • Maintain complete employment records for six years

  • Never charge or recover recruitment fees from the worker

ESDC conducts compliance inspections and employers found non-compliant face warning letters, monetary penalties, and bans from the TFWP.

New Employers

 

Employers who have not hired a temporary foreign worker in the past six years are subject to an additional review. You must demonstrate that you have made reasonable efforts to provide a workplace free of abuse and that you are not an affiliate of an ineligible employer or an employer in default of an administrative monetary penalty.

Prioritized Occupations

ESDC prioritizes certain occupations across all provinces and territories (except Quebec, which has its own list). Prioritized occupations are primarily in healthcare, agriculture, and food processing. Prioritization does not override any refusal-to-process conditions that may apply to your work location.

Provincial Requirements

 

British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia You must obtain an employer registration certificate from the province before submitting your LMIA application. Applications without this documentation are considered incomplete.

Quebec LMIA applications for positions in Quebec with an employment period of more than 30 consecutive days must be submitted simultaneously to Service Canada and MIFI. The language of work requirement must also reflect Quebec-specific rules. Note that certain low-wage positions in the economic regions of Montréal and Laval will not be processed until December 31, 2026.

What We Do

 

  • Confirm whether the position qualifies as high-wage based on current Job Bank median wages

  • Manage the recruitment process including Job Bank posting, Job Match, and Direct Apply compliance

  • Prepare all recruitment documentation for LMIA submission

  • Draft the transition plan

  • Prepare the complete LMIA application including business legitimacy documentation

  • Coordinate simultaneous provincial submissions where required

  • Advise on employer compliance obligations after a positive LMIA decision

  • Coordinate the worker's work permit application following a positive LMIA