Policy & Admin

The PEQ reopens: a four-month window for your permanent residence

Closed since November 2025, the Quebec Experience Program is accepting applications again from July 2 to October 31, 2026, with no cap. Here's who qualifies and why you should move fast.

Vieauqc TeamJuly 19, 2026

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This is one of the best pieces of news of the year for graduates and workers settled in Quebec. The PEQ (Quebec Experience Program), a fast track to permanent residence, closed on November 19, 2025. It is temporarily reopening from July 2, 2026 to July 2, 2028, according to the Quebec government. And the first window to file an application is open right now.

The date to remember: October 31, 2026. The Ministry is accepting applications from July 2 to October 31, 2026, filed online through the Arrima platform (Quebec's immigration portal), with intake opening at 8:30 AM Montreal time. The good news: there is no cap on the number of applications accepted during this window. You aren't fighting for a limited spot — but the door closes at the end of October.

Two profiles qualify, and the reference date is the same for both: November 19, 2025. The Quebec Graduate stream is for those who had already earned an eligible Quebec diploma by that date — a bachelor's, master's, doctorate, technical DEC, or DEP. The Temporary Foreign Worker stream is for those with at least two years of Quebec work experience in a skilled occupation (TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3), again as of November 19, 2025.

Watch the forms: the old ones no longer count. You must use the new forms dated June 2026; an application submitted on an older version will be rejected. Check the date on the form before you send it.

French is part of the conditions. The PEQ requires proven French knowledge: oral French at level 7 or higher on Quebec's competency scale, and for graduates, written French at level 5 or higher (roughly NCLC 7 speaking and NCLC 5 writing, as CIC News reports). If you're not there yet, don't assume it — take the recognized test before you apply.

Why this reopening is temporary. Quebec now treats the PSTQ (Skilled Worker Selection Program, also managed through Arrima) as its main economic-immigration pathway. The PEQ is being revived for two years only, according to CIC News, before a permanent shutdown planned for July 2028. This window is an exception, not the rule.

Good to know for newcomers. In practical terms: check today whether your diploma or years of work made you eligible as of November 19, 2025, because that date is frozen. Gather your French-proficiency proof, download the June 2026 form (not an old version), and file on Arrima before October 31, 2026. Finally, be wary of "consultants" who promise faster processing for a fee: you file on Arrima yourself, and for legitimate advice, see our guide on the difference between an immigration lawyer and a consultant.

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