Facilitated Process in High Demand Occupations and Hiring IT Specialists under Exemptions

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HRSDC and CIC have developed a facilitated processing for IT specialists in high demand occupations in cooperation with employers and the Software Human Resources Council (SHRC).

Under the facilitated processing, HRSDC has issued national confirmations for the following occupations:

• Senior animation effects editors
• Embedded systems software designers
• MIS software designers
• Multimedia software developers
• Software developers - services
• Software products developers
• Telecommunications software designers

  Find full job descriptions at www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/itw-jobs.html .

If you are hiring foreign workers in the occupations above, the foreign IT specialists may apply directly for a work permit at a CIC Mission abroad or at a Port of Entry in the case of citizens of contiguous states including the United States, St. Pierre et Miquelon, and Greenland

If you are hiring Foreign Workers in the listed IT occupations in the province of Quebec, please note that although you will not need an individual HRSDC confirmation, you will need to apply for an MRCI Certificate of Acceptance as outlined in the Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et Immigration (MRCI).

• Learn more about the facilitated processing for IT specialists from Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) or from the Software Human Resource Council (SHRC) .

Exemptions from the HRSDC process

In specific cases under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, employers in Canada can hire foreign workers without requiring an HRSDC job offer confirmation. IRPA exemptions from the HRSDC confirmation requirements are intended to facilitate the entry of foreign workers to support broad economic and trade objectives in Canada.

In the case of IT specialists, you should be aware that under the North American Free Trade Agreement, Canadian employers may hire US and Mexican citizens in the following occupations without needing an HRSDC confirmation:

• Computer Systems Analysts with a Bachelor's degree, or a post-secondary degree, or a post-secondary diploma and three years work experience
• Engineers with a Bachelor's degree or state/provincial license
• Graphic Designers with a Bachelor's degree, or a post-secondary diploma, or a post-secondary certificate and three years work

Foreign Workers that meet the conditions above may apply for a CIC work permit  directly at a CIC Mission abroad , or at a Port of Entry.