Employer-specific work permit in Quebec: how to change jobs without losing your status

You are in Quebec on an employer-specific work permit, and a better offer comes along. Or your job is going badly and you want out. Can you leave? Yes. Can you start somewhere else the next morning? No. Here is what a "closed" permit really allows, and the legal way to change jobs.

What your permit actually says

An employer-specific work permit lists conditions: the employer's name, the occupation or duties, the location and the validity dates. Together, those conditions are your authorization to work. A job outside them, even with the same company, may not be covered.

Before you accept any change, whether it is a new employer, a new location or substantially different duties, compare it with the wording on your permit, not with your job title.

Leaving is allowed; working elsewhere needs authorization

A closed permit does not tie you to your employer. You can resign. But the right to leave and the right to work for someone else are two different things. To work for a new employer, you generally need a new employer-specific permit for that job.

If you lose your job, you cannot work for anyone else until your new permit is approved or IRCC authorizes you to start.

The legal way to change jobs, step by step

1. Your new employer prepares their side. In Quebec, many jobs require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for work. Some jobs are LMIA-exempt, but an exemption does not remove every other requirement. Our page on LMIA in Quebec explains the employer's process.
2. You apply for a new employer-specific work permit with the new job offer and supporting documents.
3. You ask IRCC for authorization to start working while your application is processed, using IRCC's web form, as described on its page about changing jobs or employers. Follow the instructions exactly.
4. You wait for IRCC's email. Only once it arrives can you start the new job. That email is not a work permit; it confirms you may work while your application is processed.

Keep your passport, your current permit, the written offer or contract, the LMIA and CAQ (or proof of exemption) and the proof that you applied together. You will need them for the application and to show your new employer.

Staying with the same employer? Check anyway

A promotion, a move to another site or a change of duties can also fall outside your permit's conditions. Staying with the same employer does not automatically make the change authorized. Check the wording first.

Extending with the same employer

If you apply to extend your permit before it expires, you can keep working under the same conditions until IRCC decides. That protection does not cover a change of employer or job.

Your rights at work

Your immigration status does not remove your workplace protections. In Quebec, the CNESST provides information on labour standards and health and safety and handles complaints within its jurisdiction. Problems with an employer's conduct under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program can be reported to the federal authorities. Keep your contracts, pay stubs and messages. If an employer holds your passport or documents, get help quickly. And before paying any recruitment-related fee, ask in writing what it is for and check the rules.

Open work permits are different

If you hold an open work permit, you can change employers at any time while it is valid. Open permits are only available in specific categories, though, and a spouse's eligibility for one has its own rules, which have changed in recent years. Our work permit page covers the main types.

Frequently asked questions

How long does IRCC take to answer the request to start working?

IRCC gives an estimate on its page about changing jobs. Plan for some delay and do not start the new job until you have the authorization email.

Can my employer add duties without a new permit?

Minor changes may stay within your permit's conditions; a different occupation or location may not. Compare the change with the wording on your permit before agreeing to it.

Does an LMIA or a CAQ let me start working?

No. They are steps toward the permit. Only the work permit, or IRCC's interim authorization in a job change, lets you work.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 11, 2026:

• IRCC — Changing jobs or employers
• IRCC — Extend or change the conditions on your work permit