Québec chooses its own economic immigrants and international students under an agreement with the federal government. The Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) selects the person, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) then decides on permanent residence or the permit and checks admissibility. Federal programs such as Express Entry and the provincial nominee programs are for people who plan to live outside Québec.
Most official Québec pages are in French. The links on this page go to quebec.ca.
Permanent selection
Skilled worker selection program (PSTQ) and Arrima
On 29 November 2024, the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ) replaced the former Regular Skilled Worker Program. It has 4 streams:
| Stream | For | French |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highly qualified workers (FEER 0, 1 or 2) | Oral level 7, written level 5 |
| 2 | Intermediate and manual jobs (FEER 3, 4 or 5), with at least 1 year of work in Québec | Oral level 5 |
| 3 | Regulated professions | See Québec's requirements |
| 4 | Exceptional talent | See Québec's requirements |
How it works:
- Submit a free expression of interest in Arrima, Québec's online system. It stays valid for 12 months.
- Québec issues invitations according to criteria it publishes for each round. In 2025 and 2026, invitations for streams 1 to 3 went only to people living in Québec.
- If invited, you apply for a Québec selection certificate (CSQ) within Québec's deadlines. From 1 January 2026 the fee is $940 for the principal applicant and $201 per family member.
- The CSQ is valid for 24 months or until IRCC decides. With the CSQ, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Québec Experience Program (PEQ): temporary reopening
- The PEQ was abolished on 19 November 2025, then temporarily reopened from 2 July 2026 to 2 July 2028.
- The first intake window runs from 2 July to 31 October 2026. It is open only to people who met the program's criteria on 19 November 2025, with oral French at level 7 and written French at level 5.
- Québec has said other intake windows could open, but none had been confirmed as of 10 October 2026.
Business categories
Québec's investor, entrepreneur and self-employed worker categories were open in 2026, with no cap, and require oral French at level 7. See Québec's business immigration page.
Québec's levels
Québec's 2026–2029 plan sets about 45,000 permanent admissions a year (a range of 43,000 to 47,000).
Temporary stays: the CAQ
- Studies. International students in Québec need a Québec acceptance certificate (CAQ), which also serves as the attestation letter IRCC asks for. Québec caps the number of study CAQ applications it accepts (105,223 for 17 December 2025 to 16 December 2026, and the same for the next 12-month period). The 2026 fee is $135.
- Work. For most jobs that need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the employer goes through a joint LMIA and work CAQ process. Québec suspends the processing of low-wage positions in Montréal and Laval until 31 December 2026, and ESDC also refuses to process low-wage LMIAs in the Montréal area. See our LMIA page.
- Validated job offer. An offre d'emploi validée is optional and can add points in the PSTQ. It costs $233 and is valid for 18 months. Since 17 December 2025, employers with 25 or more employees must show they meet Québec's French-language requirements.
Recent changes
- 31 October 2026: the first PEQ intake window closes.
- 2 July 2026: the PEQ temporarily reopens.
- 1 January 2026: new CSQ fees.
- 17 December 2025: study CAQ cap and new rules for validated job offers.
- 19 November 2025: the PEQ is abolished (before its temporary reopening).
- 29 November 2024: the PSTQ replaces the Regular Skilled Worker Program.
How we can help
To act as an immigration consultant for Québec's programs, a person needs recognition from the Québec government in addition to a CICC licence. Québec-stage services (Arrima expression of interest, CSQ, CAQ and validated job offer) are provided by Québec-recognized immigration consultants working with ANAS CANADA. You can check any consultant's recognition in Québec's directory.
Anasse Boulbaroud, RCIC, handles the federal stage: the permanent residence application to IRCC after you receive a CSQ, and federal study and work permits. Québec and IRCC make all decisions. Book a consultation, or see our fees and scope of practice.