In Quebec's temporary worker programs, everything starts with a job offer from a company established in Quebec; the Quebec and Canadian authorizations come next. From abroad, rely on the Quebec government's international recruitment activities, employers' own websites and Job Bank. Never pay for a promise of a job, and don't leave your current job before you have all your authorizations.
1. The right order: the job offer comes first
If you're aiming for a temporary job, Quebec is clear: you first need a job offer from a company established in Quebec. You and your future employer then take the steps to get the legal right to work. Until you have all your documents in hand, the government strongly advises against quitting your job, buying travel insurance or booking your plane tickets.
Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the employer must obtain an LMIA, and you must obtain two documents: a CAQ from the Quebec government and a work permit from the Government of Canada. Under the International Mobility Program, the employer doesn't need an LMIA: it submits its offer through the Employer Portal, and you add that offer's number to your work permit application. All the details, including open permits, are in our guide The work permit in Quebec.
2. Where to look from abroad
The Quebec government suggests several ways to find an employer from a distance. One detail matters a lot: except for the Journées Québec recruitment activities, you won't be able to register on Quebec's job-offer platforms, because the offers posted there aren't intended for foreign workers. Those platforms are still useful for spotting companies, to which you can then send an unsolicited application.
Journées Québec. These are the international recruitment activities of the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI), aimed at temporary foreign workers. According to their official page, they target Quebec's priority sectors: construction, education, early childhood, and health and social services. Only a limited number of activities is planned. When we checked, the page published neither a calendar nor a list of countries: check it regularly and, if your trade isn't in those sectors, rely mainly on the other channels.
Québec emploi. This is the Quebec government's free online job board. You can filter offers by region, type of job or field of study. Applying requires a Candidate profile, itself tied to a Service d'authentification gouvernementale account. But the immigration ministry specifies that these offers aren't aimed at foreign workers: use it as a directory of employers hiring in your field.
Job Bank. The Government of Canada's job site has a page for newcomers. With a free Plus account, you create a skills-based profile, build a résumé and can apply directly to postings. The Job Match service emails you new positions that match your profile. Be careful: Job Bank covers all of Canada, so check the work location of every posting.
Pre-arrival services. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers free online pre-arrival services, which include help with your job search and with recognition of foreign credentials. Not everyone is eligible: check your eligibility on IRCC's page.
The Employer Portal. If you have submitted a declaration of interest to immigrate to Quebec and agreed to take a temporary job there, your profile may appear in the searches Quebec employers run in their Employer Portal. For the declaration of interest itself, see our guide on the PSTQ.
Employers' websites. The immigration ministry also recommends checking Quebec companies' websites directly. That's also where you'll confirm that an offer you received by email really exists. Our guide Finding a job in Quebec covers the other platforms used locally.
3. Preparing an application that holds up
A Quebec employer expects a résumé built according to local practice, which often differs from your country's. Before you send anything, adapt yours with our guide Writing a Quebec-style résumé.
Your trade may be a regulated profession. If it is on the Ministry's list of regulated professions and you don't meet the access requirements set out in the National Occupational Classification, the CAQ requires either authorization to practise in Quebec, or full or partial recognition of your training by the regulatory authority, dated within the last 5 years. So start those steps before you even apply: our guide Recognizing your foreign diplomas in Quebec explains where to begin.
French matters for what comes next, too. Quebec requires spoken French at level 4 on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français for a CAQ requested under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program after 3 years of work stay in Quebec. A transitional measure provides that this verification will apply to temporary selection applications sent as of December 17, 2028, and some categories, including agricultural workers, are exempt. Start preparing now with our guide on French tests for immigration.
4. Spotting a fake job offer
People looking for work from abroad are a prime target for fraudsters. The Government of Canada puts it plainly: no one can guarantee you a job or a visa to Canada, and a salary that seems too good to be true should put you on alert.
The Quebec government describes the most common traps: fake job offers promising a quick work permit, fake websites imitating official portals, people who claim to be government agents and write from a Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo! address. Never send money to a personal bank account or through a private transfer service such as Western Union, Wise or PayPal, and never pay for a promise of a job.
Going through a recruitment agency? The immigration ministry asks you to check that it holds a recruitment agency licence, and that the offer exists on the employer's website. You don't have to pay recruitment fees: the employer may only ask you to cover the processing fee for your temporary selection application, the work permit fee and, depending on the program stream, part of the plane tickets. No agency may keep your passport, your other personal documents or your belongings.
To recognize the other scams targeting newcomers, see our guide Common scams in Quebec.
5. Your action list
Here are the concrete steps of your remote job search. Check each box as you go — your progress is saved if you're signed in.
Your action list
0 of 7 done
6. Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about job hunting from abroad: can you apply on Québec emploi, can an agency charge fees, do you need a work permit before searching, and do pre-arrival services cost anything.
Can I apply on Québec emploi from abroad?
Not as a foreign worker. The immigration ministry states that you can't register on these platforms, except for Journées Québec, because the posted offers aren't intended for foreign workers. You can still browse them to identify Quebec employers, then send those employers an unsolicited application.
An agency is asking me for recruitment fees. Is that normal?
No. According to the immigration ministry, you don't have to pay recruitment fees. The only costs the employer may ask you to cover are the processing fee for your temporary selection application, the work permit fee and, in some program streams, part of the plane tickets. If in doubt, contact the CNESST or the immigration ministry before paying anything.
Do I need a work permit before looking for a job?
Not in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program — it's the other way around. To get the CAQ, you must have signed a written employment contract with a Quebec employer whose job offer received an LMIA; only then do you apply for the work permit. Other situations exist, such as open work permits: our guide The work permit in Quebec covers them.
Do pre-arrival support services cost anything?
IRCC's online pre-arrival services are free, but not every future newcomer has access to them: check your eligibility on IRCC's page before counting on them. On the other hand, be wary of any private company that charges you for a job “guarantee”: the Quebec government calls these fake offers.
7. See also
These related guides may be useful:
- Preparing your departure for Quebec — the countdown of everything to settle before you leave.
- The work permit in Quebec — LMIA, CAQ, closed or open permits, and your rights once you're here.
- Recognizing your foreign diplomas in Quebec — to start before you apply if your trade is regulated.
- Writing a Quebec-style résumé — the format local employers expect to receive.
8. Official sources
For official, up-to-date information, see these sites:
Author's Note: Looking for a job in Quebec from abroad takes patience and method. The official channels are less flashy than the ads that promise everything within a few weeks, but they're the only ones that won't cost you anything but your time.
