Ottawa is responding to a request from Quebec and will allow temporary foreign workers to keep their work permits for up to 12 more months. At the same time, the federal government says that the province will eventually have to wean itself off temporary workers.
“This maximum extension of 12 months granted to workers in the process of being selected by Quebec will allow them to continue to support their employer while their eligibility for Quebec selection certificates is assessed. This, in turn, will facilitate their transition to permanent residency. The Quebec government will determine the sectors and workers it wishes to prioritize,” explained federal minister and Quebec lieutenant Joël Lightbound at the announcement on Friday in Saint-Alban.
This measure applies only to persons who have submitted an Application for Permanent Selection (DSP).
“What we’ve heard is that for many businesses, particularly in our regions, it’s that they need labour, they need temporary foreign workers, and they also need time to adjust. We also heard it from the Quebec government, which asked us for more time,” said Joël Lightbound.
“What we have also heard, and we all agree on this, is that temporary immigration cannot and must not be a lasting solution to labour issues for Quebec and for Canada. There must be a bridge to go from the temporary to the permanent,” he added.
The minister added that 58 per cent of Canada’s temporary foreign workers are in Quebec.
PEQ and PSTQ
It should be noted that the Quebec Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, put an end to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) last November. This program was seen as a fast track to becoming permanent.
Since then, foreign workers have had to go through the Skilled Worker Selection Program (QSWP) to obtain their permanent residence.
However, this decision by the government has provoked discontent throughout Quebec. Temporary foreign workers fear that they will be sent home before their application is processed in the QTSP.
In 2024, Ottawa imposed a 10 per cent limit on the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers a company can hire. As a result, many of them fear a shortage of labour.
However, the federal government also announced on Friday that this percentage will increase to 15 per cent from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.
It is stated that this measure will “meet the needs of the rural labour market in the provinces and territories that choose to participate.”
Minister Roberge’s lukewarm reaction
Minister Roberge’s reaction to this announcement was half-hearted.
He began by saying that “any measure that allows the renewal of work permits for temporary foreign workers already in the territory is a good thing and deserves to be highlighted.”
He then added: “On the other hand, it is clear that these measures, which appear to be positive, will only partially address the uncertainty caused by the restrictions still imposed by the federal government.”
“What the Quebec government is asking is that Ottawa renew the work permits of all temporary foreign workers on Quebec territory, outside of Montreal and Laval. However, this is not what is on the table. Several questions remain. It’s up to the federal government to respond,” said Jean-François Roberge on the social network X.
“Ottawa is trying to correct the situation”
Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard welcomed Ottawa’s decision and took the opportunity to take a swipe at the government.
“Now, Quebec must do its part. The CAQ’s improvisation in immigration creates uncertainty and complicates the retention of the talent our economy needs,” he wrote on X.
According to the Parti Québécois, “Ottawa is trying to correct the situation by reducing the thresholds in an improvised and indiscriminate manner” after having “opened the floodgates” for years.
“It is only with its back to the wall that the federal government resolves to respond to certain demands from Quebec, which is still in a weak position. This is another reminder that Quebec should have all the powers over immigration,” said MNA Alex Boissonneault.
“It’s a breath of fresh air for some workers who have been abandoned by the CAQ, but it’s far from what will resolve the uncertainty created by this government by the abandonment of the PEQ. What is being asked is the return of the PEQ with a grandfather clause, without delay. Minister Roberge must stop wasting everyone’s time,” said Solidaire Guillaume Cliche-Rivard.
“Crux of the problem”
The Quebec Employers Council says Ottawa’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but believes it is still insufficient.
“While the measure recognizes the importance of allowing workers already integrated into the labour market to continue their activities while their file is being processed, it remains limited to meet the needs of employers,” said the vice-president of workforce policies and economic intelligence, Daye Diallo.
The CSN is positive about the federal government’s desire to raise the limit on low-wage temporary foreign workers to 15 per cent, but says that “the crux of the problem remains.”
“The CAQ government must grant the Quebec selection certificate to these workers. By allowing employers to keep or recruit certain additional foreign workers (…), it does not guarantee that they will be chosen under the PSTQ and that they will be able to stay,” said its president, Caroline Senneville.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
