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Facilitated Process in High Demand Occupations and Hiring Information Technology Specialists under Exemptions

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) have developed a facilitated process for information technology (IT) specialists in high demand occupations in cooperation with employers and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), formerly known as the Software Human Resource Council.

Under the facilitated process, employers wanting to hire foreign workers in any of the following occupations are deemed to have an implied Labour Market Opinion (LMO) (which is not subject to the six-month time validity that applies to other LMOs):

  • 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 

For employers hiring foreign IT specialists 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, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland.

Please note, employers hiring foreign workers in the above-listed IT occupations in Quebec will still be required to apply for a Certificate of Acceptance as required by the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles.

Learn more about the facilitated processing for IT specialists from CIC. 

Facilitated Process Ending

Please be advised that on September 30, 2010, the facilitated process for IT specialists will come to an end. This process applies for all positions in Canada, except in Quebec and British Columbia, where the facilitated process will remain in place for a limited time after September 30, 2010. Employers interested in hiring temporary foreign workers in one of the seven IT occupations, covered by the former facilitated process in British Columbia, will be required to advise Service Canada and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. For additional details, visit Temporary facilitated process for IT positions located in British Columbia.

Effective October 1, 2010, employers who wish to hire temporary foreign workers in positions, in provinces other than Quebec and British Columbia, who were previously eligible for the IT facilitated process, will be required to apply for an LMO, which will be valid to apply for a work permit for six months from the date of issuance.

Exemptions from the HRSDC process

In specific cases under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), employers in Canada can hire foreign workers without requiring an LMO. IRPA exemptions from the HRSDC/Service Canada LMO 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 American and Mexican citizens in the following occupations without needing an LMO:

  • 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.

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Date Modified:
2011-09-29