Temporary Workers

If you are offered temporary work by a an employer in Quebec, there is an official procedure to follow. Most of the responsibility lies with the employer, but the employee will also have to fulfil certain requirements.

Procedures

If an employer wishes to take on a foreign worker, s/he must first be authorised to do so by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (RHDSC - Ressources humaines et Développement social Canada) and the Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities (MICC - Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles) in Quebec. The procedure can vary according to profession/trade (film and IT industries, nurses, doctors, clinical workers, speech therapists, research fellows, optics-phonotics workers, seasonal agricultural workers, low-skilled workers, live-in carers) involved, but the following general procedure can be applied in most cases.

General procedure

The employer will have to complete an RHSDC (Ressources humaines et Développement social Canada) Foreign Worker Application form and send it to the RHSDC Foreign Worker office, accompanied by the necessary supporting documents.

S/he will also have to send a CAQ (Quebec Acceptance Certificate for temporary workers - certificat d'acception pour travail temporaire) application, filled out by the potential employee, to the MICC (Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles).

On receipt of the CAQ, the foreign worker must make an application for a work permit with the Canadian embassy or visa office serving his or her country.

The work permit will be given to the foreign worker at the point of entry into Canada upon presentation of the letter of authorization issued by the Canadian embassy or visa office.

If the foreign worker is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, s/he can apply for a work permit upon arrival in Canada.

Temporary residence visa

If the worker is not a citizen of one of the following countreis, s/he will also require a temporary residence visa:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Ireland, Israel (blue passports), Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (and dependent territories), United States.

Requirements: worker

An applicant for the temporary worker category must:

• be in possession of a job offer issued by an employer approved by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (RHDSC - Ressources humaines et Développement social Canada) and the Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities (MICC - Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles) in Quebec

• have the skills required for the job

• have, where necessary, a certificate or permit supplied by the relevant regulatory body, authorising him or her to practice his/her profession in Quebec

For further information see the section for employers.