Effective September 3, 2024, Quebec will temporarily halt the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for low-wage positions in Montreal, where the hourly wage is below the provincial median of $27.47 CAD. This six-month suspension, approved by the federal government, is part of an effort to manage temporary resident levels and uphold the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Premier François Legault and Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette made the announcement, outlining the goal to address concerns about the influx of temporary residents in the region. This suspension affects job offers in the Montreal area, though several exceptions exist, including jobs located outside the Montreal economic region, those offering wages above the median, and applications submitted before the September 3 deadline.
Employers in specific industries—such as agriculture, construction, food processing, education, and health and social services—are also exempt from this policy. Municipalities within the administrative region of Montreal, such as Westmount, Pointe-Claire, and Côte-Saint-Luc, fall under the affected areas.
This move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the TFWP, particularly its low-wage stream. Canada’s Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault previously voiced concerns about the potential for employers to rely excessively on low-cost foreign labor, and suggested the TFWP should not be used as a means to avoid hiring domestic workers.
In addition to the LMIA suspension, the Canadian government is introducing new measures to control temporary immigration, including caps on international student permits and proposed changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit regulations.
The federal government has confirmed it will closely monitor the situation and continue making decisions regarding the future of the TFWP as part of broader efforts to balance temporary and permanent immigration levels in Canada.