diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 1094b77a..b5fb0a73 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ Noteworthy changes in version 1.18.1 (unreleased)
  * qt: Extend ListAllKeysJob to allow disabling the automatic trust database
    check when listing all keys.  [T6261]
 
+ * qt: Allow deferred start of import jobs.  [T6323]
+
  * Interface changes relative to the 1.18.0 release:
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  gpgme_get_ctx_flag                EXTENDED: New flag 'no-auto-check-trustdb'.
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ Noteworthy changes in version 1.18.1 (unreleased)
  qt: ListAllKeysJob::setOptions             NEW.
  qt: ListAllKeysJob::options                NEW.
  qt: Job::startNow                          NEW.
+ qt: ImportJob::startLater                  NEW.
 
 
 Noteworthy changes in version 1.18.0 (2022-08-10)
diff --git a/lang/qt/src/importjob.h b/lang/qt/src/importjob.h
index a81dcf26..0d677bed 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/importjob.h
+++ b/lang/qt/src/importjob.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
     Copyright (c) 2004 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB
     Copyright (c) 2016 by Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik
     Software engineering by Intevation GmbH
+    Copyright (c) 2023 g10 Code GmbH
+    Software engineering by Ingo Klöcker <dev@ingo-kloecker.de>
 
     QGpgME is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
@@ -88,6 +90,8 @@ public:
     virtual GpgME::Error start(const QByteArray &keyData) = 0;
 
     virtual GpgME::ImportResult exec(const QByteArray &keyData) = 0;
+
+    virtual GpgME::Error startLater(const QByteArray &keyData) = 0;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.cpp b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.cpp
index 2da54582..9f09ca7c 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.cpp
+++ b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.cpp
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ GpgME::ImportResult QGpgME::QGpgMEImportJob::exec(const QByteArray &keyData)
     return mResult;
 }
 
+Error QGpgMEImportJob::startLater(const QByteArray &certData)
+{
+    setWorkerFunction(std::bind(&import_qba, std::placeholders::_1, certData, importFilter(), keyOrigin(), keyOriginUrl()));
+    return {};
+}
+
 // PENDING(marc) implement showErrorDialog()
 
 void QGpgME::QGpgMEImportJob::resultHook(const result_type &tuple)
diff --git a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.h b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.h
index 860db226..ec4d39b4 100644
--- a/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.h
+++ b/lang/qt/src/qgpgmeimportjob.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
     Copyright (c) 2004,2008 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB
     Copyright (c) 2016 by Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik
     Software engineering by Intevation GmbH
+    Copyright (c) 2023 g10 Code GmbH
+    Software engineering by Ingo Klöcker <dev@ingo-kloecker.de>
 
     QGpgME is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
@@ -70,6 +72,8 @@ public:
     /* from ImportJob */
     GpgME::ImportResult exec(const QByteArray &keyData) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
+    GpgME::Error startLater(const QByteArray &keyData) override;
+
     /* from ThreadedJobMixin */
     void resultHook(const result_type &r) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
diff --git a/lang/qt/tests/t-import.cpp b/lang/qt/tests/t-import.cpp
index 33e242f0..ad226ba5 100644
--- a/lang/qt/tests/t-import.cpp
+++ b/lang/qt/tests/t-import.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,43 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
         QVERIFY(key.origin() == Key::OriginWKD);
         // the origin URL is currently not available in GpgME
     }
+
+    void testDeferredStart()
+    {
+        // pub   ed25519 2023-01-05 [SC]
+        //       4D1367FE9AF6334D8A55BA635A817A94C7B37E5D
+        // uid                      importDeferred@example.net
+        static const char keyFpr[] = "4D1367FE9AF6334D8A55BA635A817A94C7B37E5D";
+        static const char keyData[] =
+            "-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----\n"
+            "\n"
+            "mDMEY7bNSxYJKwYBBAHaRw8BAQdAazIWyd/xEMeObDSUnh2+AXQuo0oM+TDBG49z\n"
+            "KHvTAYG0GmltcG9ydERlZmVycmVkQGV4YW1wbGUubmV0iJMEExYKADsWIQRNE2f+\n"
+            "mvYzTYpVumNagXqUx7N+XQUCY7bNSwIbAwULCQgHAgIiAgYVCgkICwIEFgIDAQIe\n"
+            "BwIXgAAKCRBagXqUx7N+XasrAP4qPzLzPd6tWDZvP29ZYPTSrjrTb0U5MOJeIPKX\n"
+            "73jZswEAwWRvgH+GmhTOigw0UVtinAFvUEFVyvcW/GR19mw5XA0=\n"
+            "=JnpA\n"
+            "-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----\n";
+
+        auto *job = openpgp()->importJob();
+        job->startLater(QByteArray{keyData});
+        connect(job, &ImportJob::result, this,
+                [this](ImportResult result, QString, Error)
+        {
+            QVERIFY(!result.error());
+            QVERIFY(!result.imports().empty());
+            QVERIFY(result.numImported());
+            Q_EMIT asyncDone();
+        });
+        job->startNow();
+        QSignalSpy spy (this, SIGNAL(asyncDone()));
+        QVERIFY(spy.wait());
+
+        auto ctx = Context::createForProtocol(GpgME::OpenPGP);
+        GpgME::Error err;
+        const auto key = ctx->key(keyFpr, err, false);
+        QVERIFY(!key.isNull());
+    }
 };
 
 QTEST_MAIN(ImportTest)