Canada
Canada visa salary thresholds
Canadian work permits use the TEER-banded prevailing wage set by ESDC and the LMIA system. Express Entry has no salary floor, but PNP streams and LMIA-based work permits do.
Last checked 29 July 2026. Every figure is mapped to a primary government source and re-verified over time; recorded changes appear in the changelog.
Source auto-reconfirmed 25 September 2026 by the daily automated check (figures unchanged since last review).
What salary do you need for a skilled-work visa in Canada?
The main skilled-work salary floor in Canada is CA$77,000 / year (LMIA — High-wage stream floor (indicative)), effective 17 July 2026. Occupation-specific going rates may bind higher.
Source checked against ESDC — Provincial/territorial median wages on 29 July 2026.
Threshold table
| Route | Amount | ~USD | In force since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LMIA — High-wage stream floor (indicative)# Indicative full-time proxy for ESDC's high-wage LMIA stream. The hourly wage threshold is the provincial/territorial median wage plus 20%; for LMIAs received as of 17 July 2026 it rose in every province and territory except the Northwest Territories — e.g. Ontario CA$36.92/hour, BC CA$38.40/hour (Ontario ≈CA$77,000 full-time). Exact cut-offs range from CA$31.20/hour (PEI) to CA$48.00/hour (Northwest Territories). No changes recorded for this figure since 17 July 2026. | CA$77,000 / year | $55,000 | 2026-07-17 | ESDC — Provincial/territorial median wages |
Low-wage stream floor (2026 refusal-to-process caps)# Low-wage positions pay below the provincial median hourly wage. ESDC says Service Canada may refuse to process LMIA applications where low-wage positions exceed 10% of the total workforce at a work location, with a 20% cap for listed sectors and occupations. | No fixed published floor | — | 2026-04-01 | ESDC - Temporary Foreign Worker Program refusal to process |
Provincial Nominee — typical employer-driven floor# Indicative across employer-driven PNP streams. Actual thresholds vary: Ontario OINP targets CA$60,000+ for general skilled streams, BC PNP Skilled Worker uses regional wage rates. | CA$50,000 / year | $36,000 | 2025-01-01 | IRCC — Provincial Nominee Program |
Start-up Visa — settlement funds (not salary)# Settlement funds requirement for a single Start-up Visa applicant, not a salary (CA$15,263 for one person; scales per family member). Note: the Start-up Visa closed to new applications on 31 December 2025; permanent-residence applications already in the queue are accepted until 30 June 2026. | CA$15,263 / year | $11,000 | 2025-01-03 | IRCC — Start-up Visa eligibility |
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Canada visa salary thresholds", https://visaatlas.org/salary-thresholds/canada. Last checked 29 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/salary-thresholds
How often this changes
Canada's TFWP was tightened on 8 November 2024 (low-wage cap, accelerated processing removed for high-wage stream); the high-wage hourly wage thresholds were raised on 27 June 2025 and again for LMIAs received as of 17 July 2026. The Start-up Visa closed to new intake on 31 December 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary to qualify for a work visa in Canada?
Canadian work permits use the TEER-banded prevailing wage set by ESDC and the LMIA system. Express Entry has no salary floor, but PNP streams and LMIA-based work permits do.
How often do Canada salary thresholds change?
Canada's TFWP was tightened on 8 November 2024 (low-wage cap, accelerated processing removed for high-wage stream); the high-wage hourly wage thresholds were raised on 27 June 2025 and again for LMIAs received as of 17 July 2026. The Start-up Visa closed to new intake on 31 December 2025.
Does meeting the headline threshold guarantee approval?
No. Headline floors are one of several criteria. Most jurisdictions also apply an occupation-specific going rate, character and health checks, and — for sponsored routes — employer/sponsor compliance. Failing any one of these can lead to refusal even where salary is above the threshold.
Related
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.