Canada helps families stay united and contribute to Quebec’s workforce

Ottawa, June 5, 2026—In an effort to keep families together as they move toward permanent residence, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is expanding its temporary measure to support Quebec workers and employers, announced on March 13, 2026.

Starting today, once a temporary foreign worker is found eligible under this public policy, their spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit if they have valid temporary resident status in Canada (or if their status expired in the last 90 days).

The spouse or common-law partner must also be named on the principal applicant’s permanent selection application (Demande de sélection permanente) for Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés). The measure remains open until the end of 2026.

This expansion supports our commitment to ensuring Canada has the skilled workers we need to fill labour gaps. We remain committed to working with provinces and territories to address workforce needs while reducing the share of non-permanent residents to less than 5% of the total population by the end of 2027.