The Quebec LMIA Application Process

On This Page, You Will Find:

• Who needs an LMIA in Quebec, and who is exempt
• The dual ESDC-MIFI review and the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ)
• The Montreal and Laval low-wage LMIA freeze, extended to 31 December 2026
• The federal 6%-unemployment refusal-to-process rule and how it can also apply in Montreal
• The facilitated LMIA process and Quebec’s prioritized occupations
• Wage thresholds, the low-wage cap, fees, and advertising requirements
• Quebec’s new French-language and employer francization rules (December 2025)
• Frequently asked questions

Quebec has its own rules for hiring temporary foreign workers. Employers usually need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and must send it to both the federal government and Quebec’s immigration ministry at the same time. Some workers who already have ties to Quebec can be hired without an LMIA. This guide explains who needs an LMIA, how the dual federal-provincial review works, the current freeze on low-wage hiring in Montreal and Laval, and the French-language rules that took effect in December 2025.

Who Needs an LMIA to Hire in Quebec

Most employers hiring a foreign national to work in Quebec must first obtain a positive LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC/Service Canada). An LMIA confirms that hiring a temporary foreign worker will have a neutral or positive effect on the local labour market and that no qualified Canadian or permanent resident was available for the job.

What makes Quebec different from every other province is that the LMIA is not the only approval an employer needs. Quebec also assesses and confirms the hire through its own ministry, and the worker needs a separate Quebec document before applying for a federal work permit.

The Dual Federal-Provincial Process: ESDC and MIFI

Quebec is the only province with a fully dual LMIA process. For any job located in Quebec that will last more than 30 consecutive days, the employer must submit the LMIA application to Service Canada and, at the same time, to Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).

• Everything filed with MIFI must be in French. Select French in LMIA Online before starting the application so the printed version is in French.
• Failing to file simultaneously with both ESDC and MIFI can delay or jeopardize processing.
• If both ESDC and MIFI approve, the employer receives a joint confirmation, and the worker receives a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), sometimes called the Certificat d’acceptation du Québec.
• The worker then applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a work permit using the ESDC confirmation letter and the CAQ.

Employers can also apply for unnamed LMIAs through MIFI’s ARRIMA platform in most cases. Service Canada assesses the unnamed application and, if requirements are met, issues an unnamed LMIA that the employer can later match to a specific candidate.

Temporary Refusal to Process Low-Wage LMIAs in Montreal and Laval

This is the single most important update for Quebec employers in 2026. The Government of Canada, at Quebec’s request, is not processing certain low-wage LMIA applications for jobs located in the economic regions of Montreal (island of Montreal) and Laval. This suspension has been extended until 31 December 2026.

The freeze applies to LMIA applications for positions:

• with a wage below Quebec’s hourly wage threshold (the low-wage stream), and
• with a work location in the economic region of Montreal or Laval.

It covers new low-wage LMIA applications, applications submitted under the facilitated process, and the renewal of work permits for temporary foreign workers already working in these regions. Applications that fall within the suspension will not be processed, and the employer will not be charged the LMIA processing fee.

Several sectors and occupations are excluded from the Montreal/Laval suspension and remain eligible for processing, including crop production, animal production and aquaculture, construction, food and beverage manufacturing, elementary and secondary schools, and health care and social assistance (including child daycare as of January 9, 2026), plus specific in-home caregiver occupations. Employers should confirm current exemptions on the Government of Quebec and canada.ca pages before filing.

If the Montreal census metropolitan area’s unemployment rate is 6% or higher at the time of filing, the separate federal 6%-unemployment refusal rule (below) can apply on top of the Montreal/Laval measure.

Refusal to Process Low-Wage LMIAs Where Unemployment Is 6% or Higher

Since 26 September 2024, Service Canada will not process an LMIA application for a low-wage position if the work location is in a census metropolitan area (CMA) where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher at the time of submission. This rule applies nationally, not just in Quebec, but it regularly affects the Montreal CMA.

Exemptions to this 6% rule include primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, specific in-home caregiver occupations, positions supporting a permanent residence application only, and genuinely short-duration positions of 120 days or less. Unemployment rates by CMA are published by Employment and Social Development Canada and updated roughly every three months, so employers should check the current rate for Montreal before submitting.

Exemptions From the LMIA Requirement in Quebec

Quebec allows certain foreign workers with existing provincial ties to be hired without a new LMIA. To qualify, the worker generally must:

• hold a valid work permit,
• hold a Quebec Skilled Worker Certificate of Selection (CSQ),
• reside in Quebec, and
• have applied for permanent residence under the Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program,

and fall into one of these situations: extending a work permit with the same Quebec employer, renewing work authorization with a new Quebec employer, holding a post-graduation work permit with a Quebec job offer, or participating in International Experience Canada and extending or renewing in Quebec. Other federal LMIA or work-permit exemptions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act may also apply. If none of these apply, the employer must use the regular or facilitated LMIA process.

The Facilitated LMIA Process in Quebec

ESDC and MIFI operate a facilitated LMIA process for a list of specialized, in-demand occupations. Quebec updates the list of eligible occupations annually, most recently on 24 February 2026 (published, in French, on the MIFI website), with a 30-day transition period each year for employers moving between lists.

• Employers do not need to provide proof of recruitment, but must still make best efforts to hire Canadians and permanent residents first.
• Employers must still apply under the high-wage or low-wage stream based on the wage offered, and low-wage facilitated applications remain subject to the low-wage cap.
• Maximum employment duration is up to 3 years under the facilitated process (up to 1 year for low-wage positions), extendable in exceptional, well-justified cases.
• A transition plan is required for high-wage facilitated applications from the second application onward for the same occupation at the same work location; the first application is exempt.
• The Montreal/Laval suspension and the 6%-unemployment refusal rule both override the facilitated list where they apply.

Quebec’s Prioritized Occupations

Canada and Quebec currently prioritize LMIA processing for a defined list of occupations facing labour shortages, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nursing support roles, several education occupations, food processing and meat-cutting roles, and select agricultural occupations. The prioritized-occupations list is separate from, and subordinate to, the refusal-to-process rules above: if a position is caught by the Montreal/Laval suspension or the 6%-unemployment rule, that refusal applies regardless of whether the occupation is prioritized. Employers should confirm the current NOC codes on the canada.ca Quebec hiring page before applying.

Wage Thresholds, the Low-Wage Cap, and Fees

Quebec’s hourly wage threshold, which determines whether a job is “high-wage” or “low-wage” for LMIA purposes, is $36.00 per hour for applications received as of 17 July 2026 (it was $34.62 from June 2025). The threshold is reviewed periodically and employers should check the current figure before filing.

• Employers generally cannot have more than 10% of their workforce at a given location in low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers; a 20% cap applies to construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, and nursing/residential care facilities, plus specific in-home caregiver occupations.
• As of 1 April 2026, eligible Quebec employers may retain their existing proportion of low-wage positions even if it is above the cap, under a temporary federal measure for participating provinces; check current eligibility before relying on this.
• The LMIA processing fee is $1,000 per position, payable by the employer only (it cannot be charged to the worker) and is non-refundable even if the LMIA is withdrawn or refused.
• Low-wage applications require minimum advertising of at least 8 consecutive weeks within the 3 months before applying; high-wage applications require at least 4 consecutive weeks. All employers must advertise on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank (or provide a written rationale for an alternative).
• The temporary suspension of minimum advertising for primary agriculture LMIAs, which ran from January 2022, ended on 31 December 2025; agricultural employers now need to meet the normal advertising requirements again.

Quebec’s New French-Language and Francization Rules (December 2025)

Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration published a regulation in the Gazette officielle du Québec that took effect on 17 December 2025, adding two significant obligations for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program:

• Worker French requirement: temporary foreign workers who have accumulated three years or more of work permits in Quebec must demonstrate oral French at Level 4 of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français when applying for a new CAQ. Agricultural workers, and staff of foreign government or recognized international organization offices, are exempt. A three-year transition period applies, so verification for CAQ applications will begin on 17 December 2028.
• Employer francization obligation: when submitting an LMIA (EIMT) request to MIFI, employers must commit to informing the temporary foreign workers they hire about available francization services. In addition, Quebec enterprises with 25 or more employees that are not in compliance with the francization process required under the Charter of the French Language will have their LMIA and Quebec Skilled Worker Program job-offer validation applications refused; agricultural enterprises are exempt from this compliance rule.

Steps for Employers

1. Determine whether the job is high-wage or low-wage by comparing the offered wage to Quebec’s current hourly wage threshold.
2. Check whether the work location and occupation are affected by the Montreal/Laval suspension or the 6%-unemployment refusal rule.
3. Advertise the position for the required minimum period, then complete the LMIA application in LMIA Online, selecting French if filing with MIFI.
4. Submit the application to Service Canada and, simultaneously (if the job is longer than 30 days), to MIFI in French, along with the francization commitment.
5. Once approved, provide the worker with the confirmation letter and CAQ so they can apply to IRCC for a work permit.

An LMIA can be revoked before the work permit is issued if the application contained false or misleading information, if new facts would have changed the original assessment, or if the decision was based on a material mistake of fact.

Steps for Foreign Workers

• If an LMIA is required, wait for the employer’s ESDC and MIFI approvals and the CAQ before applying to IRCC for a work permit.
• If exempt from the LMIA under Quebec’s provisions, confirm the CSQ, residence, and pending permanent residence application conditions are met, then apply to IRCC with supporting evidence.
• Meet IRCC’s biometrics, medical, and admissibility requirements, and be prepared to show the required level of French once the December 2025 rules begin to apply to your file.

Frequently Asked Questions