Quebec Skilled Worker Immigration: PSTQ, Arrima and CSQ

Quebec chooses its own skilled immigrants, separate from Express Entry. Since late 2024 that choice runs through one program, the PSTQ, and it leans heavily on French. Here is how it works, who is actually getting invited, and the steps from Arrima profile to permanent residence.

What changed: PRTQ out, PSTQ in

On 29 November 2024, Quebec replaced the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) with the Skilled Worker Selection Program, known by its French initials PSTQ.

Anyone who had an expression of interest in the old program and had not been invited had to update it under the new rules. Old profiles do not carry over automatically.

The new program did not start inviting people straight away. Quebec says a ministerial order effective 30 July 2025 gave priority to temporary foreign workers and students living in Quebec. Invitations have run roughly monthly since then.

The four PSTQ streams at a glance

Your stream depends on your main occupation and its TEER category in Canada's National Occupational Classification (Quebec calls it FEER). The table summarises Quebec's published requirements. French levels refer to Quebec's own French proficiency scale.

In all streams, an accompanying spouse or partner needs oral French at level 4 or higher.

Stream 2 is worth noting: it requires a year of work in Quebec, so it is not realistic for someone applying straight from Nigeria.

Stream 3 needs an assessment from the Quebec regulatory body for your profession, either a licence or proof of partial or full recognition of your training. That process can take a long time, so start early if you are a nurse, doctor, engineer or similar.

Requirements every applicant must meet

Beyond your stream, Quebec lists common conditions:

• Be 18 or older.
• Intend to settle in Quebec and work there (self-employment through your own business does not count, and some sectors are excluded).
• Show you can support yourself and your family for the first three months after becoming a permanent resident. Quebec sets the amount; check the official page rather than relying on figures quoted online.
• Sign Quebec's attestation of democratic values (applicant and each family member aged 18+).
• Meet the education rule for your stream. For Stream 1 that means a diploma from a programme of at least one year; for Stream 2, a secondary school diploma or at least a one-year vocational or college programme.

Who is actually being invited in 2026

This is the part most guides skip. Quebec publishes every invitation round, and the pattern is clear.

Between January and September 2026, rounds went out roughly monthly. Since June, most rounds have been small, often under 110 invitations, and almost all in Stream 1. Every 2026 round listed on the official page required candidates to be staying in Quebec when invited.

A July 2026 government release confirmed the priority: people already established in Quebec, especially in the regions and in targeted occupations, plus workers who cannot use the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). Quebec said monthly rounds would continue through October 2026.

For many Nigerians, the realistic routes into Quebec are a work permit with a Quebec employer or a study permit at a Quebec institution, followed by the PSTQ or PEQ once they have local experience. Our guide to living and working in Montreal covers the city where most newcomers start.

Step by step: from Arrima to permanent residence

1. Get your French tested. Take a French test the ministry accepts. Results must be from the last two years when you submit your expression of interest.
2. Gather your documents. You will need your passport, diplomas, employment certificates covering the last five years, a job offer if you have one, and the regulator's assessment if you are in Stream 3.
3. Create your expression of interest in Arrima. It is free. You have 90 days to complete and submit it, or it is deleted.
4. Wait in the pool. Your profile is scored and stays valid for 12 months from submission. Updating it does not extend that period. If you are not invited within the year, it lapses and you must start again.
5. Respond to an invitation. If invited, you get 60 days to submit your selection application, or up to one year if you still need recognition from a regulatory body.
6. Pay Quebec's fee and submit. From 1 January 2026 the fee is 940 Canadian dollars for the main applicant and 201 for a spouse or each dependent child. It is non-refundable. All documents must be scanned in colour into a single PDF, in French or English.
7. Receive your CSQ. If Quebec approves you, you get a Certificat de sélection du Québec (Quebec Selection Certificate).
8. Apply to IRCC for permanent residence. You apply online through the Permanent Residence portal under the Quebec Skilled Worker Class, with medicals, police certificates and biometrics.
9. Get your PR decision and land. Canada makes the final call. If approved, you complete landing and settle in Quebec as you committed to.

The federal step after the CSQ

A CSQ is selection, not status. IRCC's Guide Q7000 explains what comes next:

• Everyone in the application needs an immigration medical exam. Results are valid for 12 months.
• Each person aged 18+ needs a police certificate from every country, other than Canada, where they spent six or more months in a row since turning 18. For most readers, that means a Nigeria Police Force certificate.
• Fees are paid online. At the time of writing, IRCC's fee list shows 1,590 Canadian dollars for each adult (processing plus right of permanent residence fee), 270 per dependent child, and biometrics of 85 per person or 170 per family. Check the fee list before paying, as fees are updated.

Checklist before you open Arrima

• French test taken within the last two years, at or above your stream's level
• Your spouse's French test, if they are coming (oral level 4+)
• International passport valid well into the future
• Degree or diploma certificates and transcripts
• Reference letters covering five years of work, with duties and hours
• Regulatory assessment, if your profession is licensed in Quebec
• A plan for the three-month self-sufficiency requirement
• An honest look at whether you need Quebec experience first

Common mistakes to avoid

Relying on English. Strong IELTS scores help with federal programs, but the main PSTQ streams set minimum French levels. Without French, Quebec's skilled worker route is effectively closed.

Letting the profile expire. The 12-month validity cannot be renewed. Note your submission date.

Paying for "invitations". Quebec invites from the pool based on its published criteria. Anyone charging for a guaranteed invitation or CSQ is misleading you. Check every rule on quebec.ca.

Mixing up Quebec and the rest of Canada. If you would rather work in English, look at Express Entry and provincial programs instead.

Bottom line

The PSTQ is a French-first system that, in 2026, has favoured people already living in Quebec. If you have strong French and skills in demand, an Arrima profile costs nothing. But treat it as a long-term plan, and keep checking Quebec's invitation page for any change in who gets selected.