LMIA in Québec: hire a foreign worker without losing months.

Want to hire someone who isn't authorized to work for your business in Canada? Depending on the position, the wage, the work location and the candidate's situation, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) may be needed before they can apply for a work permit. In Québec, the process is coordinated with Québec's immigration ministry (MIFI).

Visa Canada Rouge, an immigration consulting firm in Montréal, helps employers analyze the position, choose the stream and prepare the steps for the LMIA, the Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for work and the work permit, before the job is posted or the hire confirmed.

What is an LMIA?

The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is the document through which an employer shows that it needs to hire a temporary foreign worker. The assessment looks at the business's needs and the possible effects of the hire on the labour market. A positive LMIA then allows the worker to apply for an employer-specific work permit; it isn't the permit itself, and on its own it doesn't decide whether the worker is eligible.

Many jobs require an LMIA, but some permit categories are exempt: the actual duties, the work location, the candidate's status and the permit category all need to be examined before choosing. Our page for employers presents the main hiring routes.

In Québec: two applications, at the same time

For a position located in Québec lasting more than 30 consecutive days, the employer must submit its application simultaneously to Service Canada and to the MIFI. Documents must be in French; plan for preparing or translating them.

The worker must also obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ): the employer submits the worker's application for temporary selection at the same time as the LMIA application. A CAQ isn't required, for example, for work of 30 days or less, or when a joint LMIA isn't required. Once the LMIA is positive and the CAQ issued, the worker applies for a work permit with the federal government.

The CAQ and the LMIA are two separate steps, even though they're coordinated: the CAQ is Québec's temporary selection, the LMIA is the assessment of the labour need. From December 17, 2028, a worker who applies for a CAQ after three years of work in Québec will have to show level 4 spoken French, with exceptions, including agricultural workers.

High-wage or low-wage position?

The pathway depends on the wage offered. The threshold is the provincial median hourly wage plus 20%. Above the threshold, the application falls under the high-wage stream; below it, under the low-wage stream, which has more restrictions, including a cap on the proportion of low-wage foreign workers in the business. Thresholds are updated every year; in Québec, the wage offered must also meet the prevailing wage published by the MIFI. See ESDC's page on high-wage and low-wage positions.

• High-wage: requirements of its own, including a transition plan describing how the employer will reduce its reliance on temporary foreign workers.
• Low-wage: the proportion cap, rules on employment conditions and support for the worker, and the geographic restrictions below.

Placing the position in the wrong stream leads to recruitment and documents prepared the wrong way. The information must match across the job offer, the LMIA application and the CAQ documents.

Montréal and Laval: some low-wage positions on hold

Since September 26, 2024, the federal government has also refused to process applications for low-wage positions in census metropolitan areas where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. A sector exemption doesn't automatically cover every employer in that sector: it depends on the position. Before recruiting for a low-wage position, check the region, the wage, the sector and the occupation at the time of filing. See ESDC's page on refusal to process an LMIA application.

The facilitated process, a real Québec advantage

Québec and the federal government have agreed on a facilitated process for skilled occupations on a list. For these positions, the employer doesn't have to provide proof of recruitment efforts, although it must still make reasonable efforts to recruit locally before offering the job to a foreign worker.

The list is updated every year; the most recent update was on February 24, 2026, with a 30-day transition period for employers. An occupation that appeared on an older list shouldn't be assumed eligible: compare the actual duties of the position with the listed occupation.

ESDC also sets out how this process works in practice: the work period is generally up to 3 years (longer in exceptional cases), but a low-wage application can request at most 1 year. No transition plan is needed for the first application for a given occupation and location; one is required from the second application on. And LMIA processing fees are not refunded if the application is refused. The facilitated process isn't an exemption: the LMIA application is still required. See ESDC's page on the facilitated LMIA process.

Recruitment, obligations and compliance

Outside the facilitated process, the employer must be able to explain its recruitment efforts: advertisements posted, dates, methods, applications received and the reasons candidates weren't hired. The exact requirements vary by stream.

After the hire, responsibilities continue:

• meet the conditions stated in the application and the offer: duties, location, wage, hours;
• comply with employment standards and health and safety rules;
• keep the required records and track permit expiry dates;
• cooperate with any verification or inspection;
• check before any significant change to the position, wage or location: a new application may be needed.

See ESDC's page on employer compliance.

LMIA exemptions: check before you file

Some permits are issued without an LMIA, through the International Mobility Program: certain intra-company transfers, international agreements, situations of significant benefit. Francophone Mobility is one possible exemption, but not for a job located in Québec. An exemption doesn't mean "no paperwork": the employer submits an offer through the Employer Portal and, in most cases, pays a $230 compliance fee; the worker, for their part, doesn't need a CAQ, according to IRCC.

See IRCC's page on who needs an LMIA and our article LMIA or LMIA-exempt.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Posting the job before checking the restrictions. A low-wage position in Montréal or Laval may be affected by the pause.
• Confusing the facilitated process with an LMIA exemption. The facilitated process lightens the application; it doesn't remove it.
• Choosing the stream from the job title. The wage threshold, the location and the actual pay are looked at together.
• Leaving contradictory information. Duties, wage, hours and location must match everywhere.
• Not keeping evidence of recruitment and compliance.
• Thinking an LMIA authorizes work. The candidate must get their permit before starting.

What we do for you

1. Assess the position: duties, location, duration, wage and the candidate's situation.
2. Determine the route: high- or low-wage, the Montréal and Laval restrictions, the facilitated process, or an LMIA exemption.
3. Prepare both applications, in French, and coordinate the CAQ.
4. Prepare the candidate's next step: the work permit application.
5. Put compliance in place after the hire: conditions, records, deadlines.

To go further, read hiring in Québec: LMIA, CAQ and work permit, what to check in a Québec job offer and the employer-specific permit, or see our work permit page.

Frequently asked questions from employers

My business is in Montréal. Can I still hire a foreign worker?

Yes, in several cases: high-wage positions, exempt sectors, or LMIA-exempt pathways. The current restrictions target certain low-wage positions. It all depends on the wage offered, the sector and the occupation.

Does the facilitated process exempt me from the LMIA?

No. It simplifies the LMIA application, notably by exempting you from proof of recruitment efforts, but the LMIA is still required.

Do I need to apply for a CAQ for the worker?

Yes, with a joint LMIA: you submit the worker's temporary selection application at the same time as the LMIA. It isn't required, for example, for work of 30 days or less, or for a hire through the International Mobility Program.

Does an LMIA lead to permanent residence?

Not directly. A positive LMIA lets the worker apply for a temporary work permit. Permanent residence is a separate process; in Québec it usually means being selected by Québec, for example through the PSTQ, then applying to the federal government.

Does the worker have to speak French?

The documents in the application sent to the MIFI must be in French. The language level to ask for in the job itself is something to review with us before you post the offer. From December 17, 2028, renewing the CAQ after three years of work will require level 4 spoken French, with exceptions.

Are fees refunded if the LMIA is refused?

No, LMIA processing fees are not refunded if the application is refused. That's why it pays to check the stream, the region and the occupation before filing.

Official sources: Employment and Social Development Canada, "Hiring temporary foreign workers in the province of Quebec" and "Facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment process" (canada.ca, modified July 24, 2026), "Hire a temporary foreign worker in a high-wage or low-wage position", "Refusal to process a Labour Market Impact Assessment application" and "Employer compliance"; IRCC, "Who needs a labour market impact assessment"; Government of Québec, "Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires" (in French, updated December 17, 2025). Accessed September 14 and October 11, 2026.