Knowing the requirements for hiring temporary foreign workers

There are certain requirements for hiring a temporary foreign worker. Make sure you meet them before starting the procedure.

Requirements related to the temporary worker
Requirements related to the employer

Requirements related to the temporary worker

To be authorized to work in Québec as a temporary worker, a person must:

• have an offer of employment from an employer approved by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC)
• agree to hold the position for the period stipulated
• have the skills required to hold the position
• if required, have certification or a license to practise a profession from the appropriate regulatory body. When employment is temporary in nature, some professional orders or associations issue a temporary or restrictive permit that sets out the duration and specifics for the practise of the profession.

	USEFUL INFORMATION
	When submitting their Application for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for Temporary Work, workers must attach a curriculum vitae and demonstrate that they have the qualifications to meet the requirements for the position offered.

Useful links

• Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ)
• Ambassade du Canada en France
• Communauté française de Belgique
• Bureau international Jeunesse

Requirements related to the employer

To be authorized to hire a foreign worker by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC), employers must:

• be able to prove that they made or accepted to make reasonable efforts to hire or train local residents to fill the position.. To demonstrate such reasonable efforts, they must, therefore, have used the usual recruitment channels (i.e., the print and electronic media, etc.). In some cases, when local labour shortages have already been established by both governments, employers are not required to provide proofs to that effect
• offer the foreign worker competitive and equivalent working conditions to those offered for a similar position in the same sector. More specifically, the employer must provide a job description that corresponds to the position offered, and reflects the job requirements (schooling, years of experience, membership in a professional order or association, if applicable) and the working conditions of employees who already hold positions in this field
• offer a job that respects legal and regulatory obligations - absence of labour disputes, written agreement by the union, if applicable, a valid license to practise, if required, etc.

Other factors will also be considered in evaluating the offer of employment especially when the hiring a foreign worker is likely to:

• create or maintain jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• develop or transfer skills or knowledge for the benefit of Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• curtail a labour shortage in the profession or trade in question.
  

Hiring a low-skilled worker

If employers wish to hire a low-skilled worker (Skill Level C or D under the National Occupational Classification), in a sector other than the agricultural sector, they must:

• be able to prove that they made or accepted to make reasonable efforts to hire or train the local labour force to fill the job. To demonstrate such reasonable efforts, they must, therefore, have used the usual recruitment channels (i.e., the print and electronic media, etc.)
• cover all recruitment costs related to the hiring of the foreign worker
• pay in full the foreign worker’s roundtrip airfare
• sign an employer-employee contract (PDF, 83 Kb) outlining wages and duties, among other things
• help the worker find suitable, affordable housing
• provide medical coverage until the worker is eligible for provincial health insurance coverage by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec
• register the worker with the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.