In Quebec, when recruiting temporary foreign workers in various occupations, employers may be excluded from the obligation to provide evidence of recruitment efforts. The latest list of in demand jobs in Canada, qualifying under the facilitated Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process, has been published in Quebec.
Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration issues an annually updated list of occupations for which employers do not need to advertise an open vacancy before recruiting a foreign worker. On February 24, the new list of in demand jobs in Canada, which will be in place for the current year, was made public.
The new list of professions qualified for facilitated processing, as last year, includes all of Quebec and is focused on the entire province’s labour needs.
On this year’s list, there are 181 occupations. Newly added occupations include managers of telecommunication carrier managers, computer and information systems managers, home construction and renovation managers, geoscientists, and oceanographers.
The change announced today is effective immediately. There is a transition period of 30 days for the employer or their representative to allow the application submitted under the previous year’s list to be reviewed.
The facilitated procedure must be followed by Quebec companies offering jobs that match one of the jobs or work titles on this list.
Canadian companies who want to hire temporary foreign workers must prove that they have advertised an open vacancy through various methods and provide evidence of their recruiting activities before they can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
These efforts can consist of advertising a position for at least 28 days, interviewing suitable applicants and indicating to the Government of Canada that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is prepared, eager and able to be hired for a position that would require the hiring of foreign workers.
The process for Quebec employers looking to recruit skilled foreign employees is different from that for employers in Canada.
Quebec companies who hire temporary foreign workers for such targeted positions must also apply for the LMIA but are not expected to provide evidence of their publicity or recruiting efforts. This streamlined application process is referred to as the “facilitated” LMIA.
The federal and provincial authorities must authorise facilitated LMIA process applications. For this purpose, employers wishing to recruit foreign workers must send application forms and supporting documentation to both the MIFI and the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
The salary provided to all temporary foreign employees shall be the same as those paid to Canadian permanent residents and citizens of Canada employed in the same occupation and within the same geographical area.
The 2020 Quebec List of Professionals Eligible for Streamlined Processing included 111 professionals. With the addition of 70 new careers – such as oceanographers, renovation managers, etc. – there are 181 occupations on the 2021 list. While some professions have been added, some other occupations have been deleted.