Quebec has paused two significant pathways to permanent residency.
As of now, the province has stopped accepting applications for the Quebec Experience Program – Quebec Graduates (PEQ – Diplômés) and will halt issuing invitations for the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ).
Both of these programs serve as routes to permanent residency in Canada.
The suspension is set to continue until June 30, 2025.
Decrease in PEQ РDipl̫m̩s CSQs and reduction in PR admission targets
Quebec’s Immigration Levels Plan, unveiled today, anticipates a substantial reduction in Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) issued to PEQ Graduates. The projected number for 2024 was 14,500, but this has been adjusted to a target range of 4,500 to 5,700 for 2025.
The Ministry states that this suspension will lower the target for permanent residence admissions through the PEQ Graduate program to between 13,500 and 15,000 in 2025. Without the pause, 2025 admissions were expected to range from 15,000 to 19,000.
Quebec still aims to meet its overall target of 50,000 permanent resident admissions in 2025. However, this total will now include those selected under the PEQ Graduate program, which was previously counted separately in the province’s annual Immigration Levels Plan.
Minister of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration, Jean-François Roberge, explains that these measures are intended to manage the rise in immigration to Quebec in the coming years.
Notably, only the PEQ Graduate stream has been paused, while the PEQ Worker stream remains available.
Suspension of the Regular Skilled Worker and Skilled Worker Selection Programs
The Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration has announced that it will stop issuing invitations for permanent selection under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) and the new Skilled Worker Selection Program (SWSP), set to replace the PRTQ on November 29, 2024.
As the leading program for admissions in Quebec’s immigration system, the pause in the PRTQ will allow the province to redesign it before launching the updated Qualified Skilled Worker Selection Program on November 29.
According to Quebec’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025, the province projects up to 32,900 economic immigrant admissions next year.
Eligibility criteria for the PEQ Worker Stream
To qualify for the PEQ Worker Stream, applicants must:
- Intend to live and work in Quebec in an eligible employment sector;
- Have resided in Quebec temporarily for work purposes;
- Possess full-time work experience in Quebec, specifically in a job classified as skill level 0, A, or B, for a minimum of 24 out of the 36 months prior to submitting the application;
- Hold legal status in Quebec as a temporary worker or participant in a youth exchange program, such as International Experience Canada (IEC) (e.g., Working Holiday, Young Professionals, or International Co-op Internship); and
- Be legally present in Quebec when applying.
Recent updates
Quebec has recently made several adjustments to its immigration system. For instance, earlier this month, the province established a limit on the number of foreign nationals from any single country who can be invited under the Regular Skilled Worker Program. According to this new rule, applicants from any one country may represent no more than 25% of the total admissions under the PRTQ.
Additionally, the province declared that it will no longer accept applications from employers in Montreal looking to hire temporary foreign workers for positions that offer wages below the provincial median hourly rate.
