The Quebec government has increased the list of eligible occupations under the Facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment process to include entry-level positions.
Quebec has updated the list of high-demand positions to make hiring temporary foreign workers easier to hire.
Quebec employers must employ skilled foreign workers differently than those used elsewhere in Canada.
Employers in Quebec that hire temporary foreign workers for certain occupations may be eligible to waive some requirements under the Labour Market Assessment process. This includes advertising the position and other recruitment efforts. Employers who wish to hire foreign workers under the Temporary Worker Program must first get an LMIA, and this document proves that the applicant is not a Canadian.
The Quebec Ministry of Immigration usually reviews the list of eligible occupations for the Facilitated LMIA process on February 24. It publishes an updated version based on current labour market requirements, and Quebec has only issued two updates since its introduction this year.
Nearly 60 occupations were added to the 2022-2023 list in the most recent update dated May 27. Level C of the National Occupational Classification job titles includes machine operators, office workers, and administrative staff, and it also includes workers in the entertainment, restaurant, and tourism sectors.
Both federal and provincial authorities must approve the facilitated LMIA process application. Employers who want to hire foreign workers should submit applications and supporting documents to the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Ministere de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de integration(MIFI).
New measures are introduced to accelerate the arrival of foreign workers in Quebec.
Quebec currently admits the fewest number of immigrants in many years. The province’s unemployment rate, which includes immigrants, is low. The population is getting older, and the fertility rate is falling. Employers are finding it harder to hire employees because of the demographic changes.
Quebec has taken measures to address this problem by making it easier for employers and reducing the time required to process immigration applications under different programs.
This agreement includes a recent agreement between the Quebec Immigration Ministry (Quebec) and the Canadian federal government, allowing Quebec employers to hire upto 20% of temporary foreign workers at their workplaces. This percentage was previously set at 10%.
A new program, International Mobility Program plus (IMP+), was also launched to speed up the arrival of foreign workers in Quebec. This program is for those who are not yet residents permanent and meet labor requirements.
A total of more than 7,000 individuals are selected each year as skilled workers by the provincial government. They may be eligible for an open-work permit to begin employment in Quebec while they wait to apply for permanent residency.
