What is the Canada High-Wage Work Permit?
The high-wage LMIA-based work permit is Canada's main route for employers to hire foreign workers in roles paying at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage, under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The employer must demonstrate that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available by advertising the role for at least 4 consecutive weeks, then file a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) with ESDC. If approved, you apply for an employer-specific work permit through IRCC. The employer also submits a Transition Plan showing how it will reduce reliance on foreign workers over time. The permit is valid for up to 3 years.
It covers any occupation — much broader than the tech-focused Global Talent Stream — and a qualifying LMIA-supported job offer significantly boosts Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program applications for PR.
Note: This information is for guidance only and does not constitute immigration advice. Requirements change — verify current figures at the official government source before applying.
Do you qualify?
You must meet two requirements. The employer handles the LMIA, the advertising and the Transition Plan.
The employer must offer a salary at or above the median hourly wage for the province, advertise the role for at least 4 consecutive weeks (using 3 recruitment methods, one national), and obtain a positive LMIA from ESDC confirming no suitable Canadian or permanent resident was available.
You must have the qualifications, skills and experience to perform the job as described in the LMIA. The employer sets these requirements — there is no government-mandated skills assessment for the high-wage LMIA.
The 2026 salary requirements
The high-wage stream applies when the offered salary meets or exceeds the province's median hourly wage (updated 17 July 2026). If the wage is even slightly below the median, the application falls into the low-wage stream, which has significantly more restrictions.
Provincial medians are set as hourly wages — roughly Ontario/BC $30, Alberta $33, Quebec $28. The annual figures below assume full-time hours (about 40/week) for comparison; the legal test is the hourly median. The wage must also meet the occupation's prevailing rate on Job Bank — whichever is higher. Figures are gross in CAD; federal tax runs 15%–33%, provincial tax is additional, and CPP and EI apply.
What you need to apply
The employer handles the LMIA, including advertising and the Transition Plan. Once it is approved, you apply for the work permit through IRCC. The items below cover your stage.
If you do not have any of the documents below, read the FAQs section for further guidance.
Application timeline
The total time from the start of advertising to arriving in Canada is typically 4–6 months: the mandatory 4-week advertising period, then LMIA processing (~60 business days), then work permit processing (2–8 weeks). Visa-required nationalities add 1–3 weeks for the TRV and biometrics.
Most common delay: recruitment documentation. ESDC scrutinises the advertising evidence closely — ads that ran under 4 weeks, skipped a national platform, or lacked specific reasons for rejecting Canadian applicants lead to refusal.
The employer advertises for at least 4 consecutive weeks using 3 recruitment methods, including Job Bank and one additional national platform, and genuinely considers and documents every Canadian applicant.
Handled by: your employer
The employer submits the LMIA to ESDC within 3 months of the advertising start date, with the recruitment evidence, the Transition Plan and the CAD $1,000 fee.
Handled by: your employer
ESDC processes the LMIA — currently about 60 business days (12 calendar weeks) for high-wage applications. It may request more information.
Handled by: ESDC
Once the LMIA is approved, apply online through IRCC (fee CAD $155). If you are visa-required, apply for the TRV and give biometrics at the same time.
Handled by: you
IRCC processes the work permit and any TRV — standard work permit processing is 2–8 weeks. On approval, travel to Canada and present the port-of-entry letter at the border.
Handled by: IRCC and you
Frequently asked questions
The work permit is employer-specific. To change employers, the new employer must file a new LMIA (including fresh advertising), and you cannot start with them until the new work permit is issued.
Yes. Your spouse or common-law partner receives an open work permit — they can work for any employer in any role. Dependent children can study at Canadian schools. Family members from visa-required countries apply for their own TRVs.
Not directly, but it is a strong bridge. A valid LMIA-supported job offer adds 50 CRS points (or 200 for senior-management NOC 00 roles) to Express Entry, and most provinces have PNP employer-sponsored streams that use it as a key criterion. A separate PR-stream LMIA can also be filed, but currently takes about 244 business days — nearly a year.
The employer pays the LMIA fee (CAD $1,000). You pay the work permit fee (CAD $155), biometrics (CAD $85) and any medical or police-certificate costs — roughly CAD $300–$500 in total. The employer also bears the advertising and Transition Plan costs.
Three differences: speed (GTS LMIA targets 10 business days vs ~60 here), advertising (GTS requires none; the high-wage stream requires 4 weeks), and scope (GTS is limited to tech/innovation roles; the high-wage stream covers any occupation above the provincial median wage). If your role qualifies for GTS, it is almost always the faster path.
A mandatory document the employer submits with the LMIA, showing how it will reduce reliance on foreign workers over time — typically through training Canadians, domestic recruitment, knowledge transfer or wage adjustments. It is reviewed at LMIA renewal.
You cannot apply for an LMIA-based work permit without a Canadian employer filing an LMIA on your behalf.
Every job listed on Workbeyond is from employers who sponsor international talent to work in Canada. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that match your criteria.
Find sponsored jobs in Canada
Every job listed on Workbeyond is from employers who sponsor international talent to work in Canada. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that match your criteria.
New to the country? See the Canada destination guide.
Other visas you may qualify for
Canada's fastest employer-sponsored work permit for tech and innovation roles — the LMIA and work permit each take 10 business days, with no job advertising required.
Canada's provincial route to permanent residence — a genuine job offer from an employer in the nominating province, plus a nomination that adds 600 CRS points, effectively guaranteeing an Express Entry invitation. The most reliable route for lower CRS scores.