Temporary Foreign Worker Program for Low Wage Earners

By Casey October 5, 2021 (Updated July 15, 2022) 4 min. read

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is intended to be used when you are facing short-term skills and labour shortages, and only when no Canadians and permanent residents are available. Under the TFWP, employers may hire temporary foreign workers through multiple different kinds of streams. Here, we will describe what the low-wage stream for temporary foreign workers means and how one can apply.

What Is the Low Wage Stream for Temporary Foreign Workers?

Employers who want to recruit a temporary foreign worker for less than the province or territory’s median hourly pay must apply through the TFWP low-wage worker stream.

Employers should be aware that LMIAs for low-wage employees impose specific requirements on employers in order to protect the rights and safety of low-wage non-resident workers in the workplace. When an employer receives a positive LMIA for a low-wage skilled post, they must tell the foreign worker of the LMIA findings and advise them that the LMIA must be renewed before it expires.

Requirements for Low Wage Temporary Foreign Workers

Advertising Requirements

Unless an exception exists, an employer or potential employer must demonstrate that they have met specified advertising criteria when filing an LMIA application. An employer or potential employer must promote low-wage employment in the following manner to fulfill the minimal advertising requirements:

All advertisements must consistently include the following:

Wage Requirements

Unless a “unique pay wage requirement” exists, the wage provided must be at least the prevailing rate for the occupation in the province or area where the foreign national will be working. The prevailing wage is the higher of the median wage listed on the National Job Bank or a wage that falls within the wage range that the company pays current employees in the same occupation, in the same work location, and with the same credentials.

How to Apply for the Low Wage Stream

Your Labour Market Impact Assessment application can be submitted up to 6 months prior to the expected job start date. There are two main ways you can apply for LMIA for the low wage stream:

Apply Online

An employer and a third party (if applicable) must have a valid Job Bank user account for authentication reasons in order to access LMIA Online. If you have not yet finished the one-time registration process in Job Bank for Employers, you can visit the Canadian government LMIA online portal and create a new account. This registration process should only take about 10 minutes. After you are finished with the registration process, you will then be able to complete an LMIA application.

Apply by Mail

Make sure your application is complete with all required documentation, the processing fee, and your signature. Your application package should include:

Learn more about LMIA processing times for low-wage workers.

Why Seek Help in Applying for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program?

If you’d like to hire a temporary foreign worker in the low-wage stream, we can help you with this process. Applying for an LMIA can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with how immigration applications work. Any immigration application can become overwhelming if done alone, so it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to apply.

Does Your Business Need Corporate Immigration Services?

Contact our corporate team at VisaPlace. All of our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals and consultants who work for Niren and Associates an award-winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.

Ready for the next step? Book your 1 on 1 consultation now or call us at 1-877-296-0874.

Have a Question related to your Immigration Needs?

Click here to fill out the FREE Immigration Assessment form below and get a response within 24 hours to see if you’re eligible.

The assessment form should take approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. We will get back to you within one business day to let you know if we are able to help.

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