Canada is planning to put new limits on a program that allows companies to recruit high-wage foreign labour by forcing firms to offer higher compensation, according to a senior government official with knowledge of the matter.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault will announce Tuesday that businesses looking to hire workers from the high-wage stream of the temporary foreign worker program will need to offer pay that’s at least 20% higher than the median wage in each province, said the official, who asked not to be identified.