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Work Permits For Essential Occupations in Quebec Are Now Prioritized

Prioritized Occupations for Quebec

Effective June 10, 2020, selected occupations that are deemed essential in Quebec will now receive priority processing when applying for a work permit. The employer is still required to submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) but the application will be prioritized and the minimum advertising requirement is waved, greatly reducing processing times. 

The program is prioritizing and waiving minimum recruitment requirements for the following occupations:

NOCJob Title
3012Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111Specialist physicians
3112General practitioners and family physicians
3124Allied primary health practitioners
3131Pharmacists
3211Medical laboratory technologists 9463- Fish and seafood plant workers
3212Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
3214Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3219Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3233Licensed practical nurses
3237Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
3413Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
3414Other assisting occupations in support of health services
6731Light duty cleaners
6331Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers-retail and wholesale
8252Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
8431General Farm Workers
8432Nursery and Greenhouse Workers
8611Harvesting labourers
9462Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
9463Fish and seafood plant work
9617Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing
9618Labourers in fish and seafood processing
7511Transport truck drivers prioritized but not exempt from recruitment requirements

All LMIA applications must be submitted to Service Canada and to the Ministry of Immigration, Frenchisation, and Integration (MIFI) simultaneously. Additionally, all LMIA applications must be submitted in French with the exception of in-home caregivers. 

What is an LMIA

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a required document for many Canadian work permits. It’s an application made by the employer who wishes to hire a foreign national for a job in Canada. The LMIA demonstrates that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill a job in Canada. An LMIA also requires employers to demonstrate that they attempted to hire a Canadian for the position but were unable to do so. This is the minimum recruitment requirement that is now waived for the positions mentioned above. 

Minimum recruitment requirements

Before applying for an LMIA, employers must conduct at least three different recruitment activities. This typically means advertising the position on Canadian job posting websites, one of which must be the Government of Canada’s Job Bank. The recruitment efforts must be for at least four consecutive weeks, in the three months prior to the LMIA application. 

Adam Pinsky

Adam Pinsky has a keen interest in all things immigration and has been working in the industry for 11 years.

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