Government to Raise Minimum Wage for Foreign Workers

The federal government is set to raise the minimum hourly wage for temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream by 20% above the provincial median, effective November 8. This move is aimed at encouraging employers to hire more Canadian staff amidst criticism of the Liberal government for increasing temporary resident numbers, which some link to housing shortages and rising living costs. The change will affect approximately 34,000 workers under the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) high-wage stream, but existing permits will remain unaffected. In Ontario, this means employers will need to pay at least $34.07 per hour, up from the current median of $28.39. The government's ongoing adjustments to the Temporary Foreign Worker program come in response to allegations of worker mistreatment and the necessity of demonstrating a lack of available Canadian workers for the positions. The number of temporary foreign worker permits issued has seen a significant increase, rising from 98,025 in 2019 to 183,820 in 2023.