A new door to training. Since September 4, 2026, people who hold a valid work permit can take a course or program of six months or less without applying for a study permit. The federal government adopted this temporary measure on August 5, and it stays in place until December 31, 2027, according to the notice Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published on September 9. The measure is federal, so it applies across Canada, Quebec included.
The two conditions. You must hold a valid work permit, and the program must not last more than six months. The measure is aimed at workers who are already in Canada.
Your work permit sets the limit. You can study for six months at most, or until your work permit expires if that comes first, IRCC's instructions page explains. In other words, if your permit expires in three months, your right to study under this measure ends in three months, even if the program is not finished. Before you enrol, compare the program's end date with your permit's.
In Quebec, no CAQ either. Studying in Quebec normally also requires a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), issued by the Quebec government. According to the same IRCC page, eligible workers do not need one to study under this measure: a temporary CAQ exemption takes effect on the same date, September 4, 2026.
Be careful with full-time studies. On this point, IRCC's two texts do not say quite the same thing. The September 9 notice states that full-time studies will still require a study permit. The instructions page, for its part, provides that if you study full-time under this measure, work experience gained during your studies will not count toward the Canadian Experience Class or toward Canadian work experience points in Express Entry. If you are aiming for permanent residence through one of these routes, or you are considering a full-time schedule, check your situation with IRCC before you enrol.
Good to know for newcomers. For a temporary worker, this is mainly a chance to take an intensive French course, a skills upgrade or a short certification without adding an immigration application. If you are looking for free French classes instead, our guide to French courses offered by the MIFI explains the options. And for any program longer than six months, a study permit is still required: our guide to the study permit in Quebec walks through the process.
