Québec’s New Immigration Rules: Plain Talk for Newcomers

Québec just unveiled a brand-new immigration plan, and trust us – it’s a lot to unpack. In November 2025, Québec’s immigration ministry (MIFI) announced major cuts, program shutdowns, and new rules. If you’re an international student, temporary worker, or PR hopeful, you’ve probably seen people panicking on social media. But let’s cut through the noise: here’s what actually changed and what it means for you, in simple, friendly terms (no political spin).

TL,DR :

• Fewer new immigrants: Québec will admit only about 45,000 new permanent residents per year starting in 2026 , down slightly from recent years. Of these, around 64% will be economic (skilled workers), with the rest mostly family and refugees.

• End of the PEQ fast-track: The popular Québec Experience Program (PEQ) – the easy route for many grads and temporary workers, will shut down on November 19 2025. No new PEQ applications will be accepted after that date. Existing PEQ applications (and those paused streams) will still be processed.

• One skilled-worker system (PSTQ): Québec is funneling everyone into a new Skilled Worker program called the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ). If you want PR through Québec’s economic class, you’ll now submit an expression of interest on the Arrima portal, then wait for an invitation under PSTQ.

• Pilot programs end: Three special pilot immigration streams (for food-processing workers, orderlies, and AI/IT/VFX professionals) will wrap up on January 1, 2026 as planned. Only the Francophone track of the AI/IT/VFX pilot will stay open through Dec 31, 2025.

• New language and civics rules: Starting Dec 17, 2025, foreign workers who’ve spent 3 years in Québec will need NCLC Level 4 French to get (or renew) their Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ). (There’s a 3-year grace period – checks actually start in late 2028.) Also, all prospective immigrants (and adult family members) must now complete a free online course on Québec’s democratic values and pass a quiz to get a Values Attestation .

• International student caps: Québec is capping new study permits. For 2025-26, universities in Québec can only submit 63,299 new study permit applications (with a total cap of 124,760 including colleges), about 20% fewer than last year. Once a school hits its limit, it can’t recruit more foreign students (with a few exemptions).

• Foreign worker limits: Québec for the first time set targets for temporary workers: in 2026 it plans to admit up to 55,700 foreign workers (40,400–55,700 range) and 68,500 international students (44,500–68,500 range). Québec has also extended a freeze on many Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in the Montréal/Laval area until end of 2026. This means many employers in Montréal/Laval still cannot bring in low-wage foreign workers via LMIAs.

• Refugees and sponsorship: Québec has pushed back the return of its collective sponsorship program (private refugee sponsorship). It’s now suspended until December 31, 2029eiglaw.com. In practice, that means family groups won’t be able to sponsor refugees from abroad for several more years; Québec says it will focus on integrating refugees already in the province.

These are the headlines. Let’s break each piece down in plain language, and use examples to see how it actually affects people. (Throughout this explanation, we’ll cite official announcements and news sources so you know it’s legit.)

Québec’s Overall Immigration Plan: Lower Targets

First, some background: Québec controls its own immigration numbers under a federal-provincial agreement. In early November 2025, Québec tabled a 4-year immigration orientations plan (2026–2029) and a 2026 Immigration Plan. The headline is: Québec is cutting its intake. For 2026 (and beyond), the province will permanently admit 45,000 new permanent residents per yearmoving2canada.com. This is a slight reduction from the 2025 plan, which had targeted up to 51,000 CSQs (Québec selection certificates)ey.com.

• Target breakdown: Of the 45,000 new permanent residents expected in 2026, about 64% will be economic immigrants (skilled workers). Roughly 27,500–30,100 spots are for economic programs, around 9,600–10,400 for family sponsorship, and 5,500–6,000 for refugees or humanitarian cases. (The rest are “other” categories.) Québec also wants at least 76–77% of these newcomers to speak French and aims to have 65% of new PRs already living in Québec by 2029 – meaning Québec really wants to prioritize people who are already here on work or study visas.

• Why 45,000? Québec says these cuts are to “manage growth” and match immigration to its ability to integrate newcomers. Officially, the goals are to relieve pressure on housing and services in big cities, protect the French language, and focus on labour-market needs. (Whether you agree with that or not, it’s the province’s stated reason.) So the upshot is: if you were expecting Québec to keep admitting 50k+ people each year, it won’t. It’ll stick around 45k PRs annually.

  Mini-story: Amélie (a French-speaking grad student) was hoping Québec would raise its numbers because so many international students are looking to stay. Now she sees the 45k target and sighs: “My dream of getting PR right after graduating just got harder.” (She and many others are now wondering if they’ll meet the new criteria.)

• Quebec’s system: Remember, Québec has its own selection system (via the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration, or MIFI) under the 1991 Canada-Québec Accord. In practice, that means Québec decides which candidates it selects (issuing a CSQ certificate), and then Ottawa gives the actual PR status. So when we say “Québec changed the rules,” it’s MIFI that made these changes. The federal government still controls the actual visas, but Québec is doing the planning and selections.

End of the Québec Experience Program (PEQ)

One of the biggest shocks was the end of the PEQ, Québec’s “fast-track” program that was extremely popular with international students and temporary workers. The PEQ had two streams: one for recent Québec graduates (who automatically qualified for PR if they met some criteria) and one for temporary foreign workers. Now MIFI has said both streams will close on November 19, 2025. (In fact, they had already paused them back in late 2024, and now they’re shutting them permanently.)

• What was PEQ? It was an easy route: study in Québec or work here and speak French well, and you could get Québec PR quickly. There were no points-based essays or lengthy waits. Because of that, PEQ was sometimes called the “backdoor PR.” Now it’s going away.

  Example: Rajiv is an engineer from India who graduated from Concordia and worked a year in his field. Under PEQ, he planned to apply immediately for PR. Now, with PEQ closing, he’ll have to switch gears to the new skilled-worker program (see next section). That probably means more paperwork and a longer wait for PR.

• Existing applicants: If you already applied under PEQ before the cut-off, don’t panic – MIFI will continue processing those applications. They’ve said any applications submitted will be dealt with. Also, if you’ve been selected (or in process) you can even add family members (spouse/kids) to your application as usual. So the rule is: if it’s already in the system, you should be fine. It’s only new applications that are barred after Nov 19, 2025.

• No new PEQ invites: After Nov 19, you cannot start a PEQ application, period. The government’s idea is to consolidate everything into the PSTQ (P.T.Q.) – the skilled-worker program discussed below. In plain speak: Québec is dumping this shortcut and making everyone go through the same points-based queue.

The Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) and Arrima

With PEQ gone, what’s left for economic PR applicants? It’s now all about the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ), accessible through the Arrima portal. Think of Arrima as Québec’s EOI (expression-of-interest) site. Here’s how it works:

1. Create an Arrima profile: If you want to settle in Québec permanently as a skilled worker, you log into Arrima and create a profile. You declare your interest and answer questions about your education, work, language, etc.

2. Get ranked and invited: Québec will periodically invite high-scoring candidates to apply for a CSQ under PSTQ. For example, in July 2025 Québec held its first PSTQ draw, inviting 216 people in the “Highly Qualified” stream and 22 in the “Exceptional Talent” streamcicnews.com. The focus was on people already in Québec, French-speaking, with local qualifications. Invitations are limited and based on a points grid (one known cut-off was 768 points in that first drawcicnews.com).

3. Submit PR application: If you get an invitation, you have 30 days to submit a full CSQ (Québec PR) application with all documents. You must meet certain criteria (age 18+, intend to live in Québec, able to do the job, etc.) and sign a commitment to support yourself for 3 monthscicnews.com. You’ll also need that Values Attestation (see below). If approved, Québec will give you a CSQ, and then you go to Ottawa for the final PR visa.

Key points about PSTQ/Arrima:

• This replaces not only the PEQ but also Québec’s old Skilled Worker programs. MIFI has said PSTQ will be the only skilled-worker route going forwardmoving2canada.comeiglaw.com.

• Arrima rounds are irregular. Unlike PEQ which you could apply to any time, with PSTQ you wait for draws. So timing is harder to predict. If you don’t get invited in one round, you wait for the next.

• You must meet PSTQ criteria. In past draws, candidates needed high French skills (level 7 oral/5 written) and either a Québec diploma or significant Québec work experiencecicnews.com. In general, French fluency and ties to Québec give you more points. It’s a competitive system now.

• Values course: New applicants (and their adult family) have to do an online course on Québec’s values and pass a test to prove you took itcicnews.comeconomictimes.indiatimes.com. It’s a short mandatory quiz about Québec’s Charter of Rights and Francophone culture.

  Mini-story: Sarah recently graduated from UQAM with a marketing degree. She used to count on PEQ, but now she’s opening an Arrima account instead. She’s a bit nervous – she sees on the site that she needs a strong score (and a good French test result) to get an invite. But at least she gets to continue through this new process.

Shutting Down the Pilot Programs

Québec had three special “pilot” immigration streams for jobs in high-demand fields: food processing workers, orderlies (health aides), and the AI/IT/VFX industry. These were always meant to be temporary. The government confirmed they will end as planned on January 1, 2026economictimes.indiatimes.commoving2canada.com. That means after 2025, no new applications under those pilots.

• Existing pilot applicants: If you already applied under a pilot (or were selected), your application will still be processed, and if you got CSQ you can add familyeiglaw.comeconomictimes.indiatimes.com. But Québec won’t open new spots. One exception: the Francophone track of the AI/IT/VFX pilot is still accepting new applications through Dec 31, 2025eiglaw.combusinesstoday.in. All other streams in those pilots have hit their caps already.

International Students: New Caps and Rules

For years, Québec had been very open to international students. Now the door is tightening. Effective Feb 26, 2025, Québec introduced strict caps on study permits (technically, on CAQ - Quebec Acceptance Certificate) for colleges and universitiescicnews.comtimesofindia.indiatimes.com:

• University cap: In 2025-2026, all Québec universities combined can submit only 63,299 study permit applicationscicnews.com. Once universities hit their individual limits, they must stop admitting new international students (except for exempt cases).

• Overall cap: Including vocational colleges and other institutions, the total cap is 124,760 international student applications between Feb 26, 2025 and Feb 26, 2026timesofindia.indiatimes.com. This is about 20% fewer than the previous yeartimesofindia.indiatimes.com.

• Exemptions: Students who already applied before Feb 26, 2025 are not counted under the captimesofindia.indiatimes.com. Also exempt are extensions, dependents of workers/students, primary/secondary school, certain refugee claimants, etc. But new applicants after that date are subject to the cap.

• Per-school limits: MIFI announced how many spots each school gets. For example, Laval University has 8,276 slots, McGill 5,131, Université de Montréal 8,709, etccicnews.com. (Smaller schools often get only a few hundred.) Once a university hits its number, it simply can’t accept more international freshmen unless they fall into an exemption.

In short, if you plan to start studies in Québec next year, don’t wait too long. Schools may reach their quota early and then shut the gate. On the flip side, if you’re already enrolled and extending your program at the same school and program, you’re fine (that’s an exemption). But transferring schools or starting a new program might run into the cap.

Scenario: Marco wanted to apply to McGill’s engineering program for Fall 2025. He’s relieved he started the CAQ/study permit process in January. If he had waited until March, McGill’s allotment might have been gone, and he’d have to scramble to another school or defer.

Temporary Foreign Workers: New Limits and Requirements

Québec also set new limits for temporary foreign workers (TFWs). For 2026, the plan is to allow between 40,400 and 55,700 TFWs to come (including renewals)moving2canada.com. About 48% of those will be in farming jobs, the rest in other sectors.

Key changes for TFWs:

• Suspended LMIA in Montréal/Laval: Québec has extended a ban on certain LMIAs (labour market tests) for jobs in Montréal and Laval until Dec 31, 2026eiglaw.com. This means many employers in those regions still cannot recruit temporary workers for low-wage positions through the usual provincial LMIAs. (This is meant to ease unemployment concerns in the big city area.) If your job is in Montréal/Laval and falls under the suspended list, your employer can’t get a CAQ for you under the normal LMIA path.

• French language rule: Any foreign worker who has lived 3 years in Québec and then applies for a new CAQ must have advanced spoken French (NCLC Level 4)eiglaw.com. This kicks in for renewals after Dec 17, 2025, but there’s a 3-year grace period – meaning the requirement is really enforced starting Dec 17, 2028eiglaw.com. Some categories are exempt (agricultural workers, diplomats’ staff, recognized NGOs).

• CAQ remains required: TFWs still need a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) before they apply for a federal work permit. The CAQ shows Québec agreed to your coming here to work. Québec indicated it will only issue a certain number of CAQs (e.g. 43,400–63,700 for TFWP in 2026) to hit its targetscicnews.com.

• Focus on local workers: If you already have 3 years of Québec experience and poor French, this rule gives you a few years to improve your French. It also tells future applicants: if you want a long-term contract or renewal, better brush up on French.

  Example: Fatima is a caregiver from the Philippines who’s now lived in Québec for 3.5 years. Before, she didn’t have to prove fluent French. But now when she renews her CAQ next year, she’ll need NCLC 4 in speaking Frencheiglaw.com. She’s starting intense French classes to meet the requirement by 2028. If she fails, she might lose her CAQ renewal.

What About Refugees and Asylum

Québec’s own Refugees Abroad (Private Sponsorship) program remains largely on pause. The government extended the suspension of new sponsorship applications until December 31, 2029eiglaw.com. In other words, group or family sponsors cannot start new private refugee files for the next several years. (All ongoing sponsorships or those already accepted will still go through, and sponsors can add dependentseiglaw.com.)

Québec’s strategy is now to prioritize refugees already in the province rather than boosting new arrivalsmoving2canada.com. Officially, Québec says it will focus on integrating refugees already here. So if you were expecting to sponsor someone from overseas, that pathway is effectively closed for now.

Special note: This pause only covers private sponsorship (programme des réfugiés à l’étranger). It does not change Québec’s commitments to refugees selected by government program or those claiming asylum in Canada. But it does mean groups like Community Sponsors Canada will have to wait until 2030 for this Québec program to reopen.

Processing & Transitions

Now, all of this sounds like a jumble of policies, but what’s crucial for newcomers is: How does this affect your timeline?

• If you’re already in the pipeline: Good news – your current application continues. Any PR application already submitted under PEQ or any pilot program “will continue to be examined”eiglaw.com. If you’ve declared interest in Arrima (or did last year), Québec says you should update or keep it active. Essentially, they’re finishing up the old programs for existing applicants, while opening new draws for everyone else.

• If you were planning to apply: As of now, skip the old forms. Go to Arrima and submit a new declaration of interest under PSTQ. Fill it out completely (including the Québec values test). If you qualify, hopefully Québec will invite you. There’s no longer any advantage to trying to jump the line – everyone’s funneled into PSTQ.

• Timeline expectations: Because everything changed, things may slow down or become uncertain. PSTQ draws might not happen on a fixed schedule (they did one in July 2025, and we don’t know exactly when the next one will be). Meanwhile, IRCC processing times for CSQs and PR could fluctuate. It’s wise to be patient, but stay proactive: check your Arrima account, make sure your documents and language results are ready when they call you.

  Tip: If you’re expecting a PR application to finish, keep your temporary status valid. Many people have ran into trouble because their study or work permit expired while waiting for PR. Always monitor your permit expiry and apply for extensions if needed. Québec did say processing times may lengthen due to these changes, so don’t assume it’ll be quick. (In fact, Québec applications have already been slower than the rest of Canada in recent years.)

Impact by Group: What It Means for You

Let’s break it down further by categories of newcomers:

• International Students (future grads): If you were counting on an easy PEQ route right after graduating, that’s gone. Now you’ll likely stay on a study or post-grad work permit longer and apply via PSTQ. On the bright side, new grads (especially those with a Québec degree and French) are good candidates for PSTQ if they score well. But expect to wait for an invitation. Also, remember the study permit caps – if you haven’t started your program yet, make sure your school hasn’t filled up its quota.

• International Students (current): If you’re already studying in Québec, these caps won’t affect your existing permit. If you extend your permit in the same program at the same school, it’s exempt. But if you finish and want to re-apply or switch schools, the new caps bite. And when you apply for PR, forget PEQ – look at PSTQ and ensure your profile is strong (good language results, etc.).

• Temporary Foreign Workers: Those on work permits should note the French requirement if they plan to renew long-term. Also, if you want to transition to PR, the PEQ-TFW route is disappearing. You’ll have to go through PSTQ. If you already have 3 years experience, consider improving your French level now to benefit from any extra points or to meet future CAQ requirements.

• French-Speaking Immigrants: Québec has said it favors French speakers. And indeed, only the French profile of the AI/IT/VFX pilot is still open for a biteiglaw.com. French knowledge will give you an edge in PSTQ draws and in fulfilling the new requirements. If you already speak French, keep it up – it’s now more important than ever.

• Family Reunification and Quebec Expression of Interest: Québec’s changes mostly target economic immigration. Family class is still alive at ~10k per year. If you’re sponsoring a spouse or parent, continue as before (just expect maybe a longer wait). Québec also talked about new ways to invite people already here, but we don’t have specifics yet.

• Refugee Sponsors: If you were in the pipeline to sponsor someone (like a sick sibling or a friend from overseas), you’ll have to wait. Québec’s private sponsorship program is off the table until 2029. Only refugees in Québec will get attention.

Mini-Stories: Real-Life Examples

To make this more concrete, here are a few small scenarios of how these changes hit actual people:

• A Step Ahead: Alice, an engineering student, completes her degree in 2025 and works for 12 months. Under the old PEQ rules, she could have immediately applied for PR. Now, with PEQ ending, she must join the PSTQ pool. She quickly registers on Arrima and improves her French to level 8. A few months later, she’s invited in a PSTQ draw (scores around 780) and gets her CSQ. Alice’s PR still goes through, but it took longer and required more prep than before.

• A Suspended Sponsor: Jean-Pierre, a Montreal retiree, was ready to sponsor his nephew from Haiti through Québec’s sponsorship program. Jean-Pierre paid the fees and prepared the documents. Then the announcement came: private sponsorship is paused. Jean-Pierre’s application must stop. He’s frustrated; he’s now been told the program won’t reopen for years. (All he can do is wait or see if the federal government offers another route.)

• Cap-Chased Student: Ling, from China, received admission to Université de Montréal for Fall 2025 in January and applied for her CAQ and study permit right away. By April, UdeM had hit its 8,709 cap. Since Ling applied early, she’s grandfathered in and gets her study visa. If she had delayed until June, she might have been out of luck or forced to go to a smaller school.

• Worker with a Deadline: Marko, a machine shop worker in Laval, has been on a Québec work permit for 3 years and speaks intermediate French. He didn’t know about the NCLC Level 4 requirement. In November 2025 he applies to renew his CAQ and is informed he needs a French test. He scrambles to take the test before Dec 2028. This change is designed to nudge him (and others) to improve their French while continuing to work here.

No More Political Spin – Just the Facts

We’ve skipped any of the politicians’ speeches or finger-pointing. But to be clear, Québec’s decisions are meant to align immigration with local conditions: fewer people, more French, more emphasis on those already here. Critics worry this will cause labour shortages or hurt Montréal’s multicultural growth. Supporters say Québec’s services are stretched and they need immigrants to integrate faster (with French). Wherever you stand, the rules are set for now, and everyone has to deal with them.

What’s important for you: plan with the new system in mind. If you were relying on an “easy route,” adjust your plan. Here’s a quick checklist:

• For PR applicants: Drop old plans; get on Arrima, do the values test, improve French if you can, and be ready to wait for an invite. Keep monitoring official updates on PSTQ draws.

• For students: Apply early and consider your school’s cap. If you already have your CAQ, relax. If you’re thinking of more studies, check if the institution has open spots.

• For workers: Keep your work status valid. If you need renewals or extensions (study or work permit), apply on time. Consider that the bar for PR is higher now, so maybe look at language or extra training to boost your profile.

• For sponsors: If you were sponsoring family or refugees, check which programs are still active. Many options are still open (family reunification is still on, for example), but some are locked (private refugee sponsorship).

No one is saying these changes were easy or that you have to agree with them. But knowing the new rules inside and out gives you an edge. Use official sources (MIFI announcements, CIC News updates, etc.) to track things if you need. And remember, Québec still wants many newcomers – the pipeline is just narrower and more focused now.