Quebec Immigration for Skilled Workers: PSTQ, PEQ and the CSQ

Quebec is the one province where your immigration story is written largely in French and decided largely by Quebec itself. That makes it very different from the rest of Canada. A strong Express Entry profile won't help you settle in Montreal, and a perfect English score won't carry you through Quebec's selection.

This guide explains how Quebec chooses skilled workers in September 2026, who is actually being invited and what the process costs. Quebec changes its programs and invitation rules often, so check quebec.ca before you act.

Why Quebec is different

Under an agreement with the federal government, Quebec selects most of its own economic immigrants. The federal government still handles admission. In practice that means two applications:

1. Selection by Quebec. If Quebec selects you, it issues a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), or Quebec Selection Certificate.
2. Admission by IRCC. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) checks your medical results, police certificates and security, then grants permanent residence.

A CSQ alone doesn't let you live in Canada. Only the second step does that.

The federal Immigration Levels Plan doesn't set a number for Quebec skilled workers. Quebec publishes its own plan and sets its own volumes.

The old programs and what replaced them

If you read older guides, you'll see names that no longer apply to new applicants.

• The Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) was replaced by the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) on 29 November 2024. Files invited before then continue under the old rules.
• The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) was suspended in November 2025. It reopened on 2 July 2026 for a limited group, explained below.

Today the PSTQ is the main way for skilled workers to be selected.

The PSTQ's four streams

Quebec classifies jobs using Canada's National Occupational Classification. In French, the skill level is called FEER (TEER in English).

What every applicant must do

Across all streams, Quebec requires you to:

• Sign a financial self-sufficiency contract, confirming you can support yourself and your family for the first three months.
• Obtain the Attestation of learning about democratic values and Québec values.
• Have an accompanying spouse or partner reach spoken French level 4 or higher.

French: the deciding factor

Quebec measures French on its own 12-level scale. For most skilled workers, the target is spoken level 7 and written level 5 (stream 1) or spoken level 5 (stream 2).

Quebec only accepts results from recognised tests, including the TEF Canada, TEFAQ and TCF from their official providers, and the DELF and DALF diplomas. Results generally have to be recent when you apply, so time your test carefully.

If you're starting from zero, plan in years. Many people take French classes for a long stretch before they reach level 7. Quebec's Francisation Québec service offers courses, and it's worth checking whether you qualify for them where you live.

How Arrima invitations work

Arrima is Quebec's free online portal. You don't apply to the PSTQ directly. Instead:

1. You create an Arrima account and submit an expression of interest describing your occupation, education, experience, French and family.
2. Quebec ranks candidates. It first checks stream criteria, then applies any targeting conditions for that round, then invites the highest scorers.
3. If you're invited, you have 30 days to submit your application for permanent selection. If you don't respond, your expression of interest is cancelled and removed.

Quebec says it doesn't invite anyone at random.

Who Quebec actually invited in 2026

This is the reality check that older articles miss. Quebec's 2026 invitation page, read in September 2026, shows:

The published rounds also included French thresholds matching the stream rules and, in several rounds, a Quebec diploma. The invitation figures published for 2026 were for streams 1 and 2.

In plain terms: if you're outside Quebec, you can submit an expression of interest, but the 2026 evidence suggests you're unlikely to be invited from abroad right now.

The PEQ in 2026

The Quebec Experience Program has long been the fastest route for people already in Quebec. Its 2026 reopening is limited.

• It runs from 2 July 2026 to 2 July 2028.
• The first application window runs from 2 July to 31 October 2026.
• It covers two groups: Quebec graduates who had obtained an eligible bachelor's, master's, doctorate or technical college diploma in Quebec, and temporary foreign workers with at least two years of Quebec work experience in FEER 0 to 3 jobs.
• Both groups must have met those conditions by 19 November 2025.

If you arrive in Quebec now, the PEQ won't be available to you under these rules. The PSTQ is your route.

Costs and money

You pay Quebec for selection and IRCC for permanent residence.

Quebec raised its fees by 2.05% on 1 January 2026, in line with inflation, and usually adjusts them every January. For a couple, Quebec's fees come to CAD 1,141 and IRCC's to CAD 3,350 including family biometrics, before tests, translations, medicals and police certificates.

Money matters once you're there

• Taxes: Quebec residents file two income tax returns, one with Revenu Québec and one with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Pension: your pay slip shows Quebec Pension Plan contributions instead of the Canada Pension Plan.
• Health: register with the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) as soon as you can, and check whether a waiting period applies. Private insurance can cover the gap.
• Banking: open an account early so your employer can pay you. Quebec's cooperative banks and the national banks all offer newcomer accounts.

Step by step: from Arrima to permanent residence

1. Confirm your occupation's NOC code and FEER level, and pick the stream that fits.
2. Measure your French honestly. Take a recognised test and compare it with your stream's level.
3. Check whether you need a comparative evaluation of your foreign studies.
4. Submit your expression of interest in Arrima. Every detail must match documents you can produce.
5. Watch the invitation page to see who is being chosen.
6. If invited, apply within 30 days and pay Quebec's fee.
7. Receive your CSQ if Quebec selects you.
8. Apply to IRCC for permanent residence, including biometrics, medicals and police certificates.
9. Land in Canada and settle in Quebec.

If you're abroad: realistic first steps

Given the 2026 invitation pattern, people abroad usually need a first stage in Quebec.

• Study in Quebec. A Quebec diploma is valued in rankings and was required in some 2026 rounds. International students need a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) before applying for a federal study permit. Quebec's 2026 fee for a student CAQ is CAD 135. Our study permit guide explains the federal side.
• Work in Quebec temporarily. Most employer-specific jobs need both a Quebec approval and a federal Labour Market Impact Assessment. Quebec's temporary worker selection fee is CAD 233 in 2026. See our guide on how to apply for a Canada work permit.
• Build your French now, whatever route you take.

If Quebec isn't a firm choice, compare the rest of Canada first. Our province-by-province PR comparison covers the other nominee programs.

Scams and red flags

• "Guaranteed CSQ" offers. Only Quebec's immigration ministry issues CSQs.
• Charging for Arrima registration. Creating an account and an expression of interest is free.
• Fake French results. Quebec only accepts results issued by recognised test providers, and false documents can lead to refusal.
• Unrecognised consultants. Consultants working on Quebec files must be recognised by Quebec's immigration ministry. Lawyers and Quebec notaries can also represent you.
• Paid job offers. A genuine employer never charges you for a job.

Your Quebec checklist

• Identify your NOC code, FEER level and PSTQ stream.
• Take a recognised French test and set a target level.
• Check whether you'd need a comparative evaluation of your studies.
• Create a free Arrima account and submit an accurate expression of interest.
• Read the latest invitation round before assuming you'll be invited.
• Prepare documents in advance, because you'll only have 30 days.
• Budget for Quebec and IRCC fees.
• If you're abroad, consider study or temporary work in Quebec first.

Quebec rewards long-term commitment to French and to the province. If that fits your plans, the route is real, just slower and more local than it used to be. If it doesn't, our map of Canada's immigration pathways shows the alternatives.