Key facts
- Quebec's Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) will reopen on July 2, 2026, for two years.
Quebec will reopen its Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), a key permanent residence pathway, on July 2, 2026, for two years. The initial phase targets previously eligible applicants from both graduate and worker streams with unchanged requirements and no application cap.
The reopening of Quebec's Experience Program provides a renewed opportunity for skilled workers and international graduates to pursue permanent residency in the province, while also signaling a shift towards a more centralized economic immigration selection process.
Quebec's immigration ministry has announced that the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), a significant pathway for permanent residency, will be reinstated on July 2, 2026. This program, which was suspended in November 2025, will operate for a period of two years, concluding on July 2, 2028.
The initial phase of the PEQ's reopening, scheduled from July 2 to October 31, 2026, is designed for foreign nationals who were eligible for the program prior to its suspension. This includes applicants from both the international graduate and foreign worker streams. Quebec aims to issue an equivalent number of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) from both streams during this period, with no cap on the number of applications accepted. The eligibility criteria will mirror those in effect before the suspension.
Concurrently, Quebec intends to reduce the number of invitations issued through its Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) until October 31, 2026. Invitations from the PSTQ will primarily target candidates in TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations, as well as those with less than two years of work experience. The provincial government has characterized the PEQ's revival as a temporary measure, indicating a long-term plan to phase out the program and consolidate all economic immigration selections under the PSTQ.
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