Canada Extends Work Permits to Spouses of Eligible Quebec Skilled Workers

Key Takeaways

• Eligible skilled workers in Quebec can apply for a work permit extension of up to 12 months while they wait for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).
• As of June 5, their spouses or common-law partners can apply for open work permits, as long as they have valid temporary resident status in Canada, or their status expired within the last 90 days.
• The spouse or partner must be named on the principal applicant’s permanent selection application (Demande de sélection permanente, or DSP) under Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, or PSTQ).
• Both measures will continue until December 31, 2026.

March 2026 Measures to Support Quebec Skilled Workers and Employers

Quebec’s transition from the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) to its new Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) left many temporary foreign workers in a difficult spot. The new program introduced additional processing steps before a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) could be issued, and many workers found their work permits expiring before that process was complete.

On March 13, IRCC introduced a temporary measure to address that gap. Workers who hold (or recently held) an employer-specific work permit due to expire before December 31, 2026, and who had received an invitation to apply under the PSTQ and submitted a permanent selection application (DSP) to the province could apply for a new employer-specific work permit of up to 12 months under the International Mobility Program. That allowed them to keep working for their current employer while Quebec finished reviewing their files.

Spouses and Common-Law Partners in Canada Can Now Work Too

To help keep families together, IRCC announced on June 5 that spouses and common-law partners of eligible skilled workers who have a permanent residence application in process can now apply for an open work permit. Unlike the employer-specific permit available to the principal applicant, this is an open work permit. This means the spouse or partner can work for any employer in Canada while the process continues.

To qualify, the spouse or common-law partner:

• Must have valid temporary resident status, or must have had status that expired within the last 90 days
• Must be named as an accompanying family member on the principal applicant’s DSP.

If you aren’t listed on your partner’s permanent selection application, or if you do not (or did not recently) have temporary residence status in Canada, you won’t qualify under this measure.

If your temporary residence status expired in the last 90 days, and you continued to work or study without authorization, you may still be eligible for their measure.

Why IRCC Is Expanding These Measures

Quebec’s PSTQ involves multiple steps before a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) is issued. The processing period can be long, often spanning over a year.

This is in contrast to the old Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), where the CSQ was issued quickly, if the applicant met the PEQ criteria. Under the PSTQ, however, a candidate first submits an Expression of Interest. Then Quebec invites applicants to submit a DSP. Once the applicant submits a DSP, the province needs to review eligibility before a CSQ can be issued. IRCC’s March measure allowed applicants who had submitted a DSP to extend their work permit, giving Quebec more time to review their eligibility for a CSQ.

However, the original measures did not consider the impact of this delay on spouses and partners of the skilled workers. If one partner is forced to stop working, or leave Canada, while the other waits for a decision on their PR application, it can create both economic and personal disruption.

IRCC has said the intent of the new measure is to keep families together during the CSQ assessment period, while also supporting Quebec’s ability to stabilize its workforce and address labour shortages. Workers affected by this transition have already built lives in Quebec, and the open work permit for spouses will allow them to remain in Quebec without disrupting their plans.