Update modified on July 9, 2025, together with the publication of an erratum to correct the ministerial order respecting invitation criteria dated July 2, 2025.
The Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, Jean-François Roberge, rendered a decision by ministerial order. This order, published today in the Gazette officielle du Québec, establishes the invitation criteria for the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés – PSTQ (Skilled Worker Selection Program) and scoring. This will allow invitations to be issued to apply for permanent selection through this program, which replaced the Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés – PRTQ (Regular Skilled Worker Program) on November 29, 2024.
PSTQ streams, invitation criteria and scoring
The PSTQ’s invitation criteria were designed according to the program’s four streams, which cover all of the occupations in the Québec labour market. Stream 1 (Highly qualified and specialized skills) and Stream 2 (Intermediate and manual skills) cover occupations according to their “training, education, experience and responsibilities” (FEER) category and the work experience acquired. Stream 3 pertains to regulated professions in Québec and Stream 4 to exceptional talent.
In the PSTQ, there is greater value placed on the criteria regarding holding a diploma from Québec or having Québec work experience, in particular for people who reside in the regions, than there was in the PRTQ. Knowledge of French continues to be an essential criteria, since it is a selection condition for streams 1, 2 and 3 of the PSTQ.
Consult the July 2, 2025 ministerial order and the July 9, 2025 erratum on the website of the Gazette officielle or the Québec.ca document for more information on the invitation criteria and scoring (in French).
First invitations to come
As announced by the Minister on June 5, 2025, the invitations to apply for permanent selection through the PSTQ will start gradually over the month of July.
The invitations will first target people already living in Québec. They will primarily prioritize people who speak French, have work experience or studied in Québec, in particular in the regions, and who practise an occupation that contributes to relieving the labour shortage.
The number of people invited per stream as well as the invitation criteria used will be published on Québec.ca after each invitation exercise.
Information for clients
The PSTQ is for people who wish to settle in Québec permanently for work. If this is the case for you, please read the information below:
- If you are interested in receiving an invitation under the PSTQ, you must complete a declaration of interest in Arrima. Declarations of interest completed before November 29, 2024 (date the PSTQ came into effect) must be updated.
- Declarations of interest submitted in the database of declarations of interest are ranked according to the PSTQ scoring system. People who obtain a high score and meet the criteria may receive an invitation to apply for permanent selection under a stream of the PSTQ that applies to their profile.
- A new self-evaluation tool will be put online shortly to enable people who wish to submit a declaration of interest in Arrima to first evaluate the score they could obtain based on the criteria in place.
- The page Invitation to apply for permanent selection through the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (Skilled Worker Selection Program) will be updated after each invitation exercise. Consult the page as needed.