It is again possible, since this week, to take one of the main access routes to permanent immigration in Quebec. And the Legault government set new selection criteria on Wednesday.
As announced last month by the Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration of Quebec, Jean-François Roberge, the Quebec Qualified Workers’ Selection Program (PSTQ) is reopened. As of this month, Quebec will once again transmit invitations to submit a permanent selection request through this channel, the main gateway for economic immigration to Quebec.
Suspended since last fall, the PSTQ was revised from top to bottom by Minister Roberge last spring. He published the criteria and the score system in the Official Gazette of Quebec Wednesday.
Workers already installed.
As he said before, the government will prioritize the profiles of immigrants already established in Quebec in its selection of future Quebec permanent residents. A person who has worked more than 48 months in Quebec will obtain 160 points, the maximum attainable, while a person who has worked in Quebec territory for less than a year will get none.
Previously, an immigrant was starting to accumulate points after six months of work in Quebec territory. The maximum total of points, granted to those who had employed a job in Quebec over a period of at least four years, was 100.
With this new system, François Legault’s government wishes to promote access to the permanent resident status of more workers already installed in Quebec.
Those who speak French and who live outside the territory of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal will also have a better chance of being selected.
A foreign national may indeed be granted up to 200 points according to his understanding and his written and oral production in French. If he chooses to immigrate with a spouse or a de facto spouse, the latter may contribute to the score, which will however be 160 at most. An understanding of the French level 1 to 4, on 12 levels, will not produce any point.
Immigrants who have stayed, worked or studied outside Montreal will also affect additional points, depending on the duration of their involvement.
As was the case before, younger people will be rewarded with higher score (100 or over for those under 33). Those who have a university degree also, and all the more so if he was obtained in Quebec (200 points for a Quebec third cycle university diploma).
Neither PEQ nor collective sponsorship
Anyone wishing to access the permanent residence through the PSTQ must file a “declaration of interest” through the Immigration system. Once received, it is classified according to the pointing system in force.
Currently, PSTQ is one of the few entry doors accessible to permanent immigration.
The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), which also aims to accelerate the accession of graduates and temporary workers to a permanent status, is the subject of a moratorium. It is therefore impossible to submit new requests. Same thing for the collective sponsorship program.
Jean-François Roberge says that these gels will allow “to respect the selection targets provided for at the Quebec Immigration Plan for 2025”.
After welcoming around 67,000 permanent immigrants in 2025 (the expected threshold), the government wishes to radically reduce its targets in 2026. This fall, it will submit to the consultation of target scenarios to 25,000, 35,000 and 45,000 new permanent arrivals.
