'People used a lot of resources, energy, time, [and] made sacrifices to get the requirements'
Quebec’s sudden suspension of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) for temporary foreign workers has left many immigrants and employers in uncertainty, according to a report.
The provincial government previously noted that as of June 5, 2025, applications under the Temporary Foreign Workers stream of the PEQ are no longer being accepted. The suspension of applications under the Québec Graduate stream—which has been in effect since Oct. 31, 2024—has also been extended.
These suspensions will apply until Nov. 30, 2025.
“We are in limbo,” said Diego Morales Cañizares—who arrived in Montreal from Colombia over two years ago—in a Montreal Gazette article after their application was rejected by the system on the very day they finalized their paperwork.
Morales’s visa will expire in 2027, but he said he may leave early if they can’t find a way to stay permanently, according to the report.
Shift in immigration strategy in Quebec
In late 2024, the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) announced a shift in its immigration strategy with the implementation of the new Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ). Designed to align with Quebec’s workforce needs, the PSTQ operates on a four-component framework, covering diverse skill sets and qualifications. The components are as follows:
- High Qualification and Specialized Skills
- Intermediate and Manual Skills
- Regulated Professions
- Exceptional Talents
In June this year, Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge announced the suspension for temporary foreign workers.
“People used a lot of resources, energy, time, [and] made sacrifices to get the requirements,” said Manuel Salamanca Cardona, a community organiser at the Montreal-based Immigrant Workers Centre. The province “just changed the rules from one day to another,” he told the Montreal Gazette.
Immigration lawyer comments on PSTQ
The provincial government has pointed temporary workers to the PSTQ, which is by invitation only and prioritises candidates outside Montreal, according to the report.
Invitations under the program will begin in July 2025. According to the Quebec government, these will target individuals already living in Quebec, particularly those with regional work or study experience, who are French-speaking and employed in in-demand occupations. Exceptional talent will also be considered.
However, immigration lawyer Laurence Trempe, co-president of the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates en droit de l’immigration, said this program is not a replacement for the PEQ. “You might never be selected, even if you’re a francophone and integrated with work experience,” Trempe told the Montreal Gazette .
Trempe added that the unpredictability of Quebec’s immigration policies undermines public confidence and may prompt skilled workers to leave for other provinces, where the federal system is often easier for French speakers to navigate, according to the report.
Now, Morales and his wife Maria Paula are now considering moving to another province.
“For me it’s difficult, because I don’t speak English,” Paula said, according to the Montreal Gazette,
In June, Quebec announced proposed changes to its immigration policy that also include significant reductions to both temporary and permanent immigration levels between 2026 and 2029.
Previously, the federal government suspended for six months the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for the low-wage stream of the TFW Program in Montreal. Later, Ottawa started refusing to process said application in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher across Canada.
