Quebec Rewrites Immigration Rules With New 29,000-Per-Year Skilled Worker Program
Quebec is making a major shift in how it selects economic immigrants and the impact will be felt far beyond provincial borders.
The Quebec government has confirmed a new skilled worker selection program that will admit up to 29,000 economic immigrants every year. The plan is being positioned as a more controlled and predictable system, replacing a program that many newcomers once relied on as their fastest path to permanent residency.
The new system is called the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, or PSTQ. Under this model, Quebec will send out permanent residency invitations every month, continuing until the annual cap is reached. Officials say the goal is to create stability, both for applicants and for employers who depend on immigrant labour to keep key sectors running.
The government has already started issuing invitations. More than 2,500 people have been invited so far this year, signaling that the program is not theoretical. It is already reshaping lives.
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Priority is being given to three main groups. Graduates from Quebec schools come first, followed by workers in strategic sectors like health care, education, construction, early childhood services and engineering. The third group includes candidates ranked highest for their economic contribution and their ability to integrate linguistically, a critical factor in a French-speaking province.
Early numbers show a clear direction. Nearly two-thirds of those invited studied in Quebec. About one-third work in strategic sectors. Most are living outside the Montreal and Laval regions, reinforcing Quebec’s long-standing goal of spreading immigration across the province rather than concentrating it in one urban core.
What makes this announcement especially significant is what it replaces. The previous Program for the Quebec Experience, known as PEQ, was cancelled after more than a decade in place. That decision sparked protests and deep frustration among students and workers who had already built lives in Quebec and were counting on that pathway to stay permanently.
For them, this new program brings both hope and uncertainty. The government says PSTQ offers clearer rules and better planning. Critics argue it raises the bar and leaves some applicants behind.
Why does this matter? Because immigration is central to Quebec’s economy, its workforce and its demographic future. Decisions made now will shape who stays, who leaves and who gets a chance to call the province home.
This is not just a policy change. It is a reset. And for thousands of people, the stakes could not be higher.
Stay with us as this story continues to unfold and as the real-world consequences of Quebec’s new immigration system become clearer in the months ahead.
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