Quebec After the PEQ: Your PSTQ Strategy

For more than a decade, the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) was the most predictable way for international graduates and temporary workers to settle permanently in Quebec: meet the criteria, submit, wait. That era is over. The PEQ was abolished on November 19, 2025, and Quebec's Skilled Worker Selection Program, the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ), is now the main door for economic immigration to the province. It works through expressions of interest in the Arrima portal and competitive invitations, much like Express Entry at the federal level.

For French speakers, this shift is both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge: no more guaranteed timelines. The opportunity: French proficiency now weighs more heavily than ever in who gets invited. This guide explains how the PSTQ works in 2026, what French level each stream requires, and how to build a realistic strategy, including a federal backup plan.

What Changed and Why It Matters

FeatureFormer PEQPSTQ (2026)
Selection logicEligibility criteria, first come first servedRanking and invitations via Arrima
PredictabilityHighLow: depends on invitation rounds and scores
Role of FrenchMinimum thresholdMinimum threshold plus a major ranking factor
Target candidatesQuebec graduates and workersFour streams, from highly qualified to exceptional talent
Volume contextGrowing volumes until 2024Quebec plan of about 45,000 permanent immigrants per year for 2026-2029

The PSTQ's own invitation numbers show how selective it is. Quebec publishes each round on its official page, such as the 2026 Arrima invitation results, with the number invited by stream and the criteria used. In January 2026, for example, 1,094 people were invited in a single extraction.

A moving target: Quebec's immigration policy is under intense public debate. Transitional measures for former PEQ candidates have been discussed, and the provincial general election scheduled for October 5, 2026 could lead to further adjustments. Always rely on quebec.ca for the current rules before making decisions.

The Four PSTQ Streams

StreamWho it targetsMinimum oral French (Quebec scale)Strategic note
1 – Highly qualified expertiseJobs requiring university or advanced training (TEER 0, 1, 2)Level 7Most invitations in 2026 rounds; French strongly rewarded
2 – Intermediate and manual skillsTechnical, trade and intermediate jobs (TEER 3, 4, 5)Level 5Accessible French threshold, but invitations targeted by occupation
3 – Regulated professionsProfessions requiring a licence (nursing, engineering, etc.)Level 7Requires steps with the relevant professional order
4 – Exceptional talentInternationally recognised expertiseNo minimumVery small, niche stream

Some streams also include a written French requirement, and the spouse's French level can add points. Quebec uses its own scale (Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français), which is aligned with the 12-level Canadian framework. Check the exact thresholds on the official PSTQ page for your stream.

Which French Test for Quebec?

This is the most common and most expensive confusion. The TCF Canada is designed for federal IRCC programs such as Express Entry and citizenship. Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) publishes its own list of recognised tests and diplomas, which includes the TCF Québec. Before paying for any test, check whether your existing results appear on MIFI's current list. If you are pursuing both Quebec and federal routes, you may need to plan for two certifications.

There is also news on the test itself: France Éducation international has announced a partnership with MIFI and UQAM to adapt the TCF Québec more closely to Quebec linguistic realities, with the first adapted component (Listening) planned for late 2026 and a full rollout over three years. For the differences between the tests today, see TCF Canada vs TCF Québec: which test do you actually need? and the French-language comparison on online-tcfcanada.com.

How to Maximise Your Arrima Ranking

The PSTQ ranks candidates on a points grid combining human capital (French, age, education, experience), Quebec labour market needs and connections to Quebec (studies, work experience, job offer). French is the lever you control most directly.

Ranking levers in order of controllability:

  • Your French level: Moving from the minimum to an advanced level in oral and written French can add a significant number of points
  • Your spouse's French: Often overlooked; a spouse's test result can add points to the household profile
  • Validated job offer: Especially outside the Montreal area, where Quebec wants to direct newcomers
  • Quebec studies or work experience: Heavily rewarded for candidates already in the province
  • Occupation in demand: Rounds sometimes target specific occupations

Illustrative profile: Inès, 31, a Tunisian software developer working in Quebec City on a closed work permit, had been counting on the PEQ. After its abolition, she created an Arrima profile in Stream 1. Her oral French was already advanced, but her written score was only intermediate. She invested two months in written expression, retested, and also had her husband take a French test. Their combined profile rose enough to reach the range of recent Stream 1 invitations. In parallel, she kept an Express Entry profile with her TCF Canada NCLC 9 results, as a federal backup.

The Federal Backup Plan

Many French speakers who hoped to settle in Quebec are now pursuing federal Express Entry or provincial programs elsewhere, prioritising stability over geography. It is important to understand a key rule: Express Entry candidates selected by IRCC become permanent residents of Canada and settle outside Quebec for these programs. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants. You cannot use a federal Express Entry invitation to settle in Quebec as an economic immigrant.

When a dual strategy makes sense:

  • You are open to living in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba or elsewhere if Quebec does not invite you
  • You have NCLC 7 or more in all four skills with the TCF Canada (French-language draws had cutoffs between 382 and 420 in 2026)
  • Your Quebec ranking is uncertain or your permit expires soon

For the federal side, see our analysis of IRCC category-based draws in 2026 and the Atlantic Immigration Program for Francophones. New Brunswick in particular, as Canada's only officially bilingual province, attracts many former Quebec candidates.

Temporary Residents in Quebec: Protect Your Status

If you are in Quebec on a temporary permit:

  • Track your permit expiry date and plan extensions early; never let status lapse while waiting for an invitation
  • Check whether your employer can support a new work permit if needed
  • Keep your Arrima profile updated with every new test result, diploma or job change
  • Beware of consultants promising PSTQ invitations: no one can guarantee an invitation
  • Use only consultants recognised by Quebec and licensed federally, or a Quebec lawyer or notary

Improving French While You Wait

Because the PSTQ rewards French so heavily, the waiting time is not dead time. Quebec offers free francisation courses to eligible immigrants and temporary residents through Francisation Québec. Our guide to Quebec's free francisation courses explains how to access them. Improving from an intermediate to an advanced level in written French can be the difference between waiting indefinitely and receiving an invitation.

Your PSTQ Action Plan

Five steps for the next 60 days:

  1. Identify your stream: Match your occupation's TEER category to Stream 1, 2, 3 or 4
  2. Check your test: Confirm your French results are on MIFI's list of recognised tests
  3. Target the next French level: Especially written French, where many candidates leave points on the table
  4. Include your spouse: Plan a French test for your spouse if it can add points
  5. Build a federal backup: If you are open to living outside Quebec, prepare an Express Entry profile with TCF Canada NCLC 7+

The end of the PEQ closed a predictable door, but it did not close Quebec. In the PSTQ era, French is no longer just the language you will speak in Quebec: it is the currency that decides who gets invited. For more context on French-language pathways, see our French-language guide to TCF Canada and immigration by profile.