Quebec extends suspension of low-wage LMIAs in Montreal, adds Laval

Quebec is extending its suspension of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program by nine months.

As per an announcement by Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, on February 27, 2025, the suspension will be extended until November 30, 2025.

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Moreover, this measure has now been expanded to other parts of the province. While it previously applied to jobs in the administrative region of Montreal, starting on March 3, the suspension will also include the administrative region of Laval.

In August 2024, Quebec announced that it would be suspending LMIA processing for some low-wage TFWP jobs in Montreal for six months, starting September 3. At the time, this temporary measure was set to be in place until March 3, 2025.

Whom does this extension impact?

Starting March 3, this suspension will impact jobs

• With a wage below the Quebec wage threshold ($27.47 CAD); and
• Located in the administrative regions of Montreal or Laval.

LMIA applications that fall under the above mentioned criteria should not be submitted while the suspension remains in effect. If submitted, they will not be processed.

Exceptions

This suspension does not apply to

• Employers applying for LMIAs in certain industry groups, as described by the North American Industry Classification (NAICS), including
  (a) Agriculture;
  (b) Construction;
  (c) Food Processing;
  (d) Education; and
  (e) Health and social services sectors.

LMIA applications that have already been approved, or that were received before September 3, 2024 are also not affected.

Recent immigration changes in Quebec

The province has been implementing measures to reduce the number of temporary residents over the last few months.

On February 27, 2025, Quebec also announced that it would implement a cap on the number of international student applications.

This year, the province has announced that it will be taking temporary resident admissions targets into consideration for the first time during its upcoming Immigration Levels Plan.

Last year, Quebec implemented numerous changes which impact prospective immigration candidates, international students, and those navigating immigration pathways in 2025.

Federal government's suspension of processing low-wage LMIAs in specific regions

Shortly after Quebec restricted processing of low-wage LMIAs in Montreal, the federal government of Canada announced similar measures.

On September 26, 2024, the Canadian government paused processing of LMIAs for the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program  in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) where the unemployment rate is higher than 6%.

The federal government updates a list of CMAs with an unemployment rates over 6% quarterly. The next update is expected on April 4, 2025.

Exceptions are made for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing, and fish processing), as well as construction and healthcare.

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