Quebec Updates the List of Professions for the Facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process

On February 24, 2021, Emploi-Québec and the Ministry of Immigration, Frenchisation and Integration (MIFI) established a newly updated list of professions that qualify for the facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process in order to obtain a work permit in the province of Quebec.

What is the facilitated LMIA process?

The facilitated LMIA process is aimed at specialized and high wage position, holding a NOC skill level 0, A or B. As such, if an employer is offering a specialized and high wage position included in this list, they must follow the facilitated LMIA process in order to help a foreign national obtain a work permit in the province.

Under a standard LMIA application, the employer is obligated to meet advertising requirements. This means that they must provide evidence of recruitment efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the offered position. However, with the facilitated LMIA process, the employer is exempt from this obligation and therefore, does not need to provide any proof of recruitment efforts when submitting the application.

Similarly, a transition plan is usually required when applying through the standard LMIA process. This transition plan must lay out the steps the employer is committed to take in order to recruit Canadian citizens and permanent residents and reduce the number of temporary foreign workers hired in their company. With the facilitated LMIA process, the employer will be exempt from this obligation only for the first LMIA request for the same position and same location.

How to apply under the facilitated LMIA process?

Since Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the MIFI have made an agreement to allow Quebec employers to file LMIA requests under the facilitated process, the employer will need to take the necessary steps to apply with the governments of Canada and Quebec.

As such, employers will need to:

1. Submit the needed documentation to the Service Canada Processing Centre, including:
– LMIA Application form;
– Proof of business.

2. Submit the needed documentation to the MIFI, including:
– LMIA Application form;
– Self- declaration by the employer;
– LMIA processing fee;
– Quebec Certificate of Acceptance form.

What are the professions that qualify for the facilitated LMIA process?

The list of professions qualifying for the facilitated LMIA process was updated on February 24, 2021. The MIFI announced that there will be a 30-day transition period, from February 24, 2021 to March 24, 2021. As such, during this transitional period, employers will be able to apply under the simplified LMIA process if the profession no longer appears in the 2021 list of professions, but is included in the 2020 list.

As of February 24, 2021, the following professions qualify for the facilitated LMIA process: