Hire a foreign academic – Recruitment and advertisement

4. Recruitment and advertisement

Note:

Due to economic impacts such as higher unemployment rates resulting from COVID-19, recruitment and advertisement requirements have been updated. Recruitment efforts are required to take place under the current labour market to ensure Canadians and Permanent Residents continue to be considered first for available jobs. This update applies to pending LMIAs received prior to June 15, 2020, and includes the following:

  • Any ads posted before March 15, 2020 may need to be re-posted for an additional two consecutive weeks.
  • If applicable, Service Canada will contact you regarding re-advertising requirements.
  • When re-advertising, employers must also meet all the minimum recruitment requirements described below.

Before a degree-granting educational institution can hire a foreign academic for a position in Canada, it must:

  • Advertise vacant positions in Canada
  • Make sure any vacant position advertised abroad is also advertised simultaneously in Canada
  • Advertise for a reasonable length of time (about a month) to allow broad exposure of the vacancy to Canadians and permanent residents
  • Demonstrate that the advertising medium used - web, print or electronic - is effective in attracting appropriate candidates for the position
  • Include in the advertisement this statement: "All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority;"
  • Meet all conditions of applicable collective agreements
  • Be prepared to fill a yearly summary report on recruitment practices for Canadian academics and results

Note:

Effective June 10, 2020, the program is prioritizing certain occupations which are considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. The listed occupations have been prioritized across all provinces and territories (except the province of Quebec). For a list of occupations specific to the province of Quebec, please refer to Hiring in the Province of Quebec.

Important: Any Refusal to Process supersedes prioritization.

  • 31100 - Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
  • 31101 - Specialists in surgery
  • 31102 - General practitioners and family physicians
  • 31120 - Pharmacists
  • 31301 - Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
  • 31302 - Nurse practitioners
  • 31303 - Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
  • 32101 - Licensed practical nurses
  • 32103 - Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
  • 32109 - Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
  • 32120 - Medical laboratory technologists
  • 32124 - Pharmacy technicians
  • 32129 - Other medical technologists and technicians
  • 33101 - Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
  • 33103 - Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
  • 33102 - Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
  • 33109 - Other assisting occupations in support of health services
  • 63201 - Butchers - retail and wholesale
  • 65202 - Meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale
  • 65310 - Light duty cleaners
  • 82030 - Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
  • 84120 - Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
  • 85100 - Livestock labourers
  • 85101 - Harvesting labourers
  • 85103 - Nursery and Greenhouse labourers
  • 94141 - Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
  • 94142 - Fish and seafood plant workers
  • 95106 - Labourers in food and beverage processing
  • 95107 - Labourers in fish and seafood processing

Note: As of November 10, 2020, NOC 73300 (Transport truck drivers) will no longer be prioritized.

Transition plans

Universities and colleges hiring professors in academic positions (NOC 41200) can complete a submission to Universities Canada that will be included in an annual report to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on transition measures being taken for this occupation across Canada. Academic institutions should contact Universities Canada for more details. Alternatively, institutions can complete the section on Transition plans of their LMIA application form for high-wage positions.

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