Starting September 3rd, Quebec will suspend the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in Montréal for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD, the median hourly wage in the province. This measure, approved by the Canadian federal government, is expected to last for six months.
Quebec Premier François Legault and Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette announced the suspension this morning. The goal is to manage the number of temporary residents in the province and protect the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
(Note: Temporary residents are individuals living in Canada temporarily on a work permit, study permit, or visitor visa/eTA.)
These changes do not apply to:
- Jobs located outside the economic region of Montréal.
- Jobs offering wages equal to or above Quebec’s current median wage of $27.47 CAD.
- LMIA applications submitted before September 3, 2024.
- Employers in certain industry sectors, as defined by the North American Industry Classification (NAICS), including:
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Food processing
- Education
- Health and social services
*The administrative region of Montréal encompasses the following municipalities:
- Baie-d’Urfé
- Beaconsfield
- Côte-Saint-Luc
- Dollard-des-Ormeaux
- Dorval
- Hampstead
- Kirkland
- L’Île-Dorval
- Montréal
- Montréal East
- Montréal West
- Mount Royal
- Pointe-Claire
- Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
- Senneville
- Westmount
The federal government has stated that it will closely monitor this policy as it continues to make decisions regarding the future of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Growing scrutiny of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is Canada’s federal initiative allowing employers to hire foreign workers to address critical labor shortages that cannot be resolved domestically. To hire through this program, employers must support the process with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
The program has recently come under scrutiny following statements from Canada’s Employment and Immigration Ministers.
On August 6th, Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, introduced a series of new measures aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the TFWP, with a particular focus on the program’s low-wage stream.
Boissonnault has previously warned of the risk that employers could become reliant on cheap foreign labor, stressing that the TFWP is not intended to bypass the hiring of Canadian workers in industries where they are available. He also highlighted concerns that the low-wage stream of the TFWP might be used to artificially suppress wages in Canada and mentioned that the ministry might consider halting the processing of LMIA applications under this stream.
These concerns were echoed by Immigration Minister Marc Miller in recent comments to Reuters.
Part of a wider suite of measures
These changes to the TFWP coincide with Canada’s broader reassessment of temporary immigration levels. In March, Minister Marc Miller announced the inclusion of temporary resident levels in Canada’s annual immigration plan.
To support this shift, IRCC has introduced a temporary two-year cap on certain international students, limiting the issuance of study permits through a new Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) system.
Additionally, Miller has expressed plans to introduce new regulations for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) and to conduct more “domestic draws” aimed at granting permanent residence (PR) to temporary residents already in Canada.
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