PSTQ 2026: Quebec's Skilled Worker Selection Program, Streams, and How to Apply

As of June 9, 2026.

The PSTQ (Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, or Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program) is Quebec's main route to permanent immigration for skilled workers, whether you are already in Quebec or applying from abroad. You apply by creating a profile in the Arrima system and submitting an expression of interest. Quebec invites the highest-ranked profiles in periodic rounds, invited people file a permanent selection application, and those approved receive a Quebec selection certificate. Only then do you apply to the federal department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), for permanent residence. French ability is now central to who gets invited. This guide explains the program, the four streams, the points and French levels, and a new June 2026 bridging work permit for invited workers.

What is the PSTQ?

The PSTQ is the program Quebec uses to select skilled workers for permanent residence. It replaced the older Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés (PRTQ) on November 29, 2024, and now covers all occupations on the Quebec job market through four streams. Quebec, not the federal government, runs the selection: it decides who is invited, assesses your application, and issues a selection certificate. The federal side handles the final permanent residence step. The program is open to people inside Quebec and to applicants abroad, and the first step for everyone is the same: submit an expression of interest in Arrima. You can read Quebec's overview on the official PSTQ program page.

What are the four PSTQ streams?

The PSTQ has four streams, each built around the kind of occupation you intend to work in. Quebec sorts your main occupation using its National Occupational Classification (NOC) code and the related "training, education, experience and responsibilities" (FEER, equivalent to the federal TEER) category. You apply under the stream that matches your occupation, and you must meet both the general requirements and that stream's specific rules. General requirements apply to everyone: you must be 18 or older, intend to settle and work in Quebec, sign a Financial Self-Sufficiency Contract showing you can support yourself for three months, and obtain the attestation of learning democratic and Quebec values. The table below summarizes the four streams.

You can confirm each stream's exact rules on Quebec's PSTQ requirements page.

Which PSTQ streams require French, and at what level?

Streams 1, 2, and 3 each require French from the principal applicant, at a level that depends on the stream and the FEER category of your occupation. Stream 1 asks for oral French at level 7 or higher and written French at level 5 or higher on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français. Stream 2 asks for spoken French at level 5 or higher. Stream 3 follows the FEER category: oral level 7 and written level 5 for categories 0, 1 and 2, and spoken level 5 for categories 3, 4 and 5. Stream 4, Exceptional talent, is assessed on achievement, and the requirements page does not state a fixed French level for it, though French is central to selection across the program. An accompanying spouse or common-law partner is asked to show spoken French at level 4 or higher. Quebec accepts specific tests and diplomas as proof, listed on its requirements page. If you are building a French record while working in Canada, our guide to the Francophone Mobility permanent residence pathway explains how French-speaking work experience can help.

How does Arrima work, from declaration of interest to CSQ?

Arrima is Quebec's online platform for the PSTQ. You create an account and submit a declaration of interest, also called an expression of interest, with your age, education, work experience, French level and occupation. Your profile is scored and ranked in Quebec's database. In each invitation round, Quebec targets a stream and a profile, then invites the people with the highest scores until it reaches its target number. If you are invited, you have 30 days to accept in your Arrima account. After you accept, Quebec sends instructions to submit a Demande de sélection permanente (DSP), the formal permanent selection application. Quebec examines that file, and if it approves, it issues a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). Our companion explainer on the Arrima Quebec immigration portal walks through account setup. Quebec describes the round process on its PSTQ invitation page.

What happens after you receive a CSQ?

A Certificat de sélection du Québec is Quebec's decision that it has selected you, but it is not permanent residence by itself. With a valid CSQ you submit a complete permanent residence application to the federal government. At this stage IRCC checks admissibility: it reviews your documents, runs security and criminal background checks, and confirms your identity. Most applicants give fingerprints and a photo, so plan to give your biometrics once IRCC asks. You and your family members usually also complete an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician. The federal process for Quebec-selected applicants is set out on the Quebec-selected skilled workers process page, and overall intake sits within the federal immigration levels plan.

What is the June 5, 2026 bridging work permit for PSTQ candidates?

On June 5, 2026, IRCC signed a temporary public policy that helps PSTQ-invited workers keep working in Quebec while their selection is assessed. If you were invited to apply for permanent selection and have submitted a Demande de sélection permanente, you may apply for an employer-specific work permit that lets you keep working for your Quebec employer for up to 12 months. Your employer does not need a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and you do not file a new LMIA or Quebec Acceptance Certificate. The same policy lets your spouse or common-law partner apply for an open work permit so families stay together during the assessment, a step we cover in our spouse open work permit guide. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2026, when the policy expires. See the IRCC work permit instructions for Quebec skilled workers and the temporary public policy on work permits in Quebec.

How long does the PSTQ take and what does it cost?

The PSTQ has two stages with separate timelines and fees, and both are set by the governments that run them, so they change over time. The Quebec stage covers your Arrima profile, the invitation, your permanent selection application and the CSQ; Quebec sets those processing fees and publishes them on its own pages. The federal stage covers your permanent residence application after the CSQ; IRCC sets those fees and processing times and updates them on canada.ca. Because both change, you should confirm the current amounts and timelines directly on the government pages rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere. The federal step for Quebec-selected applicants, including how to apply and what to pay, is described on the Quebec-selected skilled workers process page.

What are the most common PSTQ mistakes?

The most frequent mistakes come from treating the PSTQ like a one-step program or underestimating French. People assume a CSQ is permanent residence, when it is only Quebec's selection and must be followed by a federal application. Others let the 30-day window to accept an invitation lapse, which voids their expression of interest. A weak French record is the single biggest gap, since French level decides both eligibility and ranking. Watch for these errors:

• Treating the CSQ as final and skipping the federal permanent residence application to IRCC.
• Missing the 30-day deadline to accept an Arrima invitation, which removes your profile.
• Declaring a main occupation in the wrong stream, or one you no longer intend to practise.
• Filing French test results below your stream's required level.
• Forgetting the Financial Self-Sufficiency Contract or the attestation of Quebec values.

What else do skilled workers ask about the PSTQ?

These are common questions from skilled workers comparing the PSTQ with other routes to permanent residence in Canada. The answers below are short and point to the government pages that set the rules. Immigration policy changes often, so confirm details against the official Quebec and federal pages before you act, and treat any score or timeline you read elsewhere as informal until a government page confirms it.

What is the minimum score for arrima Quebec?

There is no single fixed pass mark published ahead of time. Quebec ranks declarations of interest by score, then in each round invites the highest-scoring profiles in a targeted stream until it reaches its target number. The minimum score for that round is simply the score of the last person invited, so it changes from one round to the next and from one stream to another. Quebec states that comparing minimum scores between streams is not useful.

What happens after I get an Arrima invitation?

You have 30 days from the invitation date to accept it in your Arrima account. Once you accept, Quebec sends a second message explaining how to submit your Demande de sélection permanente. You file that application with supporting documents, and if Quebec approves it, you receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec. With the CSQ you then apply to IRCC for permanent residence. If you do not respond within 30 days, your expression of interest becomes void and is removed from the database.

Who is eligible for the Quebec skilled worker program?

To qualify you must be at least 18, intend to settle in Quebec to work, and meet both the general requirements and your stream's specific rules. Streams 1, 2, and 3 set a French requirement at a level that depends on your occupation; Stream 4, Exceptional talent, is assessed on achievement and states no fixed French level. You also sign a Financial Self-Sufficiency Contract showing three months of funds and obtain the attestation of learning democratic and Quebec values. Your occupation determines which of the four streams applies to you.

How can I get PR in Quebec?

For skilled workers, the main route is the PSTQ. Submit an expression of interest in Arrima, wait for an invitation, file your Demande de sélection permanente, and obtain a Certificat de sélection du Québec. The CSQ is Quebec's selection decision; it does not grant status on its own. You then apply to the federal government for permanent residence, and IRCC decides admissibility through document, security and medical checks before approving.

Is it easier to get PR in Quebec?

Quebec runs its own selection, so the criteria differ from federal Express Entry, and there is no guarantee one route is easier. The PSTQ now puts French at the centre of both eligibility and ranking, so a strong French profile in an in-demand occupation helps. Remember that Quebec selection and federal permanent residence are two separate approvals, and you must pass both to settle permanently in Quebec.

How can Go Far Global help with your PSTQ application?

Go Far Global is a licensed Canadian immigration firm in Toronto (RCIC #R515110). Under Canadian law, only a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), a Canadian lawyer, or a Quebec notary may act as your paid representative. Our team can review your Arrima profile, confirm which PSTQ stream fits your occupation and French level, and prepare both your Quebec selection file and your federal permanent residence application. We do not promise invitations or approvals; Quebec and IRCC make those decisions on their own criteria.

Sources

All government links below were verified on June 9, 2026.

• Quebec-selected skilled workers: About the process, Government of Canada.
• Work permits for Quebec temporary workers who applied for permanent selection under the PSTQ, Government of Canada.
• Temporary public policy to facilitate work permits for permanent residence candidates in Quebec and their spouses, Government of Canada.
• Biometrics, Government of Canada.
• Immigration medical exams, Government of Canada.
• Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ): about the program, Gouvernement du Québec.
• PSTQ requirements and the four streams, Gouvernement du Québec.
• PSTQ invitation to apply for permanent selection, Gouvernement du Québec.