Quebec Issues New Round of Invitations Under Skilled Worker Program, Over 200 Candidates Invited
The Quebec Ministry of Immigration held its latest skilled worker draw on August 28, 2025, with a total of 231 candidates receiving an invitation to take a crucial step toward permanent residence. The draw was conducted through the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PSTQ) and focused on two specific streams.
Details of the August 28 Draw
According to details released by the Ministry, invited candidates were selected from Stream 1 (Highly qualified and specialized skills stream) and Stream 4 (Exceptional talent stream) of the program.
In the Highly qualified and specialized skills stream, a total of 227 candidates were invited. To be eligible, they needed to meet the following core conditions:
- Be physically present in Quebec at the time of application;
- Hold an eligible diploma from a recognized Quebec university, college, or vocational secondary school. Specific requirements include:
- For a university-level diploma: completion of at least 30 credits;
- For a college or vocational secondary school diploma: certification of a program of at least 900 hours of study; and
- Achieve a minimum score of 760 on Quebec’s scoring grid.
In addition, all candidates were required to meet the other basic eligibility criteria for this stream.
In the Exceptional talent stream, only four candidates were invited. This highly selective stream required candidates to meet the following criteria:
- Hold a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree; and
- Have at least three years of work experience in their main profession within the last five years.
Similarly, these candidates also had to meet all other fundamental eligibility requirements for the stream.
Context: Quebec's Immigration Policy Reforms
This draw is not an isolated event but part of a broader and deeper adjustment of Quebec’s immigration policies. Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge had previously unveiled a draft of the province’s immigration guidelines for the next four years in June of this year, outlining a series of significant changes.
Key Measures Already Implemented:
- Suspension of applications for the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) – Workers stream until November 30, 2025.
- Extension of the suspension for the PEQ – Graduates stream until November 30, 2025.
- The reopening of the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PSTQ) in July 2025, of which this draw is a part.
- Extension of the suspension of intake for the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship) until December 31, 2027.
Proposed Future Reforms:
At the same time, the Quebec government has put forward a series of proposals aimed at reshaping the province's immigration landscape, with public consultations ending on August 15. The core proposals include:
- Setting targets for and planning a gradual reduction in the number of temporary residents.
- Reducing the number of temporary foreign workers in the province from 72,000 to 65,000 over four years, including a 50% cut in the number of temporary foreign workers in Montreal.
- Giving priority for permanent residence to temporary residents who are already in Quebec.
- Requiring temporary foreign workers to meet a minimum level of French proficiency to renew their work permits.
The Quebec government will make a final decision on overall immigration targets after considering public feedback. A finalized annual immigration levels plan is scheduled for publication in October 2025. The results of this latest draw clearly reflect the province's selection priorities during this period of policy transition.
Canada holds second monthly CEC draw, CRS score drops to lowest level since July
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted another Express Entry draw on November 26, 2025, inviting 1,000 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence. This round set a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 531—the lowest CEC cut-off since July—and ended a five-draw streak where the CRS threshold was locked at 533 or 534. To date, IRCC has issued a total of 88,476 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system in 2025.
11/28/2025
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
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