Quebec’s Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, is demanding that the federal government automatically extend the work permits of every temporary foreign worker selected by Quebec, warning that current federal rules risk “expelling the very people the province has chosen.” In an interview with Radio-Canada published March 30, the minister said a one-year grace period Ottawa granted on March 13 applies only to closed-permit holders invited to apply for permanent residence under Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program—and leaves open-permit holders and accompanying family members unprotected.
![Quebec Immigration Minister Presses Ottawa to Renew All Provincial Nominees’ Work Permits]()
For individuals and HR teams navigating these fluctuating immigration requirements, VisaHQ can provide step-by-step support. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time updates, document checklists and deadline reminders, helping both employers and foreign workers stay compliant while policymakers debate the finer points of permit extensions.
The clash underscores long-running friction between Quebec City and Ottawa over who controls the tempo of economic immigration. Since the province replaced the popular Quebec Experience Program in 2025 with a more selective points-based system, thousands of workers have faced longer waits for certificates of selection (CSQs) and, consequently, tighter federal permit-expiry windows. Employers in manufacturing, health care and agri-food—sectors already contending with vacancy rates above 5 percent—say uncertainty over permit renewals complicates shift planning and undermines retention bonuses designed to keep crucial staff in remote regions. Municipalities and the Conseil du patronat du Québec have joined the minister’s call, arguing that labour-short regions cannot afford to lose vetted workers over administrative timelines. Ottawa, for its part, maintains that caps on the non-permanent resident population are needed to meet the national target of bringing the temporary-resident share below five percent by 2027. Federal officials say the March 13 measures strike a balance between economic needs and demographic pressures. For global-mobility teams moving employees into Quebec, the standoff raises strategic questions: should companies steer new hires toward employer-specific LMIA pathways (which are covered by Ottawa’s extension) or continue using open permits such as IEC and spousal work permits? Until policy clarity emerges, practitioners are advising employers to file bridging-open-work-permit applications at the earliest eligibility point and to keep proof of provincial selection letters on hand for any CBSA re-entry queries.
For individuals and HR teams navigating these fluctuating immigration requirements, VisaHQ can provide step-by-step support. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time updates, document checklists and deadline reminders, helping both employers and foreign workers stay compliant while policymakers debate the finer points of permit extensions.
The clash underscores long-running friction between Quebec City and Ottawa over who controls the tempo of economic immigration. Since the province replaced the popular Quebec Experience Program in 2025 with a more selective points-based system, thousands of workers have faced longer waits for certificates of selection (CSQs) and, consequently, tighter federal permit-expiry windows. Employers in manufacturing, health care and agri-food—sectors already contending with vacancy rates above 5 percent—say uncertainty over permit renewals complicates shift planning and undermines retention bonuses designed to keep crucial staff in remote regions. Municipalities and the Conseil du patronat du Québec have joined the minister’s call, arguing that labour-short regions cannot afford to lose vetted workers over administrative timelines. Ottawa, for its part, maintains that caps on the non-permanent resident population are needed to meet the national target of bringing the temporary-resident share below five percent by 2027. Federal officials say the March 13 measures strike a balance between economic needs and demographic pressures. For global-mobility teams moving employees into Quebec, the standoff raises strategic questions: should companies steer new hires toward employer-specific LMIA pathways (which are covered by Ottawa’s extension) or continue using open permits such as IEC and spousal work permits? Until policy clarity emerges, practitioners are advising employers to file bridging-open-work-permit applications at the earliest eligibility point and to keep proof of provincial selection letters on hand for any CBSA re-entry queries.
