Quebec has decided to prioritize work permit processing in 24 professions

The Canadian province of Quebec will now focus on the work permit applications submitted by foreign workers in certain occupations before they move on to the rest. Quebec is prioritizing the temporary work permit applications that involve in-demand occupations during the pandemic.

Quebec has also decided to waive the minimum recruitment requirements for 23 of these priority occupations. Usually, Quebec employers would have to provide evidence that they had attempted to fill available positions with local talent through a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). However, the pandemic has forced the province to eliminate this recruitment requirement for the time being. As of June 10, Quebec had prioritized the following professions:

• Specialist physicians (NOC 3111)
• Registered nurses as well as registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012)
• General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112)
• Medical laboratory technicians as well as pathologists’ assistants (NOC 3212)
• Medical laboratory technologists (NOC 3211)
• Allied primary health practitioners (NOC 3124)
• Pharmacists (NOC 3131)
• Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists as well as cardiopulmonary technologists (NOC 3214)
• Other medical technologists and technicians (NOC 3219)
• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)
• Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233)
• Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (NOC 3237)
• Other assisting occupations in health services (NOC 3414)
• General Farm Workers (NOC 8431)
• Harvesting laborers (NOC 8611)
• Nursery and Greenhouse Workers (NOC 8432)
• Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers as well as related workers (NOC 9462)
• Light duty cleaners (NOC 6731)
• Farm supervisors, agricultural service contractors, and specialized livestock workers (NOC 8252)
• Meat cutters, Butchers, and fishmongers-retail and wholesale (NOC 6331)
• Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 9463)
• Laborers in fish and seafood processing (NOC 9618)
• Employees in food, beverage, and associated products processing (NOC 9617)
• Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)

All LMIA applications will have to be submitted directly to both Service Canada and MIFI.