Work Permit

If you are sponsoring your spouse or partner for Canadian permanent residence (PR), they can apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) while waiting for their application to be processed.

During the processing of a family class sponsorship application, some sponsored spouses, partners, and their dependent children, will come to Canada as temporary residents to be with their sponsor. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced at the end of May a temporary public policy allowing these individuals to work in Canada while their application is being processed.

Canada extended the deadline for out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area to apply for permanent residence. This policy, effective from July 3, 2024, to December 31, 2024, allows 1,000 principal applicants and their families to settle in Canada. It recognizes the economic contribution and vulnerability of these workers, who have been filling labor shortages in the construction industry.

New data show that inland spousal and common-law sponsorship applications are now taking significantly longer to process compared to outland cases. Current IRCC estimates place inland applications at around 22 months, while outland applications average about 15 months, though some are finalized sooner.

A total of 127 invitations were under the Labour and Express Entry streams. Nine invitations were issued under PEI’s business impact and work permit stream with a minimum point threshold of 65. The total number of invitations for this draw is less than the most recent draw on May 20, when 153 invitations were issued.

Quebec is reopening three immigration pilot programs, offering a unique opportunity for skilled individuals to obtain Canadian permanent residency. These programs aim to address labor shortages and attract professionals to key industries, and they will remain active until December 31, 2025.

Study at private Quebec colleges will no longer be eligible toward a PGWP application, a move the government says is to protect the integrity of the international student program.

International students in Canada are often seen as easy targets for fraudsters looking to, literally, “cash in” on vulnerable victims.

Canada seeks skilled workers, especially in healthcare, to strengthen its workforce. Several provinces are offering financial incentives to attract healthcare professionals:

Quebec is extending its suspension of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for low-wage jobs in Montreal until November 30, 2025, and starting March 3, this will also apply to Laval.

The Institute du Québec's study sheds light on how the pandemic affected Quebec's labour force.

Overall admissions remain the same as 2022 with little change throughout all categories.

Skilled workers from foreign countries who already have a Quebec Selection Certificate can now apply for an open work permit while waiting for the federal government to make a final decision on their permanent residence

Starting September 3rd, Quebec will suspend processing Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for jobs in Montreal offering wages below $27.47 CAD per hour.

Starting December 17, 2025, foreign nationals with three or more years of work experience in Quebec will need to demonstrate spoken French proficiency at level 4 (NCLC) to qualify for a work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

To remain eligible, affected workers must meet this requirement when renewing their Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and applying for a new work permit.

However, current TFWP workers in Quebec will benefit from a three-year transition period, allowing them until December 17, 2028 to reach the required French level. During this time, they may continue to extend their permits without meeting the new rule.

Exemptions apply to

• Agricultural workers
• Employees of foreign political organizations
• Staff of international non-governmental organizations recognized by Quebec

This policy supports the province’s dual objectives of reducing temporary resident numbers and strengthening French as the cornerstone of Quebec’s cultural identity. The measure aligns with the province’s broader effort to prioritize Francophone integration and manage population
pressures linked to housing and affordability.

Under the TFWP, foreign workers need both a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and a CAQ before applying to IRCC for a work permit.

Here is a look at Canada's most recent provincial immigration draws.

Two Canadian provinces released their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw results this past week, and Quebec held a recent draw through Arrima.

Temporary residents in Canada, such as visitors, international students, and temporary foreign workers, are permitted to travel outside Canada but must comply with specific re-entry requirements by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The federal government has updated its list of census metropolitan areas (CMAs) where low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will not be processed due to high unemployment rates. As of April 4, 2025, the following 24 CMAs, each with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, will not process low-wage LMIA applications until July 10, 2025:

Foreign remote work can count as foreign experience, but it does not increase or replace Canadian work experience for CEC applicants.

A growing number of immigration applicants are facing confusion around whether remote foreign work performed from within Canada can be counted for Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points under Express Entry. While many candidates continue working for foreign employers remotely after entering Canada, recent decisions from IRCC indicate that the matter remains legally grey.

Under current federal guidelines, foreign work experience is defined as skilled employment acquired outside Canada, in occupations listed under TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3. However, the regulations do not explicitly require that the applicant must have been physically outside Canada while performing this work. This omission has led to significant debate, especially as remote work has become more common post-COVID.

In some cases, IRCC officers have refused applications on the grounds that the applicant was not physically outside Canada during their foreign work period. In contrast, IRCC responses to authorized representatives suggest that remote work may be eligible, provided it clearly falls outside the Canadian labour market and meets all Express Entry requirements.

To strengthen their case, applicants must submit clear documentation, including:

• Remote job offer or contract
• Employer and employee location details
• Pay slips, communications, and meeting records
• Evidence that the job was not part of the Canadian labour market

Professionals in fields like IT, marketing, engineering, and virtual assistance are most commonly affected by this ambiguity. While some remote foreign work applications have succeeded, others have not, indicating that case-by-case discretion still plays a major role.

Until federal courts offer definitive jurisprudence, applicants are urged to prepare robust evidence and consult legal professionals if facing refusal. Misrepresentation or poor documentation can not only lead to application rejections but also future inadmissibility.

This remains a developing issue. Candidates planning to claim foreign work experience performed remotely while in Canada should proceed with caution and transparency.