Public Policy to facilitate work permits for prospective permanent residence applicants in Quebec

This temporary public policy is intended to help Quebec achieve its goal of transitioning a greater proportion of eligible temporary residents to permanent residency under its provincial program. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is proposing to facilitate access to employer-specific work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP) for select temporary foreign workers pursuant to this temporary public policy. As of June 5, 2026, the public policy also facilitates access to open work permits for spouses and common-law partners of eligible workers. Applications under this public policy have a 30-day processing standard. Applicants have until December 31, 2026, to submit their applications.

Applications made under this public policy cannot be made on entry. Therefore, these instructions do not apply to officers employed by the Canada Border Services Agency. Work permit applications must be submitted online.

The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with

• Employer-specific work permits – General processing – International Mobility Program
• Assessing the genuineness of the offer of employment on a work permit application – R200(5)
• Conditions and validity period on work permits
• Public list of Employers who have been non-compliant

On this page

• Eligibility
  • Spouses or common-law partners (cohort 4)
• Documentary evidence
  • Principal applicants
  • Spouses or common-law partners
• Application assessment - Principal applicants only
  • Offer of employment submitted through the Employer Portal
  • Employer compliance fee
• Final decision
  • Approval
  • Refusal
• Related information

Eligibility

As per section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, under this temporary public policy, the principal applicant must meet certain criteria at the time of application.

There are 3 cohorts of applicants under this public policy:

Cohort 1 Applicants who have a valid employer-specific work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the IMP that will expire on or before December 31, 2026, and who are applying for a work permit extension under this public policy.

Cohort 2 Applicants whose employer-specific work permit under the TFWP or the IMP has expired but who have applied for a work permit extension before expiry (maintained status) and who are now applying for a work permit under this public policy.

Cohort 3 Applicants whose employer-specific work permit under the TFWP or the IMP expired between March 13, 2026, and December 31, 2026, and who are currently out of status. Applicants in this cohort are applying for a work permit under this public policy as well as restoration of their temporary resident status.

Common eligibility criteria

• Applicant is/was working in the province of Quebec and seeks to extend their work permit for the same employer.
• Applicant has an offer of employment for a position located in the province of Quebec.
• Applicant provides confirmation that they have been invited to apply under the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés du Québec (PSTQ) by the province of Quebec and have submitted a Demande de sélection permanente (DSP) to that province.

  Note: The confirmation of a DSP submission is issued before the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ).

Spouses or common-law partners (cohort 4)

An open work permit may be issued to the spouse or common-law partner under IMP administrative code R01 if the principal applicant is approved for a work permit under this public policy.

To be eligible, spouses or common-law partners

• must meet the definition of a spouse or common-law partner, as per paragraph 1(3)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), of a principal worker who has been found eligible under this public policy
• have been included as an accompanying family member in the DSP
• have submitted a new work permit application or a work permit renewal application
• have a valid temporary resident status (as a worker, student or visitor); be on maintained status or eligible for restoration and have applied to restore their status (if applicable), or
• have held a valid temporary resident status (as a worker, student or visitor) that expired less than 90 days after submitting their work permit application if they have left Canada

Other admissibility and selection criteria: Foreign nationals eligible under this public policy are subject to all other legislative eligibility and admissibility requirements not exempted under this, or another public policy.

Provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations for which an exemption may be granted

For foreign nationals who meet the conditions listed in cohorts 1 and 2:

• The requirement in subparagraph R200(1)(c)(ii.1) to intend to perform work described in section R204 or R205 or to be described in section R207.

For foreign nationals who meet the conditions listed in cohort 3 as well as spouses or common-law partners:

• The requirement in sectionR182 for a visitor, worker or student to have complied with any other conditions imposed, other than those referred to in paragraphR185(a), subparagraphsR185(b)(i) to(iii), or paragraphR185(c);
• The requirements in paragraphsR199(a) to(i) that a foreign national must meet in order to apply for a work permit after entering Canada;
• The requirement in subparagraphR200(1)(c)(ii.1) to intend to perform work described in sectionR204 orR205 or to be described in sectionR207; and
• The requirement in paragraphR200(3)(e) that a work permit not be issued to a foreign national who has engaged in unauthorized work or study in Canada or has failed to comply with the conditions of a previous permit or authorization.

Documentary evidence

Principal applicants

In order to identify applications under this public policy for tracking purposes and the 30-day processing standard, employers and applicants will use the following code:

1. In the Employer Portal, employers will select the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-exemption code R01 and add the code “PPTR2PRQC2026” in the Job Title box. Employers will still add the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code that reflects the employee’s occupation.

   Note: Employers who are unable to apply via the Employer Portal may use the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) form (IMM 5802) if they were authorized by the Client Experience Branch to submit the form (see Alternate submission [IMM 5802] for details).

2. Applicants who have received an offer of employment under the public policy must select, in the online application tool, that they have a “written job offer” and under the question “Which option best describes your work situation,” that they are “applying for a work permit under an active pilot project or an active Public Policy for work permits announced by IRCC” for them to trigger the employer-specific work permit results.

   Applicants will also add the code “PPTR2PRQC2026” in the Job Title box of the application form (IMM5710).

   Note: Employers and applicants who fail to enter the code “PPTR2PRQC2026” when applying will not be subject to the 30-day processing standard.

Mandatory documents to be submitted with the work permit application

• Confirmation of the submission of their DSP to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration
• An offer of employment for a position located in the province of Quebec.
• The LMIA-Exempt number starting with the letter A

Employment documents to request if needed

• Employment reference letter
• Employment records
• Employment contract

Spouses or common-law partners

Mandatory documents to be submitted with the work permit application

• Proof they are included in the DSP of the principal applicant (Récapitulatif de la DSP)
• Proof that the principal applicant has received a work permit under this public policy if they are applying separately
• Proof of relationship

Applicants will also add the code “PPTR2PRQC2026” in the Job Title box of the application form (IMM 5710) or (IMM1295).

Application assessment – Principal applicants only

Offer of employment submitted through the Employer Portal

The employer must submit an offer of employment, as per section R209.11, before a work permit application is made.

The following are specific fields officers should review in GCMS:

Employer compliance fee

Regulations for the International Mobility Program provide that, when hiring LMIA-exempt foreign workers, employers must pay an employer compliance fee and submit an offer of employment to IRCC.

Under this public policy, employers do not have to pay the employer compliance fee as they are not referenced under subsection R303.1(1) since the applicant is exempt from the requirement to perform work under section R204 or R205. However, employers must submit an offer of employment and are subject to the employer compliance regime.

Final decision

Approval

On the “Application” screen, officers should confirm or enter the following information in the specific fields:

Refusal

If an officer has determined that the applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements, they should record their refusal reasons in a case note, outlining the rationale underlying the decision, as well as the facts and elements that were considered . For assistance, officers can follow the steps in Decision-making: Standard of review and process for making a reasonable decision.

Applications that are submitted after December 31, 2026, must be refused as the public policy will have expired.

Related information:

• Specific Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders currently in Quebec [R205(a) – A73] – International Mobility Program
• Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders currently outside Quebec [R205(a) – A76] – International Mobility Program
• Bridging open work permits (A75) for certain economic class permanent residence applicants [R205(a) - A75] – International Mobility Program
• Comparison table of categories that are available under the International Mobility Program for Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders) (PDF, 900.10 KB)a>