Quebec will re-open the Quebec Experience Program on July 2, 2026, giving eligible foreign workers and international graduates another temporary pathway to permanent residence selection in the province.
The Quebec Experience Program, known as the PEQ, is scheduled to remain open for two years, from July 2, 2026, to July 2, 2028.
The re-opening will take place in two phases. The first phase will run from July 2 to October 31, 2026, and will focus on foreign nationals who were eligible for the PEQ when the program was closed on November 19, 2025.
This first phase will include candidates who qualified under both PEQ streams:
- International graduates
- Foreign workers
Quebec intends to issue an equivalent number of Quebec Selection Certificates, or CSQs, across both streams during this phase.
Eligibility criteria will remain the same as they were when the PEQ graduate stream was suspended and the PEQ worker stream was closed.
Applications for the first phase will open on July 2, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time and will be accepted until October 31, 2026. There will be no cap on applications during this first phase.
Until October 31, Quebec will reduce the number of invitations it issues through the Skilled Worker Selection Program, known as the PSTQ. During that period, the province will mainly target:
- Candidates working in TEER 4 or 5 occupations
- Candidates who have not yet acquired two years of work experience
The PEQ re-opening is temporary. Quebec’s immigration ministry has indicated that it ultimately intends to sunset the PEQ and handle all permanent residence selection through the PSTQ.
The province had previously announced in May 2026 that the PEQ would re-open for two years, but had not provided a start date at that time. The July 2 launch date and additional details were announced by Quebec’s immigration ministry in a press release published on June 10, 2026.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
