Quebec Selection Certificate Holder

A Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) is not a status document. If a foreign national is living and working in Quebec, during the processing of their permanent residence application, he or she must continue to maintain valid status in Canada. The CSQ can be used, however, to help extend one’s work permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Immigration Canada). 

Work permit holders who are residing in Quebec, who have been issued a CSQ, are able to renew or extend their work permits in Canada without their employer having to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

A foreign national intending to apply for a CSQ holder work permit must demonstrate that: 

• They are legally residing in Quebec at the time of application;
• They currently hold a valid work permit;
• They are seeking to extend their work permit for their current employer, or that they have a new offer of employment with a new employer in the province of Quebec; and
• Their employer has filed an Offer of Employment and paid the employer compliance fee.

The work permit under CSQ holder category can only be issued for a maximum of two years, and they are employer and occupation specific.  A work permit under this category may be renewed beyond the two years on a case-by-case basis. Spouses or common-law partners who are accompanying the foreign national, and who are currently residing in Canada, will also be eligible for an open spousal work permit.