On November 6, 2025, Québec’s Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, officially released the 2026–2029 multi-year immigration policy directions as well as the 2026 Québec immigration plan.
Over the past several years, the province has experienced growing pressure on essential public services—housing availability, healthcare access, educational services, childcare services, and French-language learning resources. As a result, the Government of Québec has approved a gradual reduction in both temporary and permanent immigration levels from 2023 to 2029.
For 2026, Québec plans to welcome:
- 45,000 new permanent residents, and
- 84,900 to 124,200 temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers.
Below is a summary of the major changes announced.
1. Complete Termination of the PEQ on November 19, 2025
As of November 19, 2025, the PEQ (Programme de l’expérience québécoise) will be completely abolished.
(Existing applications already submitted will still be processed.)
Moving forward, all Québec economic immigration will be streamlined under a single system: the PSTQ (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés).
Although many hoped that the PEQ would be restored, the government has now confirmed its permanent elimination. Considering that the new PSTQ points grid is highly detailed and specifically designed to target applicants who match Québec’s economic needs, the eventual removal of PEQ was expected—just sooner than many anticipated.
With the PEQ now permanently gone, applicants can no longer rely solely on Québec diplomas or local work experience. Instead, a strategic approach to maximizing PSTQ points is now essential. Since PSTQ invitations (Arrima draws) began in July, only a very small number of candidates have been invited, resulting in extremely high cutoff scores.
Applicants working in TEER 3, 4, or 5 occupations, especially those living in the Greater Montréal Area, have had almost no realistic chance of receiving an invitation under the current draw trends.
Even if PSTQ invitations increase in the future, applicants must carefully consider whether living and working in Montréal alone will be enough to reach a competitive score.
2. Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) – Important Changes
✓ LMIA suspension extended in Montréal & Laval until December 31, 2026
LMIA applications remain suspended for many occupations in these regions, and in any region where unemployment exceeds 6%.
- Exceptions: agriculture, construction, food processing, education, healthcare, and social services
- Occupations under $34.62/hour remain ineligible
3. French-language requirement for temporary workers
Québec previously announced plans to introduce a French requirement for workers applying for a CAQ (work permit stream).
This requirement will not apply to first-time work permit applicants,
but will apply to workers who have accumulated 3+ years of work in Québec when they renew their CAQ.
Due to a transition period, French-language verification (Level 4 oral) will only apply to applications submitted on or after December 17, 2028.
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Stay tuned for more updates here in our blog section.
— Kate Min Kwon, RCIC & RQIC
