Quebec announces proposed immigration plans for 2026 – 2029

Quebec's Immigration Minister, Jean-François Roberge, has announced proposed provincial immigration guidelines for the next four years.

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The Quebec government has taken the following actions, effective immediately:

• Suspending the acceptance of applications under the PEQ - Workers pathway to permanent residence until Nov 30, 2025;
• Extending the suspension of the PEQ - Diplomes pathway to permanent residence, until Nov 30, 2025;
• Announcing the re-opening of the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) in July, 2025; and
• Extending the suspension of intake for the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship) until December 31, 2027.

The Quebec government has proposed taking the following actions:

• Establishing targets for temporary resident levels, including a planned reduction in the number of temporary residents;
• Reducing the number of Quebec-jurisdiction temporary foreign workers from 72,000 to 65,000, over four years, and reducing the number of temporary foreign workers in Montreal by 50%;
• Prioritizing existing temporary residents in Quebec for permanent residency; and
• Requiring temporary foreign workers to reach a minimum level of French language proficiency in order to renew their work permits.

Roberge made these announcements in a press conference on 5 June, 2025.

Holding up a chart showing temporary resident levels over time, Roberge criticized Ottawa for the growth in temporary residents in Quebec under the International Mobility Program (IMP), and called for the federal government to reduce levels of temporary foreign workers from 400,000 to 200,000.

Roberge said that Quebec would not increase its permanent residence admissions targets until the federal government achieved this reduction in the levels of temporary foreign workers under the IMP.

He also emphasized that economic immigration in Quebec would focus on existing temporary residents with French language skills and employment who had already integrated successfully into Quebec society, as well as those with studies in Quebec and those whose occupations help address labour shortages.

"Becoming a Quebecer is a privilege, not a right," said Roberge (in French), emphasizing the importance of protecting the French language and Quebec culture.

Invitations for to apply for selection for permanent immigration will also focus on areas outside the regions of Montreal and Laval.

The published document includes three potential scenarios for annual permanent residence admissions targets: 25,000, 35,000, and 45,000.

The proposed actions have been released for consultation with the public. The Quebec government plans to receive input from the public until Aug 15, 2025.

In the press conference, Roberge emphasized that the government had not yet made a decision on overall admissions targets, as it was awaiting input from the public for the upcoming levels plan, to be published in Oct, 2025.

In-progress applications

The Quebec government will continue to process existing applications, including application submitted under both PEQ streams prior to their suspensions, and applications to the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) - the precursor to the PSTQ - which were submitted prior to the PRTQ's closure on Nov 29, 2024.

Existing PEQ applicants are still able to add family members such as spouses and dependent children to their in-progress applications.

Candidates who submitted Arrima profiles prior to November 29, 2024 must update their profiles in order to be considered for selection under the PSTQ.

Recent developments in Quebec immigration

Immigration to Quebec has undergone significant changes in recent months, reflecting broader shifts in Canadian immigration.

This year, the province aims to welcome between 48,500 and 51,500 new immigrants, in line with previous projections; however, this admissions target will be accomplished in the face of multiple consequential changes to the province's immigration system.

Most notable among these changes may be the previous pause in application intake for the Quebec Experience Program—Quebec Graduates stream (PEQ Diplomés) and the pause in invitations issued under the SWSP. These streams were two of the most popular immigration pathways for foreign nationals to Quebec, and have seen their admissions drop significantly as Quebec looks to rein in its immigration levels. Prior to this announcement, admissions through the PEQ - Diplomes were not considered in Quebec's annual Immigration Levels Plan.

In addition, Quebec's immigration minister implemented several changes to the criteria for individuals admitted for permanent residence, including:

• Instituting a country cap on candidates admitted under the PSTQ to no more than 25% of foreign nationals from a given country;
• Doubling down on French proficiency requirements, such that 79 - 80% of all admitted immigrants must know French at the time of admission.

Temporary residents in Quebec

Prior to today's announcement, Quebec's provincial government had not joined the federal government in instituting limits on its temporary resident population. The province had, however, joined the rest of Canada in implementing a freeze of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in August of 2024. This policy (which was extended today) was originally only supposed to be in place for six months.

In October of 2024, Canada's federal government imposed temporary resident levels for the first time ever, seeking to curb the admission of work and study permit holders in response to housing supply and affordability pressures.

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