Quebec signs deal to help hire and retain temporary foreign workers

Quebec signs agreement with Ottawa to implement measures to make it easier to hire temporary foreign workers in the province.

Quebec has reached an agreement with the Canadian federal government after months of negotiations. They will implement three (3) new measures to help employers and businesses who are facing labour shortages. Quebec has been facing labour shortages from before the pandemic and have worsened over time.

The three (3) new measures that will be introduced are listed below.

• to make the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) more flexible to facilitate hiring;
• to provide access to an open work permit for some Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders waiting for permanent residency in Quebec; and
• to issue a work permit to CSQ holders from abroad and who are awaiting permanent residence.

Currently, employers wanting to hire a foreign worker can do so at a rate of 10 per cent (10%) of their workforce. The new measure will now increase the rate to 20 per cent (20%). This will be applied to certain sectors of employment activity and will include certain low-skilled, high-demand occupations on the list of occupations eligible for facilitated processing.

Temporary foreign workers may now obtain a bridging open work permit to allow them to continue work while awaiting a decision on their application for permanent residence. However, workers who applied through Quebec will not qualify for this permit. This measure will begin on August 31, 2021. Workers who hold a CSQ in the skilled worker category and have a receipt confirming their application for permanent residence as been received, can benefit from an open work permit.

The work permit will last twenty-four (24) months and may be renewed for an additional twelve (12) months. The open work permits will only be permitted to use in Quebec.

A spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant can also obtain an open work permit through this new measure, regardless of the level of employment held by the principal applicant.

Quebec and the federal government have also agreed to implement a new pathway under the International Mobility Program (IMP). The new pathway will be called IMP+ which will see an annual issuance of 7,000 work permits exempt from Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to some CSQ holders overseas. This will allow applicants to accelerate their arrival to Quebec and help boost their economy.