Quebec updates targeted occupations list for facilitated LMIA process

Quebec has published the new list of eligible occupations as part of the facilitated labor market impact assessment (LMIA) process.

Quebec’s Immigration department updates its list of occupations on an annual basis for employers who are not required to advertise for vacant positions. The new list, which will be in effect for the current year, was released today, February 24.

Like last year, the new list of professions eligible for facilitated processing covers all of Quebec and is based on the workforce needs of the entire province.

While many of the occupations that were on last year’s list are on the new list, some have been added and others deleted. The latest list for 2021 has 181 occupations, which has 70 more occupations than the previous year’s list. Newly added occupations include telecommunications carrier managers, computer and information systems managers, home construction and renovation managers, as well as geoscientists and oceanographers, among others.

The change announced today is effective immediately. The employer, or their representative, has a 30-day transition period to review an application made under the previous year’s list.

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This list is facilitated for LMIA and is established by Emploi-Quebec in collaboration with the Ministere de I’Immigration, de la Francisation et de I’Intégration (MIFI) and with the respective National Occupation Classification (NOC) code for the occupations.

Quebec employers offering jobs corresponding to one of the professions or job titles on this list must follow the facilitated procedure.

LMIAs facilitation in Quebec

Before being able to apply for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), Canadian employers who hire temporary foreign workers must demonstrate that they have advertised a vacancy through various methods and provide proof of their recruitment efforts.

The procedure for Quebec employers looking to hire foreign skilled workers is different from that for employers in the rest of Canada.

Employers of the province of Quebec who want to hire a temporary foreign worker for a certain position are required to provide proof of recruitment activities or advertising. This simplified application process is known as the “facilitated” LMIA.

Applications for a simplified LMIA process must be approved by federal and provincial authorities. For this reason, employers who wish to hire foreign workers must submit application forms and supporting documents to both Employment and Social Service Canada (ESDC) and MIFI.