Quebec Just Invited 519 More Workers for Permanent Residence

Quebec issued 519 invitations across its Programme de selection des travailleurs qualifies (PSTQ) in its ninth selection round of the year, the province’s Ministry of Immigration confirmed. The Quebec PSTQ permanent selection round split invitations across four separate streams, each targeting a different category of skilled worker already living and working in the province.

Stream 2, covering intermediate and manual-skill occupations, took the largest share with 316 invitations, including 254 issued to candidates in TEER 4 or 5 occupations holding a qualifying diploma. Stream 3, for regulated professions, issued 110 invitations, with healthcare, education and social-services occupations accounting for 69 of them. Stream 1, for highly qualified and specialized workers, issued 86 invitations, and Stream 4, reserved for exceptional talent, issued just 7.

How Quebec’s PSTQ permanent selection scoring works

Each stream carries its own eligibility bar and cutoff score. Stream 1 requires at least 12 months of recent Quebec work experience in a TEER 0–2 occupation, with cutoffs in this round ranging from 634 to 706 depending on the specific exercise. Stream 2 requires 24 months of recent experience in a TEER 3–5 occupation, with cutoffs between 611 and 706. Stream 3 targets residents intending to work in a regulated profession, with a much wider cutoff range of 380 to 697 depending on the occupation’s priority status. Stream 4 requires 36 months of experience plus either a positive opinion letter from a government partner organization or an exceptional achievement paired with a doctorate.

Candidate profiles were pulled from Quebec’s Arrima declaration-of-interest pool on September 21 for Streams 1 through 3, and September 24 for Stream 4, with invitations formally issued shortly after.

Why invitation volumes are shifting right now

Quebec reopened its Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) on July 2, and the province is scaling back PSTQ invitations while that first PEQ intake window remains open through October 31 — mainly affecting TEER 4–5 occupations and candidates with under two years of experience, the exact profile PEQ is designed to capture instead. From November 2026 onward, Quebec plans to balance invitation volumes between the two programs directly, with a stated goal of issuing roughly equal numbers of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) through PSTQ and PEQ by 2029.

That rebalancing explains why this round’s largest stream, Stream 2, is precisely the category PEQ is designed to serve — invitation numbers there are likely to keep shifting as the two programs settle into their new balance over the coming months.

What a Quebec PSTQ permanent selection invitation actually gets you

An invitation is not the same as approval. Invited candidates must still submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate, and only once that CSQ is issued can they apply to the federal government for permanent residence with the stated intent to settle in Quebec. Candidates already living in Canada who file their PR application afterward may become eligible for a bridging open work permit while the federal decision is pending, provided they maintain their status in the interim.

Quebec’s PSTQ functions as the province’s primary economic immigration pathway, distinct from the federal Express Entry system that governs most other provinces, which is why candidates aiming to settle specifically in Quebec need to track Arrima invitation rounds separately from federal draws.

What happens after this draw

Candidates who received an invitation in this round typically have a set window to submit their complete CSQ application, after which Quebec’s immigration ministry processes applications roughly in the order received, subject to standard document and eligibility checks. Given the PEQ-PSTQ rebalancing already underway, candidates who were not invited this round in TEER 4–5 occupations may find better odds applying through the newly reopened PEQ intake instead, at least until that window closes on October 31.

Watch for Quebec’s November invitation round, which the province has said will reflect the first phase of its planned long-term rebalancing between the two main economic pathways.

What people are asking about this draw

How many people were invited this round?
519 candidates across four PSTQ streams, with Stream 2 (intermediate and manual-skill occupations) taking the largest share at 316 invitations.

What’s the difference between PSTQ and Express Entry?
PSTQ is Quebec’s own economic immigration pathway; Express Entry is the federal system used by other Canadian provinces. Quebec manages its selection separately.

Why are PSTQ invitation numbers changing?
Quebec reopened its Quebec Experience Program on July 2 and is scaling back PSTQ invitations in overlapping categories while that intake window runs through October 31.

What cutoff score did this round require?
Cutoffs varied by stream and exercise, ranging from as low as 380 in parts of Stream 3 to as high as 706 in parts of Streams 1 and 2.

Does an invitation guarantee permanent residence?
No. Invited candidates must still apply for and receive a Quebec Selection Certificate before applying to the federal government for permanent residence.

Can I get a work permit while my application is processed?
Candidates already in Canada may be eligible for a bridging open work permit once they file their federal PR application, provided they maintain their status.

Sources

• CIC News — Quebec invites 519 workers to apply for permanent selection through PSTQ. cicnews.com
• Gouvernement du Quebec — Immigration permanente: un nombre important d’invitations transmises pour repondre aux besoins du Quebec. quebec.ca

For related coverage, see our reports on Canada’s September Express Entry round and the work permit freeze affecting six Canadian regions.