In Québec, employers may be exempt from the requirement to include proof of recruitment efforts when hiring temporary foreign workers in a number of occupations.
Quebec has released the new list of occupations eligible under the facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
The Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration in Québec annually provides an updated list of occupations for which employers do not need to advertise an open position before hiring a foreign worker. On February 24, 2021, the new list in effect for this year was made public.
The list of occupations eligible for facilitated processing covers all of Québec and is based on the labour market needs.
While many of the occupations that were on last year’s list are on the new list, other occupations were either added or removed. There are 181 occupations on the 2021 list where newly added occupations include telecommunication carriers managers, computer and information systems managers, home building and renovation managers, and geoscientists and oceanographers, etc.
The government of Québec allowed a 30-day transition period for the employer, or their representative, to allow for the review of an application submitted under the old list.
Quebec’s List of Occupations for Facilitated LMIA is established by Emploi-Québec in collaboration with ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), and is based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system for the year 2016.
Québec employers interested in hiring foreign workers whose jobs are included in the list must follow the specific procedure of the facilitated LMIA.
Facilitated LMIAs in Quebec – What it means:
Generally speaking, before Canadian employers can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), they must demonstrate that they have advertised an open position through a variety of methods and provide proof of their recruitment efforts.
The latter may be advertising the position for at least 28 days, interviewing eligible candidates and demonstrating to the Government of Canada that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is ready, willing and able to be hired for the position, which would require the hiring of a foreign worker.
The procedure for Québec employers seeking to hire foreign skilled workers is different from the procedures for employers in the rest of Canada.
Québec employers who hire temporary foreign workers for certain targeted positions must also apply for an LMIA, but are not required to provide proof of their advertising or recruitment efforts This simplified application procedure is known as a “facilitated” LMIA.
Facilitated LMIA process applications must be approved by both federal and provincial authorities. For this reason, employers who wish to hire foreign workers must submit application forms and supporting documents to both the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), and the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI).
Interested in knowing more about this process? We are here to help. You can contact us to confirm if you qualify here.
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