As of July 18, 2026.
The Programme de l'experience quebecoise (PEQ), or Quebec Experience Program, is open again. It reopened on July 2, 2026 at 8:30am Montreal time after being closed for about thirteen months, and Quebec has framed this reopening as a temporary window rather than a permanent restoration. If you graduated from a Quebec institution recently, or you have been working in Quebec on a temporary permit, this is one of the more direct routes to a Quebec selection certificate, and there are firm deadlines you need to know.
What is the PEQ and why does it matter in 2026?
Short answer: The PEQ is Quebec's experience-based skilled-worker pathway for people already established in the province, and in 2026 it reopened only as a temporary two-year window that closes permanently on July 2, 2028.
The PEQ selects economic immigrants who already live, study, or work in Quebec, based on their Quebec experience and their French rather than on a points score. It had been suspended on October 31, 2024 and was officially closed on November 19, 2025. Quebec announced the reopening on May 5, 2026 and released full details in June 2026. After the window sunsets on July 2, 2028, the Programme de selection des travailleurs qualifies (PSTQ), or Skilled Worker Selection Program, becomes Quebec's sole skilled-worker selection pathway. If you want the points-based sibling of the PEQ, we cover it separately in our guide to the PSTQ.
Because Quebec runs its own economic immigration under the Canada-Quebec Accord, PEQ applicants do not compete in the federal Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used by Express Entry. That system is for provinces outside Quebec.
When can I apply, and is there a cap?
Short answer: The first application period runs from July 2 to October 31, 2026, and there is no application cap for this period.
You must use the June 2026 versions of the forms. Older versions of the forms are not admissible, and using an outdated form is an avoidable way to have an application rejected. Below is a timeline of the key dates.
| Date | Event |
|---|
| October 31, 2024 | PEQ suspended |
| November 19, 2025 | PEQ officially closed |
| May 5, 2026 | Reopening announced |
| June 2026 | Full details and new forms released |
| July 2, 2026 (8:30am Montreal time) | PEQ reopens |
| October 31, 2026 | End of first application period (no cap) |
| July 2, 2028 | PEQ closes permanently |
What are the two PEQ streams?
Short answer: There is a Quebec Graduates stream (Diplomes du Quebec) and a Temporary Foreign Workers stream, each with its own eligibility rules and its own French requirement.
The Graduates stream is for people who earned a qualifying Quebec credential. The Workers stream is for people who built up qualifying Quebec work experience. A few acronyms in the table below deserve a plain expansion up front. A DEC is a Diplome d'etudes collegiales, a technical college diploma. A DEP is a Diplome d'etudes professionnelles, a professional diploma, and for the PEQ it must be at least 1,800 hours. FEER stands for Formation, etudes, experience et responsabilites, the Quebec skill tiers, and tiers 0 to 3 cover management, professional, technical, and skilled roles. NCLC stands for Niveau de competence linguistique canadien, the Canadian language benchmark scale used in French. With those defined, here is the core of each stream.
| Requirement | Quebec Graduates | Temporary Foreign Workers |
|---|
| Qualifying basis | Quebec bachelor's, master's, doctorate, DEC, or DEP of at least 1,800 hours | At least 2 years of full-time Quebec work in a FEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation |
| Timing | Completed the program within the last 36 months | Experience acquired by November 19, 2025, within the 3 years before applying |
| Current status | Legally in Quebec when applying | Must currently hold a qualifying FEER 0 to 3 job when applying |
| French (main applicant) | NCLC 7 speaking and listening; NCLC 5 reading and writing | NCLC 7 speaking and listening only |
| Prior work experience | Not required | Central to eligibility |
You apply through the stream that matches your situation.
What does the Graduates stream require in detail?
Short answer: You need a qualifying Quebec credential completed within the last 36 months, you must be 18 or older, you must have studied full-time in Quebec while living there for at least half of the program, and you must intend to work for a Quebec employer.
Beyond the credential, the Graduates stream asks that you were 18 or older, studied full-time in Quebec, lived in Quebec for at least 50 percent of the length of the program, and are legally in Quebec at the time of application. You must intend to work for a Quebec employer, which means self-employment does not satisfy this stream. No prior Quebec work experience is required.
There is one change in 2026 that matters to a lot of graduates. The old requirement to have completed three years of full-time study in French has been removed. Graduates now meet the French condition through the language levels described below rather than through a study-in-French rule. If you studied in English but have strong spoken and written French, this change may open the stream to you.
How much French do I actually need?
Short answer: The main applicant generally needs Niveau de competence linguistique canadien (NCLC) 7 in speaking and listening, with the reading and writing requirement depending on the stream.
The NCLC is the Canadian language benchmark scale used in French. For the Graduates stream, the main applicant needs NCLC 7 for speaking and listening, which is roughly Cadre europeen commun de reference (CEFR) level B2, and NCLC 5 for reading and writing, which is roughly B1. For the Workers stream, the main applicant needs NCLC 7 for speaking and listening only, with no written French requirement.
| Person | French requirement |
|---|
| Main applicant, Graduates stream | NCLC 7 speaking and listening; NCLC 5 reading and writing |
| Main applicant, Workers stream | NCLC 7 speaking and listening only |
| Accompanying spouse or partner | NCLC 4 speaking (about CEFR A2) |
| Dependent children | No French requirement |
An accompanying spouse or partner needs NCLC 4 in speaking, which is roughly CEFR A2. Dependent children have no French requirement.
Does a CSQ mean I have permanent residence?
Short answer: No. A Certificat de selection du Quebec (CSQ) is Quebec's selection decision, and it is a step toward permanent residence, not permanent residence itself.
The path runs in two stages. First, Quebec selects you and issues a Certificat de selection du Quebec (CSQ), or Quebec selection certificate, which you submit through the Arrima portal under the Canada-Quebec Accord. Second, the CSQ holder applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the federal department, for permanent residence, and IRCC runs the security and medical checks. The CSQ is not permanent residence. You are only a permanent resident once IRCC approves that second, federal application.
Since April 2026, CSQ applicants can access a transitional open work permit while the federal permanent residence application is processed. We do not publish a fixed federal processing figure here, because that number moves; if you want a current view of timelines, check our processing times page rather than relying on a static estimate.
PEQ or PSTQ: which one is for me?
Short answer: The PEQ fits Quebec graduates and experienced temporary workers with strong spoken French who are already in Quebec, while the PSTQ is the broader points-based program and will be Quebec's only skilled-worker pathway after July 2, 2028.
The PEQ is experience and language based. The PSTQ is points-based, broader in who it can reach, and it is the program that continues after the PEQ window closes. From June 10, 2026, Quebec splits its CSQ allocations equally between the PEQ and the PSTQ through 2029, so both programs will be issuing selection certificates side by side for the next few years.
For context, Quebec's 2026 to 2029 orientations set an overall permanent-resident target near 45,000 per year. There is also a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) freeze in Montreal and Laval that runs through December 31, 2026, which affects employer-driven hiring in those two areas during the same period.
What if I do not qualify for the PEQ?
Short answer: If you have strong French but do not meet the PEQ's Quebec-based conditions, the federal Express Entry French-language draws are often the better route, because they have carried some of the lowest CRS cut-offs.
The PEQ rewards people who are already rooted in Quebec through study or work. If you are not in that position, a PEQ application will not succeed without those Quebec ties. People with strong French who fall outside the PEQ should look closely at the federal Express Entry French-language category, which has repeatedly drawn candidates at lower CRS scores than the general draws. That is a different system with different rules, and the right choice depends on your profile.
How can Go Far Global help with a PEQ application?
Short answer: We are a licensed Canadian immigration firm led by a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), and we help Quebec graduates and temporary workers read these rules correctly the first time.
The PEQ window is real but finite, and the details, the form versions, the FEER tier of your job, the exact French benchmarks, are where applications succeed or fail. If you are not sure whether the PEQ, the PSTQ, or a federal Express Entry route fits you best, start with our free assessment. If you want a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant to review your specific case in depth, you can book a paid consultation. The consultation is a paid service, and we will tell you honestly which pathway gives you the strongest shot.
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Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
