Quebec’s immigration landscape in 2024 has been marked by significant changes, many of which are set to impact immigration to the province in 2025.
These changes—particularly to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), family sponsorships, and Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs)—will affect both prospective immigration candidates, and those already navigating Quebec’s immigration pathways.
This article will break down the major changes that will shape Quebec’s immigration system in 2025, including
- Changes to Quebec’s overall immigration levels in 2025;
- The suspension of the PEQ Graduate stream;
- Increased French language requirements for the PEQ Graduate stream;
- The pause on invitations for the Regular Skilled Worker Program (now the Skilled Worker Selection Program);
- The introduction of country-specific caps on Skilled Worker Selection Program;
- The suspension of low-wage LMIAs for workers in the Montreal administrative area; and
- The introduction of a cap on family sponsorship applications.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
Changes to the Quebec Immigration Levels Plan for 2025
Quebec’s immigration plan for 2025 aims to admit between 48,500 and 51,500 immigrants.
These levels are in line with previous years of immigration: in 2024 the province aimed to welcome between 48,310 and 52,530 new immigrants. The economic category will see the largest proportion of newcomers, with approximately 31,000 to 32,900 immigrants expected.
Economic immigration is planned to make up 72% of admissions to Quebec in 2025, with the remaining allocation earmarked for family reunification and refugee programs. Notably, the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) will continue to play a significant role in new admissions, despite the pause on new applications (more on this below).
French proficiency will continue to be a key selection factor for Quebec immigration in 2025, with the province targeting 95% francophone immigration through economic pathways, and 79-80% francophone immigration overall.
Suspension of the PEQ Graduate stream
Quebec has paused its PEQ Graduate stream (PEQ – Diplômés), until June 30, 2025. During this time the province will not accept applications for permanent selection under this stream.
Note that, unlike the SWSP, there is not an “invitation” step for the PEQ – Diplômés. As long as newcomers meet the eligibility criteria for the program and the stream they apply to, they may submit an application to be considered for a CSQ.
This suspension is part of a broader effort to curtail the increase in immigrant numbers in Quebec.
The number of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs)—which allow recipients to apply to the federal government for permanent residency—issued to PEQ Graduates is expected to fall, with targets ranging from 4,500 to 5,700 CSQs in 2025. This target is a drastic decrease from the estimated 14,500 CSQs issued in 2024.
As a result, the overall number of permanent residents admitted through the PEQ will be significantly reduced, from a previous target of between 15,000 to 19,000 admissions to a revised target of between 13,500 to 15,000 admissions.
The pause of invitations issued through this stream will impact a large number of foreign graduates and workers in Quebec who previously were able to use the PEQ as a pathway to permanent residency.
Graduates looking to apply to the PEQ – Diplômés stream may have other options to immigrate to Canada through federal or other provincial pathways.
Increased French-language requirements for PEQ Graduate stream
As of November 23, 2024, graduates from Quebec post-secondary institutions will need to meet stricter French-language requirements to be eligible for the PEQ Graduate stream.
Specifically, students must have completed at least 75% of their program’s courses or credits in French. This change applies to both college and university-level programs, with slight variations based on the level of study.
These changes impact students differently depending on their level of study:
| Level and type of study | New French language criteria |
|---|---|
| Students in vocational and college training programs | 75% of courses must be completed in French. |
| Students in University undergraduate programs | 75% of program credits must be completed in French. |
| Students in University master’s or PhD programs | 75% of program credits must be completed in French. Theses, master's dissertations, internships, and research labs may be completed in a language other than French, but all other program courses or credits must meet the French-language requirement. |
Graduates from programs which do meet the new language requirements may still be eligible if they previously completed at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary studies in French, either in Quebec or abroad.
Impact on Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ)
The Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) has also been put on hold until June 30, 2025, with no new invitations being issued for permanent selection through this pathway during this time.
As of November 29, 2024, the PRTQ was replaced by the Qualified Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), which is expected to contribute to the admission of up to 32,350 economic immigrants in 2025.
For context, newcomers applying to the PRTQ (now the PSTQ) use the following process:
- Submit an expression of interest through the Arrima pool. Arrima is the online e-filing service that the government of Quebec uses to manage immigration applications;
- If scored highly enough, candidates receive an invitation to apply to the province for permanent selection, through the issuance of a CSQ;
- If the application is successful, the newcomer will receive a CSQ and may now apply directly to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence;
- If the second application is successful newcomers will be approved for permanent residency and must land in Canada to complete the permanent residence process.
Applications for permanent residence made through the PRTQ before November 29 will continue to be processed under the criteria of the previous program.
This transition will impact candidates who were preparing to apply under the PSTQ in the next six months, most of them foreign skilled workers. Candidates eligible for the PSTQ may have other options for Canadian immigration available to them.
Country-specific limits on invitations under the PRTQ
In another significant shift, Quebec has introduced a new policy to limit the number of invitations issued to candidates from any single country under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (now the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PRTQ)).
Effective from October 9, 2024, to October 9, 2025, the policy will ensure that no more than 25% of invitations issued in any given draw can be issued to candidates from the same country.
This move aims to increase diversity in the pool of economic immigrants, as Quebec immigration authorities noted a reduction in the diversity of applicants in 2024.
Though this policy was initially instituted under the PRTQ it has been extended to the PSTQ.
Suspension of LMIAs for low-wage jobs
Starting September 3, 2024, Quebec imposed a six-month suspension on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD (the province’s median hourly wage).
This suspension applies specifically to job offers in the administrative region of Montréal and aims to regulate the number of temporary foreign workers in Quebec.
This change also applies to renewals of LMIAs, with no applications under the low-wage stream of the TFWP processed during this time.
This change does not affect certain high-demand sectors such as agriculture, construction, food processing, education, and health and social services. Jobs with a wage higher than the Quebec median wage, and those who applied for an LMIA before September 3 are also exempt from this change.
The federal government followed suit, imposing a freeze on some low-wage LMIA applications in metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate equal to or above 6%, effective September 26, 2024.
Due to the importance of LMIAs in the hiring of foreign nationals under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), this change is likely to impact foreign nationals in Quebec looking to transition to permanent residence, as well.
To see which metropolitan areas are impacted (in Quebec and across Canada) visit IRCC’s webpage.
Family sponsorship cap implemented
Quebec implemented a cap on family sponsorship applications.
From June 26, 2024, through June 25, 2026, only 13,000 family sponsorship applications will be accepted, including 10,400 for spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children, and 2,600 for other eligible relatives.
After the cap has been hit, any further applications will be returned without processing and the application fee refunded.
This limit reflects Quebec’s intention to control the intake of family-sponsored immigrants, which has been linked by some provincial government officials to pressures on the province’s housing market.
About Quebec Immigration
Quebec holds a unique position among Canada’s provinces for the control that it has over the immigrants it welcomes.
As a result, the province’s immigration pathways are run separately from federal pathways, with different eligibility criteria and requirements for Quebec immigration (though newcomers planning to settle in the province must still apply to IRCC at the end of the process to be approved for PR).
Newcomers intending to settle in Quebec are not eligible for Express Entry, nor other federal programs, and must instead first apply to the Ministry of Immigration, Frenchisation and Integration (MIFI)—Quebec’s provincial immigration authority—to receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).
Accordingly, Quebec often has its own versions of federal immigration programs and services. For example, where the federal economic immigration uses the Express Entry system, Quebec uses Arrima. Similarly, while the federal system includes the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) for newcomers with Canadian work experience, Quebec employs the Quebec Experience Class (PEQ) for newcomers in the province who have experience working and studying there.
To learn more about Quebec immigration visit our dedicated webpages here.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration