Operational Bulletin 650 – December 29, 2017
The Summary
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has committed to make things easier for people to get work permits with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption under Significant benefit i.e. exemption code C10. The authorities took this step primarily to meet the needs of the Quebec Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS). The authorities also took this step to address a shortage of French speaking physicians in the underserved regions of the country.
The Issue
The authorities only permit foreign physicians to apply for a work permit under the exemption code C10. It is worth mentioning that these physicians must have:
- Been selected for an assessment period or an adaptation period lasting 13 successive weeks in an accredited university clinical setting or any other clinical setting designated by the Collège des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) i.e. the college of physicians and surgeons of Quebec or,
- Foreign physicians will need to note that the stipulated duration of 13 weeks will need to include a week of observation as well
- Subsequently obtained a restrictive permit issued by the Collège des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) i.e. the college of physicians and surgeons of Quebec, which is valid for a maximum span of five years
It is worth highlighting that physicians with a regular permit to practise in Quebec are not eligible for the exemption. This is because they do not have the obligation needed for working in an underserved region.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) remains committed to expeditiously process applications made outside Canada as part of the Global Skills Strategy within two weeks. Thus, applicants will need to make their applications online in order to benefit from the two-week processing stipulation.
For renewal applications made within Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will permit applicants transitioning from the assessment period or adaptation period to the restrictive permit for submitting their work permit application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) before the end of the period. As such, these individuals would not need to provide confirmation of the restrictive period in order to avoid a stoppage of their temporary status.
It is worth mentioning that the applications will typically need to include all the other required documents, in addition to the fees. The documents that the authorities require applicants to submit along with the applications typically include:
- The promise to hire letter for the application for eligibility for a restrictive permit
- Financial assistance agreement i.e. the work contract from the Quebec Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS) outlining the significant benefit and,
- The offer of employment
For these exceptional cases, the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) will need to put applications on hold for a maximum of 60 days pending receipt of the confirmation of the restrictive permit. Once the authorities receive this document, the officers will process the application within 10 business days. It is worth mentioning that the officers will not approve renewal applications until they receive the confirmation of the restrictive permit.
The Prescribed Requirements
In order for the authorities to process the applications under the exemption code of C10, the applicants will typically need to provide:
- The complete application package
- The letter of promise to hire for the application for eligibility for a restrictive permit from the Quebec Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS) detailing the significant benefits
- The authorities will accept and use the same letter for the renewal
- A copy of the financial assistance agreement between the health care facility, the foreign physician and the Quebec Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS) i.e. the work contract
- A copy of the confirmation letter issued by the Collège des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) i.e. the college of physicians and surgeons of Quebec stating that the authorities have admitted the foreign physician to the assessment or adaptation period or a copy of the letter from the Collège des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) i.e. the college of physicians and surgeons of Quebec stating that the authorities have granted the foreign physician a restrictive permit
- The offer of employment completed by the Collège des Médecins du Québec (CMQ) i.e. the college of physicians and surgeons of Quebec submitted via the Employer Portal that covers the assessment or adaptation period or the offer of employment from the health care facility that covers the restrictive period
- It is worth highlighting that the offer of employment will clearly need to set out the period during which the applicant will be working for the health care facility
- The authorities usually permit health care facilities to offer a period of employment of up to five years
- A valid medical exam
- Payment in full, which the authorities require the applicant to submit at the beginning of the process
- In case applicants submit applications without making the complete payment, the officers will refuse and return the applications
In addition, it is worth mentioning that the authorities do not require the applicants to submit a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (QAC).
The authorities require applicants to make renewal applications in Canada. Thereafter, the applicants will need to submit the renewal applications in paper format to the following address:
The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V)
Expedited Work Permit Processing
6212 – 55th Avenue
Vegreville, Alberta
T9C 1W9
It is worth mentioning that the applicants will need to mark the envelopes with the phrase ‘Team Leader OSS’. Doing so would enable the officers to easily identify these applications from other correspondence typically received at the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V).
It is worth highlighting that unless the applicants follow the directions given here, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not be able to commit to processing these applications on an expedited basis. The authorities have placed the onus on the applicant to ensure that the applicants meets these (and other) applicable requirements prescribed perfectly.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)