Number of work permits (including extensions) issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and destined to work in QuebecFootnote *
Year
2025
2026 (up to February 28)
Work permits issued (new)
54,100
10,800
Work permit extensions issued
22,900
4,600
Grand total
77,000
15,400
Please note that values in the tables above are rounded. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. As a result of rounding, data may not sum to the totals indicated.
Key Messages
Canada-Quebec Accord: Roles and Responsibilities
The objectives of the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord (the Accord) are to preserve Quebec’s demographic weight within Canada and support the integration of immigrants in the province, while respecting its distinct identity.
Under the Accord, Canada and Quebec have shared responsibility for the selection of immigrants destined to that province. Quebec selects economic immigrants and resettled refugees destined to that province and the federal government selects permanent residents in the family class and protected persons.
Both governments jointly administer the International Student Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The federal government remains responsible for determining the admissibility (e.g., health, security and criminality) of all immigrants to Quebec and for issuing visas and permits.
Under the Accord, Quebec provides settlement and integration services, with financial compensation from the federal government (i.e., an annual grant). On February 19, 2026, Quebec was informed the total grant for 2025–2026 was $867.3M.
Immigration Levels
As established in the Accord, Quebec sets its own immigration levels, which the Government of Canada takes into account for the overall federal Immigration Levels Plan.
Quebec’s Plan for 2026 was released on November 6, 2025, and includes for the first time temporary resident targets (up to 55,700 workers, and up to 68,500 students), just like Canada’s national Immigration Levels Plan. It also plans for up to 45,000 permanent resident admissions in 2026, of which approximately 28,800 are economic immigrants.
Asylum Claimants
Quebec welcomed a large number of asylum claimants during the height of irregular border crossings at Roxham Road from 2021 to 2023. Since the implementation of the Safe Third Country Agreement Additional Protocol on March 25, 2023, the number of claimants arriving between ports of entry has significantly decreased. In 2025, the overall number of asylum claims filed in Quebec has decreased by approximately 29% compared to the same period last year. This downward trend continues in 2026: overall claims in Quebec (from January 1st to March 1st) are down 70% when compared to same period in 2024.
Through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), the Government of Canada has provided Quebec with $542.7M to support the province with emergency housing costs incurred since 2017, the first payment being made in 2019.
The federal government also announced $750M to the Government of Quebec in recognition of the temporary housing and asylum-related challenges caused by irregular border crossings between 2021 and 2024. Of that, $168.7M was paid from IHAP (included in the $542.7M above).
IRCC works with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency to monitor irregular crossings into Canada, notably those that result in asylum claims. Recent actions under Canada’s Border Plan have strengthened RCMP presence along the border, increasing their capacity to undertake such interceptions.
Through the investments made under Canada’s Border Plan, law enforcement officials are now better prepared to address any changes in irregular migration volumes. We will continue to work closely with our United States counterparts to investigate, as well as monitor volumes of irregular migration in both directions.
Francophone Immigration to Quebec
Quebec seeks to prioritize Francophone immigration, with a stated objective of 100% Francophone economic immigration.
To support their objectives, Quebec has asked that French language proficiency requirements be added to select temporary worker applicants where they do not have authority to do so themselves. The Department is pursuing regulatory changes to its International Mobility Program to be implemented by 2028 (aligned with Quebec’s planned implementation timeline).
