Quebec invites over 2,500 candidates across all PSTQ streams to apply for permanent selection.
Quebec has once again opened the door wide for skilled newcomers, issuing 2,549 invitations to apply for permanent selection in its latest round under the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ), also known as the Skilled Worker Selection Program. Drawn from the province’s Arrima expression-of-interest bank on the morning of June 1, 2026, this selection round touched all four PSTQ streams and marked the fifth invitation exercise the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) has held so far this year. For candidates with profiles sitting in the Arrima pool, and for the thousands more watching Quebec’s evolving skilled worker pathway from abroad, this draw is a strong signal that the province intends to keep its post-PEQ immigration engine running at a brisk pace. Below, the immigration team at Prestige Law breaks down exactly who was invited, how the numbers were distributed across each stream and exercise, what the eligibility thresholds reveal about Quebec’s current labour priorities, and what candidates need to do next to convert an invitation into a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) and, eventually, Canadian permanent residence. Quebec Invites PSTQ Candidates
Quebec’s June 2026 PSTQ draw at a glance.
Since the province retired the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) as an automatic pathway, the PSTQ has become the dominant route through which skilled workers, international graduates, and experienced tradespeople secure their CSQ. Unlike a single, uniform draw, each PSTQ invitation round is really a collection of smaller, targeted “exercises” nested inside four broader streams. Quebec extracts candidate profiles from Arrima at a fixed date and time, ranks them according to the province’s points grid, and then issues invitations exercise by exercise until the planned quota for that round is filled.
In this particular round, the breakdown looked like this:
PSTQ StreamInvitations IssuedShare of Total
Stream 1 – Highly Qualified and Specialised Skills 1,094 42.9%
Stream 2 – Intermediate and Manual Skills 756 29.7%
Stream 3 – Regulated Professions 677 26.6%
Stream 4 – Exceptional Talent 22 0.9%
Total 2,549 100%
The largest share of invitations, just under 43 per cent, went to candidates in Stream 1, which targets workers in managerial, professional, and technical occupations classified under TEER 0, 1, or 2 of Canada’s National Occupational Classification system. This isn’t surprising. Quebec has consistently prioritised higher-skilled, French-proficient candidates who are already living and working in the province, and Stream 1 remains the broadest and most heavily subscribed channel within the PSTQ framework.
A quick primer: what exactly is the PSTQ?
For readers who are newer to Quebec’s immigration system, it helps to step back and explain how the PSTQ actually works before diving into the numbers.
The PSTQ replaced the old Quebec Skilled Worker Program and absorbed much of what used to flow through the PEQ. It operates on an expression-of-interest model through the Arrima online portal. Prospective candidates create a profile, answer detailed questions about their education, work history, language ability, and ties to Quebec, and receive a numerical score under the province’s selection grid. That profile then sits in the Arrima pool until the Ministry runs a draw.
What makes the PSTQ distinctive compared with Express Entry or other provincial programs is its four-stream architecture, each designed around a different kind of worker:
Stream 1 (Highly Qualified and Specialised Skills) is built for candidates in TEER 0 to TEER 2 occupations — think engineers, IT professionals, managers, and technical specialists — who are currently residing in Quebec and can demonstrate strong French proficiency.
Stream 2 (Intermediate and Manual Skills) targets TEER 3 to TEER 5 occupations, covering skilled trades, technical support roles, and intermediate-level positions that keep Quebec’s construction, manufacturing, and service sectors running.
Stream 3 (Regulated Professions) is reserved for candidates working in professions that require a licence or permit from a Quebec regulatory body — physicians, nurses, engineers, teachers, and similar roles where professional certification is mandatory.
Stream 4 (Exceptional Talent) is the smallest and most selective channel, designed for individuals with extraordinary achievements, doctoral-level credentials, or a positive opinion letter from a ministry-recognised partner organisation in a targeted field.
Within each stream, the Ministry runs multiple “exercises,” each with its own minimum score threshold, French-language requirement, and sometimes a list of priority occupations tied to sectors the province has flagged as facing labour shortages — healthcare, early childhood education, engineering, and the skilled trades being recurring favourites.
Stream 1: Highly Qualified and Specialised Skills — the largest invitation pool
Stream 1 produced 1,094 invitations across four separate exercises, making it the single biggest contributor to this round’s total. To qualify under any Stream 1 exercise, a candidate generally needed to be residing in Quebec at the time of selection, hold a recognized Quebec educational credential earned through at least one year of full-time study, demonstrate oral French proficiency at level 7 or higher and written proficiency at level 5 or higher (with accompanying spouses required to reach at least level 4 orally), and show a minimum of twelve months of relevant work experience within the past five years.
ExerciseFocusInvitations
Exercise 1 General qualifying Quebec diploma (minimum 900 hours of study or 30 university credits) 459
Exercise 2 Qualifying diploma plus a priority occupation in TEER 1–2, concentrated in health, education, and early childhood sectors 239
Exercise 3 Qualifying diploma plus a priority occupation in TEER 0–2, weighted toward engineering and skilled technical trades 165
Exercise 4 General qualifying diploma, broader occupational scope 231
The score thresholds tell their own story. Exercise 1 required a relatively high 677 points, reflecting strong competition among general applicants, while Exercise 2 — which targeted occupations such as allied health professionals, pharmacy technicians, counsellors, social and community service workers, and early childhood educators — accepted candidates with as few as 379 points, a clear sign that Quebec is willing to lower the bar considerably when a candidate’s occupation falls squarely within a designated labour shortage area. Exercise 3, aimed at engineering managers, industrial and manufacturing engineers, electrical and mechanical technologists, welders, machinists, pipefitters, carpenters, and crane operators among others, required 666 points, while Exercise 4 set the highest bar of the stream at 692 points for candidates without a priority occupation tie-in.
Stream 2: Intermediate and Manual Skills — Quebec’s trades and frontline workforce
Stream 2 generated 756 invitations spread across four exercises, targeting candidates in TEER 3 through TEER 5 occupations. The baseline requirements here were somewhat less demanding on the French-language front, calling for oral proficiency of level 5 or higher (spouses needed level 4), but the work-experience bar was actually higher than in Stream 1 — candidates needed 24 months of relevant experience within the last five years, including at least 12 months accrued while living in Quebec.
ExerciseFocusInvitations
Exercise 1 General qualifying Quebec diploma or equivalent secondary/post-secondary credential 229
Exercise 2 Diploma plus a TEER 3 priority occupation, concentrated in medical and pharmacy support roles 256
Exercise 3 Diploma plus a TEER 3–5 priority occupation, spanning food service, construction finishing trades, and heavy equipment operation 90
Exercise 4 General qualifying diploma, broader occupational scope 181
Once again, the priority-occupation exercise carried the lowest threshold of the group. Exercise 2, which prioritised medical laboratory assistants, nurse aides, orderlies, patient service associates, and pharmacy assistants, required just 330 points — a sharp discount compared with the 624 points needed under Exercise 1’s general stream. Exercise 3, covering recreation and fitness instructors, cooks, food and beverage servers, light-duty cleaners, concrete finishers, tilesetters, drywall installers, roofers, glaziers, painters, floor covering installers, heavy equipment operators, and construction labourers, asked for 653 points, while Exercise 4’s general pathway required 652 points.
Stream 3: Regulated Professions — a dedicated lane for licensed practitioners
Stream 3 delivered 677 invitations across five distinct exercises, the most of any stream in this round, reflecting how granular Quebec’s targeting has become for professions that require formal licensing before someone can legally practise. Every Stream 3 candidate had to be working in an occupation that appears on the Ministry’s official list of regulated professions, and French-language requirements varied meaningfully by exercise — some exercises demanded the full oral level 7 / written level 5 combination, while others accepted oral level 5 alone.
ExerciseFocusInvitations
Exercise 1 Qualifying Quebec diploma combined with a TEER 0–2 occupation 73
Exercise 2 Priority occupation in TEER 1–2, dominated by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, psychologists, and educators 393
Exercise 3 Priority occupation in TEER 1–2, weighted toward engineers, electricians, plumbers, and skilled trades 118
Exercise 4 General TEER 0–2 regulated occupations 71
Exercise 5 TEER 3–5 regulated occupations 22
Exercise 2 alone accounted for more than half of all Stream 3 invitations, and it makes sense once you look at who qualified: specialists in clinical and surgical medicine, family physicians, veterinarians, dentists, audiologists, pharmacists, dietitians, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, opticians, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists, dental hygienists, medical laboratory and radiation technologists, secondary and elementary school teachers, social workers, counsellors, and early childhood educators. The required score for this exercise was just 275 points — by far the lowest threshold in the entire June draw — underscoring how aggressively Quebec is trying to plug gaps in its healthcare and education systems. Exercise 3, by contrast, targeted regulated trades such as land surveyors, civil and mechanical engineers, electrical and chemical engineers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC mechanics, elevator constructors, and crane operators, with a 556-point minimum.
Stream 4: Exceptional Talent — small in number, high in distinction
Stream 4 remains the narrowest gateway in the PSTQ system, producing just 22 invitations across two exercises in this round. Candidates in this stream needed at least 36 months of relevant work experience within the past five years and either a positive opinion letter from a recognised MIFI partner organisation in a targeted field (17 invitations) or documented evidence of an exceptional achievement combined with a doctoral-level credential (5 invitations). While small in volume, this stream exists specifically to fast-track individuals whose accomplishments — research breakthroughs, internationally recognised awards, or rare specialised expertise — make them exceptionally valuable additions to Quebec’s economy and academic institutions.
Why this draw matters: reading between the numbers
A few clear patterns emerge when you step back from the exercise-by-exercise detail.
First, Quebec continues to reward candidates who are already physically present in the province and who have invested in French-language proficiency. Nearly every exercise across all four streams required current Quebec residency, and the highest French standards (oral level 7, written level 5) appeared in the exercises drawing the largest volumes of invitations. For prospective applicants still abroad, this is a meaningful signal: building a Quebec study or work history, and reaching a strong French level well before submitting an Arrima profile, materially improves the odds of an early invitation.
Second, the gap between general exercises and priority-occupation exercises remains enormous. In Stream 1, the difference between the general threshold (677 or 692 points) and the health-and-education priority threshold (379 points) is nearly 300 points — an almost insurmountable gap for someone whose occupation doesn’t fall on the priority list. The same pattern repeats in Stream 2 and is even more dramatic in Stream 3, where the priority healthcare exercise needed only 275 points against thresholds of 556 to 580 points elsewhere in the same stream. Anyone working in nursing, allied health, early childhood education, engineering technology, or the skilled trades should pay close attention to whether their specific NOC code appears on a current priority list, because it can be the single biggest factor determining how quickly they receive an invitation.
Third, this marks Quebec’s fifth PSTQ draw of 2026, and invitation totals have hovered consistently around the 2,500 mark in every round so far this year. That kind of regularity suggests the Ministry has settled into a predictable cadence, which is good news for planning purposes — candidates can reasonably anticipate further draws roughly every several weeks rather than facing the kind of unpredictable gaps that characterised the program’s earlier rollout.
What to do after receiving a PSTQ invitation
Receiving an invitation to apply is a milestone, not a finish line. Quebec gives invited candidates a limited window — typically measured in weeks — to submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate through Arrima. Missing that window means losing the invitation entirely and having to wait for a future draw.
Once invited, candidates generally need to gather and submit certified documentation supporting everything claimed in their original profile: proof of identity, educational credentials and their Quebec equivalency assessment, employment letters detailing duties and dates of work, French-language test results or proof of Quebec schooling, proof of current Quebec residency where applicable, and, for Stream 3 candidates, evidence of professional licensing or active steps toward obtaining it. Any inconsistency between the original Arrima declaration and the supporting documents can trigger delays, requests for additional information, or, in more serious cases, a refusal.
After MIFI approves the application, the candidate receives a CSQ, which is the provincial half of the immigration process. The CSQ then needs to be paired with a federal permanent residence application submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which conducts its own medical, security, and admissibility checks before issuing permanent resident status. It’s a two-stage system, and both stages have their own timelines, fees, and documentary requirements.
Common pitfalls that slow down or derail PSTQ applications
After years of working with skilled worker, regulated professional, and exceptional talent applicants, the immigration team at Prestige Law sees the same handful of mistakes surface again and again.
Many applicants misjudge their TEER classification or select the wrong NOC code when building their Arrima profile, which can place them in the wrong exercise entirely or affect their eligibility for a priority-occupation pathway they would have otherwise qualified for. Others underestimate how strictly MIFI verifies the continuity and authenticity of work experience — vague employment letters that don’t clearly state job duties, hours worked, and dates of employment are a frequent source of delay. French-language test results are another recurring issue: candidates sometimes wait too long to book their test, miss the validity window, or fall just short of the oral or written threshold required for their target exercise. Regulated profession applicants in particular often underestimate how long it takes to obtain recognition from a Quebec professional order, and they begin that process too late relative to when they submit their Arrima profile. Finally, once an invitation arrives, a surprising number of strong candidates lose their place simply because they didn’t have their supporting documents organised in advance and ran out of time within the application window.
Each of these issues is preventable with proper planning, which is exactly where experienced legal guidance makes a measurable difference.
How Prestige Law’s immigration team can help
Quebec’s PSTQ framework is detailed, fast-moving, and unforgiving of small errors — a single miscoded occupation or an incomplete French test result can mean the difference between an early invitation and months of additional waiting. At Prestige Law, our immigration practice, led by lawyer Zeesean Sheikh, works with prospective applicants at every stage of the PSTQ and broader Canadian immigration process.
Our team helps clients build and optimise their Arrima profile from the outset, correctly classify their occupation and TEER level, identify whether their role qualifies for a priority-occupation exercise with a substantially lower score threshold, and prepare for the French-language testing requirements that carry such weight in Quebec’s selection grid. For candidates in regulated professions, we help map out the licensing and professional-order recognition process early, so that by the time an Arrima invitation arrives, the professional certification piece isn’t still a bottleneck. Once an invitation is issued, our team manages the document collection and submission process within Quebec’s tight response window, and we carry clients through to the federal permanent residence stage once the CSQ is granted, coordinating with IRCC requirements so nothing falls through the cracks between the provincial and federal halves of the process.
Whether you’ve already received an invitation under this June round, you’re building a profile for a future draw, or you’re trying to figure out which of the four PSTQ streams actually fits your occupation and credentials, a focused conversation with our team can save you significant time and reduce the risk of an avoidable refusal.
About Prestige Law
Prestige Law is a Canadian immigration and legal practice serving clients across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, with a focus on skilled worker programs, provincial nominee streams, and Quebec’s PSTQ pathway. Our offices are conveniently located to serve clients throughout Ontario and across Canada.
Richmond Hill Office: 100–100 Mural Street, Richmond Hill, ON
Toronto Office: 55 Town Centre Court, Suite 700, Toronto, ON
Telephone: +1 (647) 925-2222 Website: prestigelaw.ca
If you’re evaluating your eligibility under Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program or want a clear, honest assessment of where your profile stands, reach out to our team to schedule a consultation.
Frequently asked questions about Quebec’s PSTQ invitations.
What is the PSTQ in Quebec immigration? The PSTQ, or Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés, is Quebec’s points-based skilled worker selection system. It replaced the automatic Quebec Experience Program and now serves as the primary route for skilled workers, international graduates, and tradespeople to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate, the provincial step required before applying for Canadian permanent residence.
How many invitations did Quebec issue in its latest PSTQ draw? Quebec issued 2,549 invitations to apply for permanent selection in its June 2026 round, distributed across all four PSTQ streams, with the largest share going to Stream 1 candidates in highly qualified and specialised occupations.
What is the difference between the four PSTQ streams? Stream 1 covers highly qualified and specialised occupations classified as TEER 0 to 2. Stream 2 covers intermediate and manual occupations classified as TEER 3 to 5. Stream 3 is reserved for regulated professions requiring a licence from a Quebec professional order. Stream 4 is reserved for candidates with exceptional talent, achievements, or doctoral credentials.
Do I need to live in Quebec to qualify for a PSTQ invitation? Most PSTQ exercises require candidates to be residing in Quebec at the time of selection, although requirements can vary slightly by exercise. Candidates outside Quebec should review the specific eligibility criteria for their occupation and stream carefully, since residency and work-experience requirements differ across exercises.
What French-language level do I need for the PSTQ? Requirements vary by stream and exercise. Stream 1 and many Stream 3 exercises typically require oral proficiency at level 7 or higher and written proficiency at level 5 or higher. Stream 2 exercises generally require oral proficiency at level 5 or higher. Accompanying spouses are usually required to reach at least an oral level 4.
What happens after I receive a PSTQ invitation? Invited candidates must submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate through the Arrima portal within the timeframe specified in their invitation. Once the CSQ is granted, candidates then apply separately to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.
How often does Quebec run PSTQ draws? Quebec has held five PSTQ invitation rounds so far in 2026, with invitation totals consistently landing near the 2,500 mark each time. While the exact schedule isn’t fixed, the Ministry has maintained a fairly regular cadence throughout the year.
Why do some PSTQ exercises have much lower score thresholds than others? Exercises tied to a designated priority occupation, such as nursing, allied health, early childhood education, or specific skilled trades, typically carry significantly lower minimum score thresholds than general exercises. This reflects Quebec’s strategy of fast-tracking candidates in sectors facing acute labour shortages.
Can an immigration lawyer improve my chances under the PSTQ? While no lawyer can guarantee a specific score or invitation outcome, experienced legal guidance can help ensure your occupation is correctly classified, your French-language strategy aligns with your target exercise, your documentation is complete and consistent, and your application is submitted accurately within Quebec’s response windows, all of which reduce the risk of delay or refusal.
What happens if I miss the deadline to apply after receiving an invitation? If a complete application isn’t submitted within the window specified in the invitation, the invitation generally expires, and the candidate would need to wait for a future Arrima draw and a new invitation before reapplying.
Quebec’s decision to invite more than 2,500 candidates across all four PSTQ streams in a single round confirms that the province remains committed to using its skilled worker program as the backbone of its economic immigration strategy. For candidates with the right occupation, language profile, and Quebec residency status, the opportunities embedded in this draw are substantial, particularly within the priority-occupation exercises where score thresholds drop dramatically. For everyone else, the gap between general and priority pathways is a clear reminder that strategic planning, not just a strong resume, determines how quickly an Arrima profile turns into an invitation.
If you’re trying to make sense of where you stand under the PSTQ, or you’ve received an invitation and need help moving quickly and accurately through the application stage, the immigration team at Prestige Law is ready to help you build a clear path forward.
