Every year, the Ministry of Immigration in Quebec releases an updated list of Quebec’s eligible occupations for simplified LMIA Processing. 

This new list includes the jobs that are eligible for simplified processing when it comes to getting a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). 

This is possible because Quebec works differently from the other provinces in the country, especially in terms of immigration. Quebec has the authority to govern its own rules and regulations, structure, and programs for the citizens of other countries who desire to establish themselves in Canada’s only province where French is the predominant Language. Discover the details of Quebec’s Simplified LMIA Processing and eligible occupations under it. 

The 2023 Quebec’s eligible occupation list for simplified LMIA Processing is linked here.  

Understanding LMIA. 

Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA, is a document that helps the government determine that the hiring of temporary foreign employees will not affect the Canadian labor market negatively. 

Certain Canadian employers who intend to recruit temporary foreign workers have to obtain an LMIA from the Canadian government and 

prove that the selected candidate will either have a positive or neutral influence on the national job market. This must be done prior to the hiring of the TFW. 

It’s notable that Quebec’s simplified LMIA processing is unlike other Canadian regions. As per Quebec’s government, the simplified processing of the eligible occupation list for 2023 only concerns salaried workers. It has no effect on the self-employed workers. 

How do LMIAs differ in Quebec from the other Canadian provinces? 

Quebec’s simplified LMIA processing differs from the rest of Canada. The province has its unique occupations list primarily due to the fact that it conducts provincial immigration and its policies separately from the other Canadian regions. 

However, Quebec’s government is still required to involve the federal government in its LMIAs processing related to the hiring of temporary foreign workers due to the following two reasons: 

• Employers in Quebec are required to get approval for their LMIA application from both the federal and provincial governments. 
• Employers in Quebec are required to submit their applications with all the necessary documents to both the federal and provincial governments at the same time. Failing to do so will result in immediate application rejection. 

What has changed in the 2023 List of Quebec’s Eligible Occupations for Simplified LMIA Processing? 

Now, it’s clear that LMIAs in most Canadian regions are different from Quebec’s Simplified LMIA Processing. Here are some changes in the 2023 Quebec job list. 

Over the past two years, the total number of jobs that qualify for the list of Occupations for Simplified LMIA Processing in Quebec has increased by over 100 occupations. The 2023 list includes more than 300 job titles, which is much higher than the 2021 list, standing at 181. 

Also, starting from November 16, 2022, the immigration department, IRCC, currently uses the revised 2021 version of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system. 

This means that following the transition date, all LMIA applications received by the department will be processed using the updated NOC 2021 system. 

Eligibility Criteria for Simplified LMIA Processing in Quebec 

Employers in Quebec who intend to employ simplified LMIA processing to recruit TFW must follow the below-mentioned eligibility criteria: 

1. Provide a Competitive Work Environment 

All employers in Quebec who want to benefit from Quebec’s simplified processing system for LMIAs are required to provide their foreign employees with a comparable working environment, from working conditions to salaries offered to Canadian citizens or PRs for similar jobs in the same employment sector. 

In order to satisfy this condition, in the LMIA application, employers have to describe the job offered along with the details concerning the conditions and requirements of workers already employed in the particular sector. 

2. Adhere to the Legal Requirements  

All employers in Quebec are required to prove the following conditions to benefit from the simplified LMIA processing. 

• They must prove that their business is situated in Quebec and operates there. 
• They must verify that the offered job satisfies all the required conditions, including the financial as well as material. 
• They must demonstrate that the offered job fulfills the reasonable labor requirements. 
• They must confirm that the offered job has no negative influence on the province’s labor market. 
• They must prove that the business has not been charged with any offenses under Section 99 as per Quebec’s immigration laws. The company must not be involved in any convictions under Section 99 for the two years prior to the date of submission of the LMIA application. 

3. Offer Health Insurance to workers 

All employers in Quebec have to offer free medical coverage to the hired employees until they become eligible for Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) coverage. 

Specific Eligibility Criteria for Simplified LMIA in Low-Wage Job Roles 

If Quebec’s employers desire to hire temporary foreign workers (TFW) via simplified LMIA for a job role in which the hourly salary is less compared to the median salary in Quebec, they must satisfy the below-mentioned conditions in addition to the above eligibility criteria. At present, the low-wage positions in Quebec are where the hourly wage is under $26. 

• They must supply or assist the hired TFW to find a convenient and affordable house. 
• They must provide all the round-trip travel expenses spent by the employees when they travel from their country of origin to their workplace in Quebec. 
• They must offer the hired workers insurance coverage comparable to the RAMQ plan until they qualify for the RAMQ coverage. 

Ineligible Jobs/Occupations for Simplified LMIA Processing 

A job or occupation will be considered ineligible for simplified LMIA processing if it falls under the following criteria. 

• If the jobs will be performed by the TFW, who can control the business 
• If it satisfies the labor demands of the third-party individual, client, or government body other than the employer 
• If it disrupts or is likely to disrupt an ongoing labor dispute settlement like a strike 
• If it has the potential to harm the individuals affected by the labor dispute 
• If it contradicts Chapter C-27 of the Labour Code of Quebec 
• If the job falls under the industry that is considered ineligible for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or Temporary Foreign Workers