More Employers in Quebec Will be Able to Bypass LMIA Advertising Requirement

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The government of Quebec has expanded the list of occupations for which employers do not need to advertise an open position before hiring a foreign worker.

Canadian employers hiring temporary foreign workers typically must advertise an open position in multiple places before an application for an application for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) may be submitted. However, this requirement is waived for employers in Quebec hiring for certain positions.

This simplified process is known as a ‘facilitated’ LMIA.

Employers applying under the facilitated LMIA process are not required to provide proof of recruitment efforts. These efforts would entail advertising the job for at least 28 days, interviewing candidates who fulfil the position requirements, and proving to the government of Canada that there is no Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is ready, willing, and able to be hired for the position, necessitating the hiring of a foreign worker.

The latest update to the list of facilitated occupations was revealed on February 24, and the new list came into effect immediately. A transitional period of 30 days is granted to the employer or his/her representative to allow for the examination of an application submitted according to the previous year's list.

Although most of the occupations that were on the previous list are also on the new list, 16 new occupations have been added.

The government of Quebec requires that a temporary foreign worker who comes to a job on this list has at least a general education certificate equivalent to a high school diploma (DES) or equivalent. In addition, in jobs where a higher level of education is usually required, the candidate must meet the requirements of the position.

It should also be noted that the list concerns the hiring of workers, not business owners.

Facilitated LMIA list for Quebec

The following list of occupations is in effect as of February 24, 2017. Newly-added occupations are in bold.

NOC	OCCUPATION TITLE
0124	Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
0601	Corporate sales managers
1111	Financial Auditors and Accountants
1121	Human Resources Professionals
1222	Executive Assistants
1223	Human Resources and Recruitment Officers
1225	Purchasing Agents and Officers
1241	Administrative assistants
1243	Medical administrative assistants
1311	Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
2131	Civil Engineers
2132	Mechanical Engineers
2146	Aerospace Engineers
2171	Information Systems Analysts and Consultants
2173	Software Engineers and Designers
2174	Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers
2175	Developers / Web Developers
2231	Civil engineering technologists and technicians
2232	Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
2233	Technologists and Technicians / Technicians Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering
2234	Estimators / Construction Estimators
2241	Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
2253	Drafting Technologists and Technicians
2281	Technicians / Computer Network Technicians
2282	User support technicians
2283	Information systems testing technicians
3012	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111	Specialist Physicians
3112	General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3131	Pharmacists
3141	Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
3142	Physiotherapists
3143	Occupational Therapists
3214	Respiratory Therapists, Clinical Perfusionists and Cardiopulmonary Technologists
3215	Medical Radiation Technologists
3222	Dental hygienists and dental therapists
3233	Licensed Practical Nurses
4021	College and other vocational instructors
4152	Social Workers
4212	Social and community service workers
4214	Early childhood educators and assistants
4215	Instructors of persons with disabilities
5131	Producers, Directors, Choreographers and related occupations
5241	Graphic Designers and Illustrators
6221	Technical Sales Specialists – Wholesale Trade
6231	Insurance agents and brokers
6321	Chefs
6322	Cooks
6331	Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
7231	Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7246	Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7311	Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
7312	Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
7321	Automotive Service Technicians, Truck and Bus Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers
7333	Electrical Mechanics

Two occupations from the previous list have not been included on the new list. These are:

Computer Engineers (except Software Engineers and Designers), National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2147; and
Medical Laboratory Technologists and Pathologists' Assistants, NOC 3211.

Canadian employers: To learn more about your options for hiring foreign workers, please contact wp@canadavisa.com. A legal expert will provide a free consultation.

Foreign workers: If you have received a job offer from a Canadian employer and wish to submit an inquiry about getting a work permit and working legally in Canada, please complete the form on this page.