Quebec Government Updates List Of Occupations For Facilitated LMIA Process
Quebec publishes the new list of occupations eligible under the facilitated Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
Quebec’s immigration ministry provides a yearly updated list of occupations for which Canadian employers do not need to advertise an open position before employing a foreign worker. The new list, which will be in force for the current year, was announced, February 24.
Like last year, the new list of occupations eligible for facilitated LMIA processing covers all of Quebec and is based on the labor needs of the entire province.
While many of the occupations that appeared on last year’s list are on the current new list, some have been added and some removed.
There are 181 occupations on this year’s list, Seventy (70) more than last year. Newly added occupations include computer and information systems managers, telecommunication carriers managers, geoscientists and oceanographers, and home building and renovation managers among others.
The change announced today is effective immediately. There is however a thirty (30) day transition period for the employer, or their representative, to allow for the review of an application submitted under the previous year’s list.
Quebec’s list of Occupations for Facilitated LMIA is created by Emploi-Québec in conjuction with ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), and is based on federal government’s 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
Quebec employers offering jobs that correspond to one of the occupations on this list must follow the facilitated procedure.
Facilitated LMIAs in Quebec Province
Before they can apply for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), Quebec employers who hire temporary foreign workers must show that they have advertised an open position via a variety of methods and provides proof of their recruitment efforts.
These efforts may consists of advertising the position for at least twenty-eight (28) days, interviewing eligible candidates, and demonstrating to the federal government of Canada that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is willing and able to be hired for the job position, which would require the hiring of a foreign worker.
The procedure for Quebec employers looking to employ foreign skilled workers is different from the procedure for employers in the rest of Canada.
Quebec employers who employ temporary foreign workers for certain targeted job positions are not required to present proof of advertising or recruitment activities. This simplified application procedures is known as a “facilitated” LMIA.
Facilitated LMIA process application must be approved by both federal and provincial authorities. As a result, employers who wish to employ foreign workers must lodge application forms and supporting documents to both Employment and Social Service Canada (ESDC), and the MIFI.
