Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) published the results of the latest PSTQ round on June 4. It is the province's fifth draw of 2026, with the selection lists for all four streams pulled from the candidate pool of the Arrima online expression-of-interest system at 6:00 a.m. on June 1. Since Arrima launched in 2019, Quebec has issued a cumulative 58,747 invitations for permanent selection through the system; the province issued 2,910 invitations in all of 2025, while this single round alone accounted for 2,549—underscoring how much the selection cadence has quickened this year.
Across all PSTQ streams, candidates were required to already be living in Quebec at the time of the draw and to hold a qualifying Quebec credential, along with the relevant work experience and French-language ability. The distribution of invitations in this round was clearly concentrated among candidates who have studied and worked locally in Quebec and who meet the French thresholds, reflecting a policy orientation centred on retaining local talent and strengthening a French-speaking society.
Stream 1: Highly qualified and specialized skills
Stream 1 targets workers whose occupations fall under TEER 0, 1, or 2, who are currently living in Quebec, and who have 12 months of work experience over the past five years. It issued 1,094 invitations across four exercises—the largest of the four streams. Candidates had to demonstrate French proficiency of level 7 or higher in both oral skills and level 5 or higher in both written skills (accompanying spouses, if applicable, needed level 4 or higher in both oral skills), and had to have completed one year of full-time study in the province and hold one of the qualifying Quebec credentials: a vocational diploma or attestation of vocational specialization, a college or technical college diploma, a certificate, a specialized graduate diploma, a minor or major, a bachelor's degree, or a master's or doctoral degree.
The invitations issued and minimum scores by exercise were as follows:
| Exercise | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise 1 – Qualifying Québec diploma (at least 900h or 30 credits) | 459 | 677 |
| Exercise 2 – Qualifying Québec diploma + priority occupation (TEER 1–2) | 239 | 379 |
| Exercise 3 – Qualifying Québec diploma + priority occupation (TEER 0–2) | 165 | 666 |
| Exercise 4 – Qualifying Québec diploma | 231 | 692 |
Exercise 2, aimed at priority sectors such as health, education, and early childhood, had the lowest cut-off at just 379 points.
Stream 2: Intermediate and manual skills
Stream 2 targets workers whose occupations fall under TEER 3, 4, or 5, who are currently living in Quebec, and who have 24 months of work experience in the last five years (12 of them in the province). It issued 756 invitations. Candidates needed French proficiency of level 5 or higher in both oral skills (accompanying spouses, if applicable, needed level 4 or higher in both oral skills), and education equivalent to a Quebec high school diploma, a two-year full-time general post-secondary program, or a full-time program of at least one year equivalent to a qualifying Quebec credential.
| Exercise | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise 1 – Qualifying Québec diploma | 229 | 624 |
| Exercise 2 – Qualifying Québec diploma + priority occupation (TEER 3) | 256 | 330 |
| Exercise 3 – Qualifying Québec diploma + priority occupation (TEER 3–5) | 90 | 653 |
| Exercise 4 – Qualifying Québec diploma | 181 | 652 |
Stream 3: Regulated professions
Stream 3 targets candidates working in a regulated profession and currently residing in Quebec. It issued 677 invitations across five exercises, with candidates required to practise a profession appearing on MIFI's List of Regulated Professions. French-language and score requirements varied by exercise.
| Exercise | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise 1 – Qualifying Québec diploma + TEER 0–2 occupations | 73 | 562 |
| Exercise 2 – Priority occupation (TEER 1–2) | 393 | 275 |
| Exercise 3 – Priority occupation (TEER 1–2) | 118 | 556 |
| Exercise 4 – TEER 0–2 occupations | 71 | 580 |
| Exercise 5 – TEER 3–5 occupations | 22 | 637 |
Exercise 2, focused on regulated health and education occupations such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, and social workers, had both the lowest cut-off at 275 points and the most invitations.
Stream 4: Exceptional talent
Stream 4 targets candidates with at least 36 months of work experience in the last five years and issued 22 invitations across two exercises. Exercise 1 issued 17 invitations to candidates holding a positive opinion letter from a MIFI partner in one of the targeted fields, while Exercise 2 issued 5 invitations to candidates with an achievement listed on MIFI's List of Exceptional Achievements and a level of education equivalent to a Quebec doctorate (including undergraduate doctorates).
Policy context and trends
This round comes as Quebec continues to adjust its skilled-immigration and supporting policies. The province recently introduced a temporary public policy extending special work permits to the spouses and common-law partners of applicants for permanent selection, so that families can keep working and living in Quebec while their applications are processed—an approach that dovetails with the PSTQ's consistent requirement that candidates reside in the province. Overall, both the frequency of draws and the size of individual rounds have risen this year compared with previous years, and Quebec continues to prioritize French ability, local credentials, and in-demand occupations. For candidates hoping to obtain permanent residence (PR) through the Quebec route, meeting French thresholds early and building local study and work experience remain key to improving their chances of an invitation.
