Québec reopens the PEQ for a two-year period

The Québec Experience Program reopened on July 2, 2026, with a first intake until October 31 for people eligible as of November 19, 2025.

What happened

On July 2, 2026, Québec reopened the Québec Experience Program (Programme de l'expérience québécoise, PEQ). The program had been abolished on November 19, 2025. It is now back for two years, until July 2, 2028. The first intake for permanent selection applications runs from July 2 to October 31, 2026, in both the Québec graduates stream and the temporary foreign workers stream.

Who can apply

Eligibility for the first intake is assessed as of November 19, 2025. Graduates must have obtained in Québec, by that date, a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, a college technical diploma (DEC) or a vocational diploma (DEP), totalling at least 1,800 hours. Workers must have had, by that date, at least two years of Québec work experience in an occupation at NOC skill level 0, 1, 2 or 3.

French is measured on the Échelle québécoise: graduates need level 7 or higher in oral French and level 5 or higher in written French; workers need at least level 7 in oral French. Québec says the selection conditions are the same as before each stream was suspended, and all conditions must be met when the application is submitted.

What it means

The reopening is aimed at people who were already eligible when the program was cancelled. Anyone who graduated or reached two years of experience after November 19, 2025 is not covered by this first intake. Québec has indicated that further intakes may follow, but nothing beyond the first window has been confirmed. Eligible candidates should gather French test results, diplomas and employment records well before the October 31 deadline.

Based on official information available at the time of the announcement. General information only, not legal advice. Immigration rules change often; IRCC and provincial websites prevail.