(QUEBEC, CANADA) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada expanded a temporary immigration measure on June 5, 2026, allowing eligible spouses and common-law partners of certain Quebec foreign workers to apply for open work permits while the principal worker moves through the province’s permanent selection process.

The Quebec Family-Workforce Measure also permits qualifying principal workers to access short-term employer-specific work permits under the International Mobility Program. These permits enable workers to continue employment with their existing Quebec employer while awaiting provincial selection.

The policy took effect June 5, 2026, and is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2026. IRCC has stated that the public policy may be revoked at any time without prior notice.

Expansion of March 2026 Measure

The June expansion builds on an earlier March 2026 measure that helped certain Quebec temporary foreign workers maintain employment while their permanent residence pathway was in progress. That initial policy focused primarily on keeping eligible workers on the job for the same employer during the wait for Quebec selection.

The June 2026 addition extends a family dimension by opening work authorization to qualifying spouses and common-law partners. A spouse or common-law partner who previously relied on visitor status, or who had no work authorization at all, may now be able to work legally in Canada while the principal applicant navigates the Quebec immigration process.

The open work permit is not tied to a specific employer, giving the accompanying partner flexibility to work for any employer, support the household financially, and gain Canadian work experience.

Principal Worker Eligibility Requirements

The principal worker must meet several conditions to qualify under the public policy. They must hold or have held an employer-specific work permit for work located in Quebec, with that permit expiring on or before December 31, 2026, or having expired after March 13, 2026.

Workers must also have been invited to apply under Quebec’s Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, commonly referred to as the PSTQ. They must have submitted a Demande de sélection permanente, or DSP, to Quebec immigration authorities, and must hold a job offer from the same Quebec employer listed on their earlier work permit.

Workers who hold permits but have not yet received a PSTQ invitation or submitted a DSP are not covered. Many foreign workers in Quebec may hold valid work permits without being at this specific stage in the provincial pathway and should not assume eligibility.

Employer-Specific Work Permit for Principal Workers

The principal worker’s facilitated permit under this measure is employer-specific. The authorization is tied to a single employer, and workers should not assume they can freely change jobs. Changing employers may affect eligibility and should be reviewed carefully before any action is taken.

Three Categories of Eligible Workers

The public policy covers three categories of workers. The first includes those holding a valid employer-specific work permit for Quebec that will expire on or before December 31, 2026. These workers must submit a new work permit application before the existing permit expires, accompanied by an offer of employment from the same Quebec employer and confirmation of their PSTQ invitation and DSP submission.

A second group covers workers whose employer-specific permit has already expired but who submitted a renewal application and are authorized to work while that application is pending. They too must submit a subsequent work permit application with an offer from the same employer, along with the required PSTQ and DSP confirmation.

The third category includes workers whose Quebec employer-specific permit expired between March 13, 2026 and December 31, 2026. These workers may apply for a work permit together with an extension or restoration of temporary resident status, where applicable.

These categories are technical, and small errors in timing, employer details, or status history can affect eligibility. Workers should verify their exact permit dates, employer information, application history, and current status before relying on the policy.

Spouse and Common-Law Partner Eligibility

Spouses and common-law partners face their own set of requirements. They must be in a genuine relationship with the principal worker and must be included as an accompanying family member in the principal worker’s DSP. If they are in Canada, they must hold valid temporary resident status, or their status must have expired within the last 90 days. If restoration is needed, the person must apply for restoration where applicable.

Accompanying partners should not assume automatic work authorization. They must apply for a work permit and wait for the required approval or legal authorization before beginning employment. If their temporary resident status is close to expiry, they should act before losing status. If status has already expired, the 90-day restoration window may be critical.

Limitations and Exclusions

The measure carries clear limitations. It does not apply to every foreign worker in Quebec, and it does not automatically grant permanent residence. A worker still needs to complete Quebec’s selection process and then meet federal permanent residence requirements, including admissibility checks. The Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ, is a provincial selection step that is not the same as final permanent residence approval.

Dependent children are not included in the open work permit benefit under this measure. Children may have other options depending on their age, status, and purpose in Canada, such as visitor records or study permits. Families with children should review schooling, study permit requirements, visitor status expiry dates, medical coverage, and provincial rules separately.

Impact on Quebec Employers

Quebec employers have faced labour shortages across several sectors. Losing foreign workers because of expiring permits or delayed selection processing can disrupt businesses that depend on their labor. The measure is designed to keep eligible workers employed while Quebec assesses their eligibility for provincial selection, providing workforce continuity for employers and reducing the risk of status loss for workers.

Canada has been working to reduce the share of non-permanent residents while creating stability for people already contributing to the economy. The Quebec measure is not a broad invitation for new temporary residents. It targets workers already in the province who are moving through a provincial permanent residence pathway, reflecting an attempt to balance labour needs, family unity, and immigration-level controls.

Steps for Eligible Workers

Workers who may be eligible should review their documents immediately. They should confirm whether their current or expired work permit was employer-specific, whether the job is located in Quebec, and whether the same employer remains involved. They should verify whether the permit expires on or before December 31, 2026, or expired within the relevant period, and whether they received a PSTQ invitation and submitted the DSP.

Several common mistakes can undermine eligibility. Families may assume the measure applies to all Quebec foreign workers, or that a spouse can begin working immediately without applying. Some forget that the principal worker’s permit is employer-specific, or change employers before checking the effect on eligibility. Others miss restoration deadlines after status expiry, fail to include the spouse or common-law partner in the DSP, or confuse Quebec selection with final Canadian permanent residence approval.

Waiting until December 2026 without filing carries particular risk. Work permits generally cannot be issued beyond passport validity, so families should also check passport expiration dates as part of their preparation.

Applicants must still satisfy all applicable immigration, medical, criminality, security, and documentary requirements. The measure provides temporary work authorization while the permanent selection process is underway, not a guarantee of permanent residence.

With the public policy scheduled to expire on December 31, 2026, and subject to revocation at any time without prior notice, eligible families face a narrow window. Workers and spouses who meet the conditions should verify their documents, confirm their dates, ensure proper family inclusion in the DSP, and file applications before status or policy deadlines create avoidable problems.