CIMM – Temporary Worker Programming in Quebec – November 07, 2023
Key Facts and Figures
From January 1 to August 31, 2023, there were approximately 45k work permit holders under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and approximately 95k work permit holders under the International Mobility Program (IMP) who established themselves in the province of Quebec.
These numbers do not include open work permit holders, who may live and work anywhere in Canada. The number of work permit holders living and working in Quebec may therefore be larger than the numbers presented above.
Key Messages
Quebec has a distinct role in the TFWP, and the Government of Canada works closely with the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) in delivering temporary worker programming in the province.
Before IRCC can issue a work permit under the TFWP, employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers in Quebec must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from MIFI.
The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have implemented greater flexibility in the province under the TFWP. Since 2012, the province has benefited from a facilitated LMIA process (Traitement Simplifié), which enables employers to hire workers in Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupations selected by the Province of Quebec without having to include proof of recruitment efforts. This flexibility was expanded in 2022 to include certain TEER 4 occupations, and has since been extended to February 2024. The traitement simplifié process is a permanent fixture of the Protocole d’entente, however, the addition of TEER 4 occupations is temporary under ESDC’s Quebec pilot.
Foreign nationals who are destined to work in Quebec under the IMP do not require an LMIA and as such, do not require a CAQ. However, Quebec implicitly selects post-graduation work permit holders in the province, as study permit holders are required to obtain a CAQ to study in Quebec. Spouses of students are also eligible for an open work permit under the IMP.
Supplementary Information
IRCC introduced the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+) in May 2022, a capped LMIA-exempt work permit pathway, allowing eligible foreign nationals who are outside of Quebec and who have been pre-selected for permanent residence by Quebec to come work in the province while they await their permanent residence application to be finalized.
