Quebec's PEQ Reopening Window Closes October 31, 2026 — Who Still Qualifies | ImmigraCan

Quebec's Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) — a fast-track permanent residence pathway for skilled workers and graduates already established in the province — reopened on July 2, 2026, after the Quebec government abolished it on November 19, 2025. The catch: the first application-reception window closes on October 31, 2026, and it is retroactive — only people who already met PEQ's eligibility rules on the date it was cancelled can apply now. Anyone who only became eligible after November 19, 2025 does not qualify for this window.

The Timeline, in Order

• November 19, 2025: Quebec abolishes the PEQ.
• June 10, 2026: Immigration Minister François Bonnardel confirms the PEQ will be reinstated for two years.
• July 2, 2026: PEQ officially reopens, running through July 2, 2028.
• July 2 – October 31, 2026: First application-reception period, through the Arrima portal.

Quebec says it is managing applications in defined reception periods to respect the province's overall reception capacity and immigration targets, rather than leaving the program permanently open. There is no numerical cap announced for this first window, but whether — and when — a second window opens after October 31 has not been confirmed.

Who Qualifies for This Window

The retroactive eligibility date is the detail that trips people up. To apply before October 31, a candidate has to prove they met one of the two streams' requirements as of November 19, 2025 — the day the program was cancelled, not the day it reopened.

Temporary Foreign Worker stream:
- At least 2 years of eligible work experience in Quebec, as of November 19, 2025, in an occupation classified TEER (*Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities*) 0, 1, 2 or 3 under the NOC (*National Occupational Classification*)
- Must still hold a qualifying job at the time of applying
- Oral French at level 7 on the Échelle québécoise (no written French requirement for this stream)

Graduate stream:
- An eligible Quebec diploma obtained as of November 19, 2025 — a bachelor's, master's, doctorate, a technical DEC (*Diplôme d'études collégiales*), or a DEP (*Diplôme d'études professionnelles*) of 1,800+ hours, including a DEP plus ASP (*Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle*) combination
- The diploma must have been obtained within 3 years of applying
- Having stayed in Quebec to study for at least half the program's length
- Oral French at level 7 and written French at level 5

Both streams also require a valid passport, being at least 18 years old, physical presence in Quebec when applying, and proof of financial autonomy.

Why This Matters Right Now

If someone finished a Quebec diploma in 2026, after the cancellation date, or only crossed the two-year work-experience mark this year, this window does not apply to them — however close their situation looks to the rules above. That is the single most common misunderstanding showing up around this reopening: being eligible *today* is not the same as being eligible *as of November 19, 2025*.

For those who already qualified before the program closed and simply missed the chance to apply, this is the moment to act. With under four weeks left before October 31, gathering proof of work experience, language test results, and diploma documentation should not wait until the final days of the window.

What This Means for Your Application

1. Check the November 19, 2025 cutoff against your own timeline first, before anything else. If a candidate's qualifying work experience or diploma came after that date, the PEQ route is closed for now — federal Express Entry or another Quebec selection program may still apply.
2. French level is the other common gap. Level 7 oral French is required for both streams, and the Graduate stream adds a written requirement. Scheduling a TEF (*Test d'évaluation de français*) or TCF (*Test de connaissance du français*) test early leaves room to retest if the first score falls short.
3. A PEQ approval leads to a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), which is a provincial step, not a federal one — permanent residence itself still goes through IRCC afterward. The ImmigraCan free eligibility quiz can help map out where a profile stands across federal and provincial pathways, without promising any outcome.
4. Compare Quebec against other routes before assuming this is the only door. our earlier guide to Quebec's immigration rules covers the broader selection system Quebec runs outside the national Express Entry pool.

What to Watch Next

Quebec has not said whether it will open a second application-reception period after October 31, 2026, or how large a share of the estimated eligible pool this first window is expected to absorb. Anyone who qualifies under the November 19, 2025 cutoff and is still gathering documents has roughly three weeks left to apply before this window shuts — and no confirmed date for when, or whether, another one opens.

*Information on the PEQ reopening comes from the Government of Quebec's official announcement and the PEQ program page on Quebec.ca. This content is informational and does not replace legal or immigration advice — ImmigraCan is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or the Government of Quebec. For your specific case, consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a specialized lawyer.*