Quebec has halted two key pathways for permanent residency.
As of now, the province will no longer accept applications for the Quebec Experience Program – Quebec Graduates (PEQ – Diplômés) and will stop issuing invitations for the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ).
Both programs provide routes to permanent residency in Canada.
These suspensions will remain in place until June 30, 2025.
Cutback on PEQ – Diplômés CSQs and a decrease in PR admission targets
According to Quebec’s Immigration Levels Plan released today, the provincial government anticipates that the suspension will significantly decrease the number of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) issued to PEQ Graduates, lowering the expected total from 14,500 in 2024 to a target range of 4,500 to 5,700 for 2025.
The Ministry states that this pause will also lead to a reduced target for permanent residency admissions through this program, with estimates set between 13,500 and 15,000 for 2025. Previously, projections indicated that without the suspension, admissions could have reached between 15,000 and 19,000 in 2025.
While Quebec aims to uphold its overall permanent residency target of 50,000 for 2025, this figure will now encompass those selected under the PEQ graduate program. In the past, the number of graduates admitted through the PEQ Diplômés was reported separately in Quebec’s annual Immigration Levels Plan.
Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Jean-François Roberge, noted that these measures are intended to slow the influx of immigrants to the province in the upcoming years.
It is important to note that only the graduate stream of the PEQ has been suspended, while the PEQ worker stream remains available.
Suspension of the Regular Skilled Worker Program and the Skilled Worker Selection Program
The Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration has announced that it will no longer extend invitations for permanent selection under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ), nor the Skilled Worker Selection Program (SWSP), which is set to take the place of the PRTQ on November 29, 2024.
The PRTQ currently accounts for the largest share of admissions within Quebec’s immigration system. This suspension is intended to allow the province to revise the program before the launch of the Qualified Skilled Worker Selection Program on November 29.
According to Quebec’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025, the province anticipates welcoming up to 32,900 economic immigrants that year.
Requirements for the PEQ worker stream
To qualify for the PEQ worker stream, applicants must:
- Demonstrate a commitment to settling in Quebec and obtaining employment, ensuring the job is not in an ineligible sector.
- Have spent time in Quebec temporarily for work purposes.
- Possess at least 24 months of full-time work experience in Quebec within the last 36 months, in a job classified as level 0, A, or B.
- Hold legal status in Quebec as a temporary worker or through a youth exchange program, such as International Experience Canada (IEC) (including Working Holiday, Young Professionals, or International Co-op Internship).
- Be legally present in Quebec at the time of application.
Other Recent Changes
Quebec has made several recent adjustments to its immigration system. Earlier this month, the province set a limit on the number of foreign nationals from any single country who can be admitted under the Regular Skilled Worker Program, stating that individuals from one country may comprise only 25% of total admissions under the PRTQ.
Additionally, the province declared that it will no longer accept applications from employers in Montreal wishing to hire temporary foreign workers for positions that offer wages below the median provincial hourly rate.
