Decision to replace PEQ with Skilled Worker Selection Program or PSTQ criticized
A possible lawsuit over Quebec’s immigration overhaul is adding a new layer of uncertainty for employers already grappling with the fallout from sudden rule changes.
CBC reports that at least one immigration lawyer appears to be preparing a legal challenge to the province’s decision to abolish a key pathway to permanent residency, raising questions about how stable the current framework will be in the months ahead.
In November, the provincial government scrapped the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ), a popular fast‑track route to permanent residency for international graduates and temporary foreign workers. The government says the move is intended to give Quebec more control over who settles in the province for economic reasons.
PEQ replaced by 3 pilot programs
The PEQ—including both Quebec Graduates and Temporary Foreign Workers streams—has been discontinued, and three pilot programs for food processing, personal support, and high-tech workers ended on Jan. 1.
The PEQ has been replaced by the Skilled Worker Selection Program, known by its French initials PSTQ. Under the new system, temporary residents are scored on a 1,200‑point scale based on education, French‑language proficiency and work experience, with higher scores increasing the chances of being invited to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate – a key step toward permanent residency, according to CBC.
Quebec Immigration Minister Jean‑François Roberge has underscored that “nothing is automatic” for people who had been counting on the PEQ to secure that certificate, CBC reported. The new framework prioritises sectors such as health and education, while penalising candidates in Montreal and Laval.
Limiting employers’ access to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program proved to be a significant challenge for Quebec hotels ahead of the past summer season, according to a previous report.
No ‘grandfather’-ing
A major flashpoint is the government’s refusal to “grandfather” or exempt people who were already living, studying or working in Quebec when the PEQ was scrapped. Despite months of appeals from affected residents and advocacy groups, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government has held its line, CBC has reported.
In November 2025, Quebec released its 2026–2029 immigration guidelines which set a cap of 45,000 permanent admissions per year.
In 2025, projections from the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration said Quebec is expected to welcome between 57,210 and 61,220 permanent immigrants, according to a report from La Presse.
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.
