Canada has increased the wage thresholds for the low-wage stream of its Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), introducing new minimum hourly pay requirements that employers must meet to hire foreign workers. The revised thresholds took effect on July 17, 2026, and apply across provinces and territories. Employers in regions with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher can no longer submit new applications or renew existing work permits for jobs paying below these updated wage levels.
The change affects employers seeking to hire workers under the TFWP's low-wage stream, where wage thresholds are set at 120% of the median hourly wage in each province or territory. The move is part of Canada's ongoing efforts to tighten rules governing temporary foreign workers.
