Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a time-limited public policy that lets foreign workers who are waiting for their Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) apply for a new employer-specific, Labour-Market-Impact-Assessment-exempt (LMIA-exempt) work permit without leaving the country. The measure, in force since 13 March 2026 and officially published on 27 April 2026, targets three groups: 1) holders of closed Quebec work permits that will expire on or before 31 December 2026; 2) applicants who applied to extend a closed work permit before it expired and are on maintained status; and 3) people whose employer-specific permits expired between 13 March and 31 December 2026 but who have already applied to restore status. Applicants must show proof that they have been invited to apply for permanent residence under the province’s Skilled Worker Selection Program (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, PSTQ) and have submitted their Demande de sélection permanente. Under the policy, officers may issue a new LMIA-exempt permit valid for up to three years or until the passport’s expiry. IRCC has also waived the usual International Mobility Program job-category requirement and is relaxing restoration rules that would normally bar candidates who had worked without authorisation.
![Canada grants streamlined work permits for Quebec CSQ applicants]()
If you need practical help assembling documents or understanding which forms to file, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers personalised checklists and real-time status tracking that can simplify every step—from work-permit renewals to future permanent-residence submissions—saving both applicants and their employers valuable time.
Quebec’s labour market has struggled to retain intermediate-skilled and skilled foreign workers while they wait—often more than a year—for a CSQ. Allowing candidates to remain with the same employer during processing is designed to help businesses fill vacancies quickly, reduce administrative costs linked to repeated LMIA applications and curb out-migration to other provinces. For employers, the change offers a predictable bridge until the province finalises broader reforms to the PSTQ points grid later this year. For workers, it provides status security and time to prepare their federal permanent-residence submission once the CSQ is issued. IRCC can revoke the policy at any time, but it is currently scheduled to end on 31 December 2026.
If you need practical help assembling documents or understanding which forms to file, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers personalised checklists and real-time status tracking that can simplify every step—from work-permit renewals to future permanent-residence submissions—saving both applicants and their employers valuable time.
Quebec’s labour market has struggled to retain intermediate-skilled and skilled foreign workers while they wait—often more than a year—for a CSQ. Allowing candidates to remain with the same employer during processing is designed to help businesses fill vacancies quickly, reduce administrative costs linked to repeated LMIA applications and curb out-migration to other provinces. For employers, the change offers a predictable bridge until the province finalises broader reforms to the PSTQ points grid later this year. For workers, it provides status security and time to prepare their federal permanent-residence submission once the CSQ is issued. IRCC can revoke the policy at any time, but it is currently scheduled to end on 31 December 2026.
