Quebec has announced a major overhaul of its immigration system, permanently closing the Quebec Experience Program (Programme de l’expérience québécoise, PEQ), one of the province’s most popular pathways to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers and international graduates. The Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) confirmed that the two main PEQ streams — the Quebec Graduates Stream and the Temporary Foreign Workers’ Stream — will officially end on November 19, 2025. Both streams had been paused since October 2024, with a temporary extension to November 30, 2025, before the closure was made permanent. The announcement on November 6 reflects Quebec’s intent to streamline immigration under a single skilled worker system.
Quebec will also phase out three permanent immigration pilot programmes targeting workers in food processing, orderlies, and the AI, IT, and visual effects sectors, with these pilots concluding on January 1, 2026. After these closures, the Skilled Worker Selection Program (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, PSTQ) will become the sole pathway for skilled worker immigration in the province.
MIFI clarified that applications already submitted under the PEQ and pilot programmes will continue to be processed. Selected candidates may also include family members, such as spouses and dependent children. Within the pilot programmes, only the Francophone profile of the Artificial Intelligence Stream will accept new applications until December 31, 2025, while all other streams have reached their intake limits.
Going forward, foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in Quebec will need to declare their interest through the Arrima portal under the PSTQ framework, which will feature four streams: highly qualified and specialised skills, intermediate and manual skills, regulated professions, and exceptional talent. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, intend to live and work in Quebec, demonstrate financial self-sufficiency for three months, and complete an Attestation of Learning about Quebec Democratic Values.
Quebec’s 2025 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 45,000 new permanent residents, with 64% of economic admissions expected to come from temporary residents already living in Quebec. For the first time, the province also announced temporary resident targets, projecting up to 55,700 foreign workers and 68,500 international students in 2026. Policy experts note that these changes reflect Quebec’s goal to centralise and simplify its immigration system, while aligning more closely with labour market demands and French language integration.
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