Hire a temporary foreign worker through the Recognized Employer Pilot: Wages, working conditions and occupations

On this page

• Wages
• Job duties and working conditions
• Phase 1 occupations list
• Phase 2 occupations list

Wages

Wages offered to temporary foreign workers (TFWs) should be similar to wages paid to Canadian and permanent resident employees hired for the same job and work location, and with similar skills and years of experience.

For the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP), you must pay the prevailing wage, which is defined as the highest of either:

• the regional median hourly wage posted on Job Bank, or
• the wage that’s within the wage range that you’re paying your current employees hired for the same job and work location, and with the same skills and years of experience

For positions in primary agriculture (including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, agricultural, high-wage and low-wage streams), employers must ensure that the prevailing wages meet or exceed the wage rates outlined in the National Commodities List (NCL) wage tables, or applicable federal/provincial/territorial minimum wage rates, whichever is higher.

To determine the median wage on Job Bank:

• go to Compare wages on Job Bank
• in the “Job search” field, enter the job title or the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (2021 version) that best describes the duties and requirements of the position
• the hourly median wage will be listed in the middle column, by community or area. If the median wage is listed as "N/A," consult the provincial or territorial wage. If it isn’t available, consult the national wage

If the position requires additional skills and years of experience over the applicable NOC description, the wages offered should reflect these additional requirements.

When determining the wage rate being offered, we’ll only consider guaranteed wages, which exclude:

• overtime hours
• tips
• benefits
• profit sharing
• bonuses
• commissions
• other forms of compensation

Employers who hire TFWs for unionized positions must offer the same wage rates and forms of compensation as those under the collective agreement.

Job duties and working conditions

The TFWs you hired through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) must only perform duties that correspond to the occupation they were hired for.

Canadian law protects all workers in Canada, including TFWs. The exploitation of TFWs is considered a violation of Canadian laws and human rights.

Employers must:

• pay TFWs for all work (including overtime, where required by law)
• provide workplace safety insurance
• offer TFWs the same benefits as other workers, and
• not take the TFWs’ identification

Employment in most occupations is covered under provincial or territorial legislation that deals with labour and employment standards, such as:

• hours of work
• working conditions, and
• termination of employment

In fact, every province or territory has a Ministry of Labour that can provide information to assist employers and TFWs with questions or issues related to work.

Phase 1 occupations list

Starting September 2023, applications will be accepted for positions on Service Canada's Phase 1 REP occupations list. These occupations have been determined to be in-demand and to have an insufficient domestic labour supply.

Phase 2 occupations list

Starting January 2024, applications will be accepted for positions on Service Canada's Phase 2 REP occupations list. These occupations have been determined to be in-demand and to have an insufficient domestic labour supply.