Short answer: the offered wage decides the stream, not the employer. If the wage on the LMIA application is at or above the hourly wage threshold for the province or territory of the work location, it must be filed under the high-wage stream. Below it, the low-wage stream applies. For LMIAs received on or after July 17, 2026, that line is $38.40 in BC, $36.92 in Ontario and $37.50 in Alberta.
You cannot simply raise the wage to change streams
- Adjusting the wage to fit a stream is a stated risk. ESDC warns that adjusting the offered wage to fit a specific program stream or to avoid a requirement can lead to a negative LMIA decision.
- Clearing the threshold does not satisfy the wage test. The offered wage must separately meet the prevailing wage — the higher of the Job Bank median wage or the range you already pay current employees in the same job and work location with the same skills and experience. Below that = negative LMIA.
- Only guaranteed wages count. Overtime, tips, benefits, profit sharing, bonuses and commissions are excluded.
- Both streams require full-time work — a minimum of 30 hours per week.
Hourly wage threshold by province and territory
The threshold is the provincial or territorial median hourly wage (Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey) plus 20%. The date that matters is the date the LMIA is received.
| Province / territory | LMIAs received Jun 27, 2025 – Jul 16, 2026 | LMIAs received as of Jul 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $36.00 | $37.50 |
| British Columbia | $36.60 | $38.40 |
| Manitoba | $30.16 | $31.33 |
| New Brunswick | $30.00 | $31.73 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $32.40 | $33.60 |
| Northwest Territories | $48.00 | $48.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $30.00 | $31.96 |
| Nunavut | $42.00 | $45.00 |
| Ontario | $36.00 | $36.92 |
| Prince Edward Island | $30.00 | $31.20 |
| Quebec | $34.62 | $36.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $33.60 | $34.62 |
| Yukon | $44.40 | $45.60 |
What actually changes between the streams
| Requirement | High-wage stream | Low-wage stream |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum advertising | 4 consecutive weeks within the prior 3 months | 8 consecutive weeks within the prior 3 months |
| Transition plan | Mandatory (with listed exemptions) | Not applicable |
| Cap on low-wage proportion | Not applicable | 10% of the workforce at the location (20% for construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care) |
| Refusal to process in 6%+ unemployment CMAs | Not applicable | Applies |
| Round-trip transportation | Not applicable | Employer pays, cannot be recovered from the worker |
| Housing | Not applicable | Must provide or ensure suitable and affordable housing |
| Processing fee | $1,000 per position | $1,000 per position |
The low-wage stream carries materially more employer obligation, so a position sitting near the threshold changes the design of the whole file.
Where people get this wrong
- It runs on the submission date. An application received July 16, 2026 uses the old figure ($36.60 in BC); one received July 17, 2026 uses $38.40. One day can move the stream.
- It is the province of the actual work location, not the head office address.
- It is not the minimum wage. BC's minimum wage is $18.25; the BC LMIA threshold is $38.40 — see minimum wage by province.
FAQ
Our wage is slightly below the threshold — can we raise it into the high-wage stream? Only if the higher wage is consistent with what Canadians and permanent residents in the same job and work location are paid. If it reads as a wage set to dodge a stream requirement, it becomes a negative-decision risk.
Does the regional freeze apply to high-wage positions? No. The refusal to process in CMAs with 6% or higher unemployment applies to low-wage positions only — see which regions are frozen.
How often do thresholds change? There is no published fixed cycle. The two most recent updates took effect June 27, 2025 and July 17, 2026. Re-check the ESDC table immediately before filing.
