Today, IRCC Minister, the Honourable Sean Fraser announced opening of new open work permit option for Quebec-selected permanent residence candidates. This will be done through the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+). This will be 3-year province-restricted open work permit. It will allow the approved candidates to work for any employer in Quebec.

Previously, permanent residence applications needs to be approved before foreign nationals can start living and working in Quebec. However, with IMP+ a foreign national living outside of Quebec will be able to move to province, given that they are selected selected for permanent residence by Quebec.

This means that they just need Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) that proves they have been selected for permanent residence along with other requirements. They need not to wait for approval of their permanent residency application. Also, there is no requirement of previously living in Quebec.

It is important to mention here that IMP+ will only be accepting maximum of 14,700 applications for 2022. This means that selected candidates who received CSQ until now, may be eligible. Furthermore, the annual application intake cap will be set at 7,350 per year from 2023 onward.

Eligiblity For IMP+

To qualify for a province-restricted open work permit through the IMP+, a foreign national must

be living outside of Quebec at the time of application
hold a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) that proves they have been selected for permanent residence through the Regular Skilled Worker Program or the permanent immigration pilot program for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies and visual effects sectors
have received an IMP+ letter of invitation from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI)
submit a complete application for a work permit, including the applicable fees

IRCC took this step to address labour shortages across Quebec and to promote global talent in Canada.

“As Canada’s economy continues to grow and recover from the pandemic, addressing the labour market challenges faced by employers is a top priority. We recognize that labour shortages are particularly critical for many sectors in Quebec, and the IMP+ initiative will speed up the arrival of skilled workers to the province and help newcomers quickly settle into their new communities.”
– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship