Quebec’s new pathway to accompany those skilled workers who have been selected by Quebec and are waiting for a decision to be made by IRCC on their PR are now eligible to submit applications.
New work permits The International Mobility Program Plus-(IMP+) is an alternative for those permanent residents who are selected by Quebec. It is the pathway for Quebec to speed up the approach of skilled workers in the province. It helps to reduce the current labor shortage in the province.
The economy of Canada continues to become strong and recover from the pandemic. Addressing the labor shortage in the market in Canada has become a first priority for the government of Canada. Newcomers to Canada will play an important role in the building up of many sectors in Quebec, and IMP+ will pick up speed the arrival of skilled workers.
Sean Fraser, Immigration minister of IRCC announced that the new work permit IMP+ is now open for application.
As yet, those foreign skilled workers who are selected by Quebec would have to wait until their permanent residency application was approved before they could start living and working in the province of Quebec. With IMP+ work permit applicants who are selected for permanent residence by the province but currently reside outside of Canada will be eligible to move to the province and work and settle.
To qualify for a province restricted for an open work permit you have to meet IMP+ requirements which are given below:
- Applicants must be living outside of Quebec when they apply.
- Applicants have to hold a CSQ (Quebec Selection Certificate) to prove that they have been selected for PR status in the province through the Permanent Immigration Pilot Program or Regular Skilled Worker Program for tech workers in information technology, visual effects, and artificial intelligence.
- Applicants must obtain a letter of invitation through the IMP+ program.
- Applicants have to submit a complete application for an open work permit.
If approved, then applicants will receive an open, province-specific work permit which allows them to work with any employer near Quebec.
For the year 2022, a maximum of 14,700 IMP+ applications have been earmarked. From 2023, the annual limit for applications that will be selected is set at 7,350 by the province.
The IRCC expanded eligibility to fulfill open work permits to include skilled workers already working temporarily in Quebec and skilled workers applying for permanent residency in 2021.
As per the agreement between Quebec and Canada, both provincial governments are involved in the process of decision-making that is related to immigration. The responsibility of Quebec is to select immigrants from certain categories of immigration which includes economic immigrants who want to migrate to the province but the final decision on the application for the PR is made by the federal government of Canada.
The announcement of the introduction of IMP+ means that available options are more closely situated with Quebec-selected applicants. As per other agreements of federal-provincial PNP nominated permanent residents are eligible for the work permit while they are applying for PR with the IRCC.
According to the data from the Canadian government, 25,000 or more Skilled workers in Quebec were invited as permanent residents in 2021, more than double the nearly 12,000 recruited in 2020 due to pandemic-related restrictions.
