International Mobility Program Plus: Open work permits for Quebec Selection Certificate holders outside Quebec

From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders who live outside Quebec are eligible for an open work permit. This work permit will allow you to work for almost any employer in the province of Quebec.

On this page

• Who can apply
• Who’s not eligible
• How to apply
  • Step 1: Make sure you have what you need
  • Step 2: Pay your fees
  • Step 3: Create your online account or sign in
  • Step 4: Get your document checklist
  • Step 5: Fill out the form
  • Step 6: Upload the correct documents
• After you apply

Who can apply

To be eligible for this open work permit, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Apply online

You must apply online for your open work permit.

2. Live outside Quebec

At the time you apply for your work permit, you must live

• outside Canada or
• in Canada, but outside Quebec

While you must be outside Quebec to apply for this work permit, you must intend to settle and work in Quebec.

3. Hold an eligible CSQ

Your CSQ must be valid (not expired) or have been valid at the time you applied for permanent residence.

You can apply for this work permit before or after you apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

If you applied for permanent residence and IRCC already made a decision on your application, do not apply for the open work permit.

4. Have a letter of invitation

You must have received a letter of invitation from the province of Quebec to apply for this work permit.

5. Have an eligible status (if you’re already in Canada)

If you’re already in Canada, but outside Quebec, you must

• be eligible to apply for a work permit in Canada and have a valid temporary resident status
• be eligible to restore your status as a worker
• have applied to extend your status as a worker or a student before it expired (that is, you have maintained your status)

Spouses or common-law partners (overseas or in Canada)

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit if you’re eligible for this open work permit.

Your spouse or partner can apply online at the same time as you.

If your spouse or partner doesn’t apply at the same time as you, they can’t apply for a work permit until your application is approved.

Who’s not eligible

You’re not eligible to apply if

• you live in Quebec at the time you apply for your work permit
• IRCC has refused your permanent resident application under one of Quebec’s economic classes
  • This applies even if you still have a valid CSQ.
• you try to apply for this type of work permit at a Canadian port of entry

How to apply

You must apply online for this open work permit. You can’t apply at a Canadian port of entry and you can’t apply on paper unless you’re eligible.

Who is eligible to apply on paper

• Eligible applicants in Canada
• Eligible applicants outside of Canada

If you apply on paper, you must write “International Mobility Program Plus-A76 cap 2022” on the envelope.

Step 1: Make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you need

• a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents
• a valid credit or debit card

Step 2: Pay your fees

You must pay the following:

• work permit processing fee (CAN$155)
• open work permit holder fee (CAN$100)
• biometric fee, if applicable
• restoration of status fee, if applicable

Step 3: Create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to

• submit your application forms
• check your status

How to start your application

Once you sign in to your account, you need to

• go to the Start your application section on the account welcome page
• click “Apply to come to Canada”
• on the next page, scroll down to the ”I do not have a personal reference code” section
• click on the “Visitor visa, study and/or work permit” button
• on the next page, select “Work”

Step 4: Get your document checklist

You must answer some questions to create a personalized document checklist.

Applicants outside Canada

Make sure you answer these questions correctly:

• Answer “No” when asked I have a job offer and my employer gave me an offer of employment number or LMIA number (or proof that your employer applied for an LMIA).
• Answer “Yes” when asked Will you be coming to Canada under an active public policy or special measure announced by IRCC?
• Answer “Quebec” when asked What is your province of destination? If visiting multiple provinces, select the one in which you will be spending most of your time.
• Answer “A work permit for provincial nominee certificate holder” when asked What type of work permit do you want to apply for? 

Applicants in Canada

Make sure you answer this question correctly:

• Workers and students applying in Canada must select “Worker” when asked What is your current immigration status in Canada?
  • Note for students: This is a temporary measure while we update the application system.

If you need to restore your status

• When asked What is your current immigration status in Canada?, select “Worker”.
• When asked When does your status in Canada expire?, enter the date that your status expired.

• Answer “Yes” when asked
  

  Does one of the following apply to you?

  • I am subject of a removal order that is unenforceable
  • I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry
  • I am in primary or secondary school, or a visiting or exchange student, in Canada with visitor status
  • I am applying for an open work permit under an active public policy or pilot program announced by IRCC
  • I am a student who has completed a program of study that is a prerequisite to my enrolment at a designated learning institution with visitor status in Canada
  • I applied for permanent residence and was found eligible (first stage approval) under one of the following classes:
    • Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada
    • Humanitarian and Compassionate cases
    • Protected Persons in Canada
    • Live-in Caregiver in Canada
• Answer “Quebec” when asked What is your province of destination?”.
• Answer “Yes” when asked Do you have a ‘Certificat de selection du Québec’ (CSQ) for an application for Permanent Residence under an immigration category that was submitted to an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Office or Case Processing Centre?

Step 5: Fill out the form

Read the instruction guide before you complete your application.

• Guide for applicants inside Canada
• Guide for applicants outside Canada

Once you get your document checklist, fill out the application form and supporting documents.

The guide will explain how to complete each field on the form.

If you’re in Canada and you need to restore your status

• For question 3 in the first section, I am applying for one or more of the following:, make sure you also choose “Restore my status as a worker”.
• For question 7 In the Personal details
  • Under Status, select “Other”.
  • Under Other, type in “Requires restoration”.
  • Leave the From and To boxes blank.

Step 6: Upload the correct documents

Your documents must show that you’re eligible to apply for an open work permit under this stream.

You must upload the completed application form and include the following documents with your application.

There’s only 1 Client Information field. You may need to combine more than 1 document in 1 file and upload them together. Find out how to upload multiple documents into 1 field.

For applicants outside Canada

Caption text

Required document	Where to upload the file in your account
Certificat de sélection du Québec What to do if your CSQ has expired	Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Certificate
Letter of invitation from the Quebec Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI)	Letter of Support from province or territory
CV/résumé (Upload a blank document)	CV/résumé
Copy of your passport (all pages must be included)	Passport
Digital photo	Digital photo
Family Information Form (PDF, 1,669 KB) (IMM 5707)	Family Information Form (IMM 5707)
Employment Contract Instructions - Document: Employment Contract (Upload a blank document)	Employment Contract Instructions - Document: Employment Contract
Proof that you Meet the Requirements of the Job Being Offered (Upload a blank document)	Proof that you Meet the Requirements of the Job Being Offered

For applicants in Canada

Caption text

Required document	Where to upload the file in your account
Certificat de sélection du Québec What to do if your CSQ has expired	Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ)
Letter of Invitation from MIFI	Client information
Copy of your passport (all pages must be included)	Passport
Digital photo	Digital photo
Family Information Form (PDF, 1,669 KB) (IMM 5707)	Client information
Proof you live outside Quebec	Client information

For all applicants

Depending on your situation, you may also need to

• get a medical exam
  • Your document checklist will tell you if you need one.
  • You need a medical exam to work in some types of jobs.
• give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics)
  • Find out about temporary changes to biometrics.
• provide other documents, such as
  • a marriage certificate
    • Your document checklist will tell you if you need one.
  • birth certificates for any accompanying family members
    • Upload this with your Family Information Form.
  • the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (PDF, 2.2 MB) (IMM 5409), if you are in a common-law relationship
    • Upload this with your Family Information Form.

Create an account or sign in

After you apply

Find out what to do and what happens after you apply for your work permit.

If your CSQ has expired

If your CSQ has expired, you need to upload

• a copy of your expired CSQ and
• 1 of the following documents:
  • an email from IRCC confirming that you’ve successfully submitted your application for permanent residence (has a number that starts with an X)
  • an acknowledgment of receipt letter (has a number that starts with an E)
  • approval in principal letter that says you met the eligibility requirements of your application for permanent residence

Proof you live outside Quebec

This may include a copy of a lease agreement made in the last 12 months or your most recent Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Who’s eligible to apply on paper outside Canada

You’re only eligible to apply on paper if you

• have a disability that prevents you from applying online
• hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons

To apply on paper, you must include a note with your application that tells the visa application centre you’re eligible to apply on paper. If you’re not eligible to apply on paper, your application will be returned to you.

Apply for a work permit

Credit cards and prepaid cards

We accept credit cards and prepaid cards from:

• Visa^®
• MasterCard^®
• American Express^®
• JCB^®
• UnionPay^® (for online applications only; debit cards not accepted)

If you use a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay to make refunds easier. Find more on prepaid cards.

We also accept all Visa Debit cards.The card you use doesn't have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Debit cards

We only accept Debit MasterCard^® and Visa^® Debit cards. The logos on the front of your card will show you which type of card you have.

The card you use does not have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.