Canada to Raise Minimum Wage for High-Income Foreign Workers in 2024
In the coming months, the minimum wage for temporary foreign workers in the high-income category in Canada will see a significant increase. Specifically, in Ontario, the new minimum wage will be set at CAD 34.07 per hour, higher than the current average wage of CAD 28.39 per hour.
This change is expected to take effect next month (November 2024) and will impact approximately 34,000 high-income workers under the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) program. It’s important to note that current work permits will not be affected, but future renewals may be influenced by this new regulation.
This wage adjustment is part of a series of measures Canada is implementing to tighten the rules for temporary foreign workers. These measures include capping the percentage of low-income foreign workers in certain sectors and stopping the issuance of work permits in urban areas with high unemployment rates. However, workers in the agricultural sector will not be affected by these changes.
According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the number of temporary foreign work permits in Canada has surged, from 98,025 in 2019 to 183,820 in 2023—an 88% increase.
Raising the minimum wage for temporary foreign workers is part of Canada’s efforts to adjust the labor market, ensuring that jobs are only given to foreign workers when there are not enough domestic workers available.
