Canada: New Work Permit Option for Quebec-selected Permanent Residence Applicants

• Eligibility. To be eligible for a Quebec work permit through the IMP+, foreign nationals must be:
  • living outside Quebec at the time they submit the application;
  • hold a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) showing they have been selected for permanent residence through the Regular Skilled Worker Program or the permanent immigration pilot program for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies and visual effects sector; and
  • have received a letter of invitation from the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI).
• Application process. Eligible foreign nationals must submit an IMP+ application for a work permit to MIFI, including paying applicable fees of approximately CAD 255.
• Validity and scope of work permit. If approved, foreign nationals receive a three-year work permit which grants authorization to work for any employer in Quebec.
• Caps. The IMP+ program will be subject to an application intake cap of 14,700 in 2022 and 7,350 per year starting in 2023. Once the cap is reached, applicants will need to remain outside Quebec until their permanent residence application is approved before moving to and beginning working in Quebec.
• Previous rule. Quebec-selected candidates who were outside Quebec had to wait until their permanent residence application was approved before they could move to and begin working in Quebec.

Applicants who have been selected for permanent residence by Quebec but who currently reside elsewhere will be able to move to and begin working in the province sooner, helping employers in the province fill labor shortages in the short-term.

• Quebec permanent residence applicants. Foreign nationals applying for permanent residence in Quebec first apply for a CSQ from MIFI. CSQs state that the foreign national has been selected to settle in Quebec and allows the foreign national to apply to the federal immigration authorities for permanent residence. The end-to-end process takes approximately two years until the foreign national is granted permanent residence.
• Other interim work permit options. Quebec-selected permanent residence applicants have been eligible for an interim work permit valid for two years, provided they were already in Quebec and hold a CSQ, among other criteria. This option was not previously available to applicants outside Quebec.
• Reason for the change. The initiative is aimed at addressing labor shortages in the Quebec region by encouraging immigration by foreign nationals whose training and work experience will help fulfill labor market needs in Quebec and continuing to promote Canada as a top destination for global talent.
• Economic recovery. As Canada seeks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has encouraged addressing labor shortages and talent attraction through immigration as a central part of Canada’s economic recovery. This initiative follows several other initiatives implemented in 2022 by the government of Canada with the same aim, including work permit extensions for certain graduate students and permanent residence applicants; improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP); improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Quebec Pilot Program which now includes intermediate-skilled workers; and new immigration streams for rural communities and expedited immigration pathways for tech professionals in Alberta.

The new work permit option shows Canada’s continued prioritization in addressing labor market challenges faced by employers in the country. Additional measures and improvements are expected to expand immigration in the country as a source of economic recovery.