Quebec PEQ Is Gone: The Plain-English PSTQ via Arrima Survival Guide for International Graduates Whose Whole PR Plan Just Died on November 19

Two dates decide whether your Quebec permanent residence plan is alive or dead. The PEQ closed to new applications on November 19, 2025, which means the Quebec PEQ to PSTQ via Arrima path is now the only live door for international graduates who still want PR in Quebec. The second date is May 5, 2026, when Quebec announced the PEQ will return within two years. That sounds like good news until you read the fine print: no reopening date, no eligibility rules, and no French requirement were confirmed. You cannot wait for it, and you cannot plan around it.

So if your whole plan was the PEQ, the plan is gone, and the replacement rewards French you may not have. This guide does what the dense official pages and the outdated consultant advice do not. It states the real French level for each stream in plain English instead of burying it in a PDF, gives you a believable timeline to reach B2, and lays out the honest choice between fighting for French to stay in Quebec or pivoting to federal Express Entry somewhere else. Treat this as educational, not legal advice, and consult a licensed professional for guidance specific to your situation.

What happened to the PEQ, and why PSTQ via Arrima is now your only live Quebec PR door

The PEQ (Programme de l’experience quebecoise) was the fast track that many international students built their plans around. Both of its streams, the Quebec Graduates stream and the Temporary Foreign Workers stream, closed to new applications on November 19, 2025. If you filed before that date, your application continues under the old rules. If you did not, that door is shut.

What replaces it is not a province-run nominee program, because Quebec does not have a PNP. Instead, Quebec selects skilled workers through the PSTQ (Programme de selection des travailleurs qualifies, the Skilled Worker Selection Program), and you enter it by submitting an Expression of Interest in the Arrima portal. As of 2026, this is the single pathway for skilled-worker permanent selection in Quebec. There is no parallel route hiding behind it.

On May 5, 2026, Quebec announced that the PEQ will reopen for a two-year period. The announcement gave no reopening date, no confirmed eligibility criteria, and no French-requirement details. Treat it as announced but not yet live. The honest read is simple: you should not freeze your plans waiting for a program that has no rules and no calendar. If the PEQ comes back in a form that helps you, that is upside. Building your strategy on it today would be building on air.

That leaves one operational question that decides everything else: which of the four PSTQ streams is actually yours.

The 4 PSTQ streams explained in plain English: which one is yours

Picture a recent university grad in Montreal, finishing a degree taught entirely in English, now on a PGWP and staring at a French-only correspondence table that may as well be written in code. The fix is not to read the whole table. The fix is to find your TEER category, match it to a stream, and read only the French target that applies to you. The four streams break down like this.

Stream 1: Highly qualified and specialized skills (TEER 0, 1, 2)

• At least 1 year of eligible full-time work experience, in Quebec or abroad.
• A qualifying diploma.
• French oral level 7 and written level 5 on the Echelle quebecoise.

This is the stream most university grads in professional and technical roles fall into, and it carries the heaviest French requirement.

Stream 2: Intermediate and manual skills (TEER 3, 4, 5)

• At least 2 years of full-time work experience, including at least 1 year in Quebec.
• A qualifying diploma.
• French oral level 5.

The written-French bar drops away here, and the oral target is lower. The tradeoff is a longer Quebec work-experience requirement.

Stream 3: Regulated professions

• An authorization to practise or a recognition of equivalence from the relevant Quebec regulator, dated 5 years or less.
• French depends on your FEER category: FEER 0, 1, 2 need oral level 7 and written level 5; FEER 3, 4, 5 need oral level 5.

If your profession is regulated in Quebec (nursing, engineering, accounting, and others), this is your lane, and the regulator’s document is the gatekeeper.

Stream 4: Exceptional talent

• At least 3 years in your main occupation within the prior 5 years.
• Proof of distinction or a favourable opinion.
• French is recommended but not mandatory.

This is the narrow stream for standout candidates, and it is the only one where French is optional.

Every stream shares the same baseline rules: you must be at least 18, intend to settle in Quebec for employment, and sign a financial self-sufficiency contract. So an English-program grad working a TEER 1 marketing role in Montreal lands in Stream 1 and needs oral level 7 plus written level 5. The same grad working a TEER 4 role with two years in Quebec could fit Stream 2 at oral level 5. One look at your TEER, and the French target stops being a mystery.

Which brings up the fact almost every guide refuses to state cleanly.

The French requirement nobody states plainly, and the real A2-to-B2 timeline

If you studied in English, the single most useful sentence in this entire guide is this: not every stream requires B2 French. Only the high-skill streams do. Stream 1, and the FEER 0, 1, 2 part of Stream 3, require oral level 7 plus written level 5. Stream 2 and the lower-FEER part of Stream 3 require only oral level 5. Stream 4 does not mandate French at all. So the answer to “I studied in English, do I even have a chance under PSTQ” is yes, with a real path that depends on which stream you are in.

What the levels mean in language you can actually act on comes down to this. Level 7 on the Echelle quebecoise approximates CLB 7, which lines up with CEFR B2. That is conversational and professional French: you can hold a work meeting, write a clear email, and follow a fast conversation. Oral level 5 is roughly intermediate spoken French, enough to function day to day without the higher written demand.

The tests Quebec accepts are TCF-Quebec, TEFAQ, TEF (including TEF Canada variants), DELF, and DALF. Your scores map to the Echelle quebecoise through official correspondence tables, and the result must be 2 years old or less on the date you submit your permanent-selection application. That validity window is why timing matters: test too early and your result can expire before you apply.

On how long it takes, be clear-eyed. Quebec publishes no official A2-to-B2 timeline, so treat any number as a general language-learning estimate, not a government figure. For a motivated adult studying consistently, going from A2 to a solid B2 (level 7) commonly falls somewhere in the 12-to-24-month range. The variables that move you toward the fast end are weekly study hours, prior exposure to a Romance language, and whether you enroll in francization, the subsidized French classes available in Quebec. If you are aiming for Stream 1, the math is simple: the sooner you start, the sooner your clock toward B2 runs out in your favour rather than against you. For a parallel sense of how language scores map across pathways, the complete 2026 score map for every immigration pathway shows how CLB targets work on the English side, which matters if you are also weighing the federal route. French speakers also get a strong boost in the federal system, covered in the guide to using French as your Express Entry weapon.

Knowing your French target is half the battle. The other half is getting your name in front of a draw.

How Arrima actually works: submitting an Expression of Interest and scoring an invitation

Arrima is the online portal where Quebec runs skilled-worker selection. You start by submitting a free Expression of Interest, an EOI. The mechanics have two clocks you must respect:

• Once you create an EOI, you have 90 days to complete and submit it. Miss that window and it is deleted.
• Once submitted, your EOI stays valid for 12 months. If you receive no invitation in that period, it becomes invalid and you start again.

Submitted profiles are ranked on a points grid that weighs French, education, work experience, a validated job offer, and other factors. MIFI, the Quebec immigration ministry, then issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) in periodic draws. You do not apply for permanent selection directly; you wait to be invited from the pool.

Since July 2025, the draws have prioritized candidates already in Quebec, especially those who hold a Quebec diploma, work in the regions outside Montreal, work in in-demand occupations, or already have French. If you are an in-Canada grad with a Quebec diploma, that priority is working for you, not against you. A validated job offer is not mandatory, but it adds points: roughly 30 within the Montreal area and 50 outside it. Treat those figures as approximate rather than the exact live grid numbers, but the direction is clear. A job offer outside Montreal is worth more than one inside it.

If your PGWP is running short while you build your French and your EOI score, do not let your status lapse. The bridging open work permit survival guide walks through how to keep working legally when your runway gets tight. The worst outcome is losing your in-Quebec status, and with it the very priority that makes your profile competitive.

Points are abstract until you see what scores actually got invited. The real numbers tell a sharper story.

The draws, the scores, and the 25% country cap that squeezes high-volume countries

Real draw data is how you calibrate expectations instead of guessing. The recent picture looks like this:

• December 4, 2025: a draw invited 1,870 candidates.
• March 19, 2026: a draw was held under the PSTQ streams.
• April 30, 2026: a draw issued 2,555 ITAs across all streams, with a minimum score of 382 points.

So when someone asks “what score do I need in the draw,” 382 is the most current concrete anchor, drawn from the April 30, 2026 result. Scores move between draws, and the cutoff depends on stream and demand, so 382 is a reference point, not a guarantee. The practical takeaway: every point of French, every month of Quebec work experience, and a job offer outside Montreal all push you toward and past that kind of cutoff.

A second mechanic hits high-volume source countries specifically, and it is widely misunderstood. Quebec applies a 25% per-country cap, which means no more than 25% of invitations in a single skilled-worker draw can go to nationals of any one country. It was introduced in October 2024 for the regular skilled-worker program and continues under PSTQ draws in 2026. If you are from a country that sends a lot of applicants, such as India, this can effectively raise your personal bar: once your country’s 25% share of a draw is filled, the remaining nationals wait for the next draw even if their scores would otherwise have made the cut.

One critical clarification, because these two numbers get blended constantly. The 25% cap is a per-draw limit on permanent-selection invitations. It is completely separate from the CAQ (Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec) study-permit cap, which limits how many students can enter Quebec to study and operates at the study-permit stage, not the PR stage. They are different rules at different points in the process. The 25% cap touches your PR draw; the CAQ cap touched your study permit. Do not let anyone tell you the study-permit cap limits your PSTQ application, because it does not.

All of this assumes Quebec is where you intend to stay. For some grads, the honest answer is that it should not be.

Stay in Quebec on PSTQ or pivot to federal Express Entry: the honest decision

This is the decision no competitor will make for you, so here it is in plain terms. A Quebec PGWP holder with Canadian work experience can pursue federal Express Entry, most relevantly the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), instead of Quebec PSTQ. The hard constraint is intent. Federal Express Entry and the provincial nominee programs require you to intend to settle outside Quebec. Quebec selection is provincial, run by MIFI through quebec.ca, and the federal CEC route does not apply to people who plan to live in Quebec. You pick a lane based on where you actually intend to build your life.

Consider a grad weighing two real options. Option one: spend the next 12 to 24 months getting French to B2, stay in Montreal where they already have a job and a network, and run the PSTQ draw. Option two: their Canadian work experience already qualifies them for the CEC, so they relocate to Ontario or another province, settle there with intent, and run federal Express Entry in English. Neither is wrong. The grad who loves Montreal and can commit to French chooses option one. The grad whose French is at zero, whose patience is thin, and who is open to living elsewhere often finds option two faster. The mistake is freezing between them, doing nothing, and letting the PGWP burn down while waiting on a PEQ that has no rules and no date.

French is not only a Quebec requirement. It is also a powerful booster in the federal system, where French-proficiency draws can invite candidates at scores below the general cutoff. So learning French is rarely wasted effort even if you pivot federal. Before you commit either way, run your real federal number. Many students are quoted inflated CRS scores; the guide on the real CRS number for international students shows why your consultant’s 500-plus estimate is often closer to 450 in reality, which changes the stay-or-pivot math.

One more thing people conflate: money. Three separate financial requirements exist, and mixing them up causes needless panic. The first is the study-permit proof of funds, a separate and much larger requirement at the study stage that you likely already cleared to get here. The second is the PSTQ financial self-sufficiency contract, where you commit to supporting yourself, showing funds for roughly the first 3 months in Quebec. The third figure people cite, around CAD 3,462 for a single applicant, comes from a secondary source rather than an official quebec.ca page, so treat it as a non-official estimate rather than a fixed rule. The official requirement is the self-sufficiency contract, not a published flat number. Always verify amounts against current official pages, and consult a licensed immigration professional before relying on any figure.

Your next two moves, starting today

If you are product-aware enough to have found this guide, you do not need another explainer. You need to act before your runway shrinks. Two concrete moves change your position this week.

• Create a free Expression of Interest in the Arrima PSTQ portal on quebec.ca so you can see where you score and what is missing. It costs nothing and starts your 90-day completion clock only when you are ready to finish it.
• Register for a French test, TEFAQ or TCF-Quebec, even months out, so you have a target date that forces consistent study toward your stream’s required level. You can confirm accepted tests and the level mapping on Quebec’s knowledge-of-French page.

Do not wait on the PEQ reopening. It was announced to return within two years with terms unknown, and a plan you cannot see is not a plan you can use. Start the EOI, start the French, and make the stay-in-Quebec versus go-federal decision on facts you control. If you are still on the fence about which path fits your CRS reality, the CRS reality check for international students is the right next read before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

What happened to the PEQ and what replaces it?

The PEQ, both the Quebec Graduates stream and the Temporary Foreign Workers stream, closed to new applications on November 19, 2025. Applications filed before that date are still processed under the old rules. Because Quebec has no PNP, the PSTQ through the Arrima portal is now the only live pathway for skilled-worker permanent selection in Quebec. On May 5, 2026, Quebec announced the PEQ will return within two years, but with no date, no eligibility rules, and no French details confirmed, so you cannot plan around it.

The PSTQ has 4 streams. Which one should I apply to?

Match your job to its TEER category. Stream 1 (TEER 0, 1, 2) needs at least 1 year of full-time work, a qualifying diploma, and French oral level 7 plus written level 5. Stream 2 (TEER 3, 4, 5) needs at least 2 years of work including 1 in Quebec, a diploma, and oral level 5. Stream 3 (regulated professions) needs a Quebec regulator authorization dated 5 years or less, with French set by FEER category. Stream 4 (exceptional talent) needs 3 years in your main occupation plus proof of distinction, and French is recommended, not mandatory.

Do I need French to immigrate through Quebec if my program was in English?

Usually yes, but the level depends on the stream. Stream 1 and FEER 0, 1, 2 of Stream 3 need oral level 7 and written level 5, roughly CLB 7 or CEFR B2. Stream 2 and the lower-FEER part of Stream 3 need only oral level 5. Stream 4 does not mandate French. Accepted tests are TCF-Quebec, TEFAQ, TEF, DELF, and DALF, and results must be 2 years old or less when you apply.

I am on a PGWP in Montreal and the PEQ just closed. Can I apply for federal Express Entry instead?

Yes. A Quebec PGWP holder with Canadian work experience can pursue federal Express Entry, notably the Canadian Experience Class, instead of Quebec PSTQ. The condition is that federal Express Entry and PNP require you to intend to settle outside Quebec, because Quebec selection is provincial and the federal CEC route does not apply to those intending to live in Quebec. French is also a strong CRS booster in federal French-proficiency draws.

How long does it take to go from A2 to B2 French for the PSTQ?

Quebec publishes no official timeline, so treat any number as a general estimate. For a motivated adult studying consistently, A2 to a solid B2 (level 7) commonly takes somewhere in the 12-to-24-month range, depending on weekly study hours, prior exposure, and whether you use francization classes. Start early, because your test result must be 2 years old or less at the date of your application.

Is the Quebec 25% country cap per draw hurting applicants from high-volume countries?

The 25% cap means no single country’s nationals can take more than 25% of invitations in one skilled-worker draw. Introduced in October 2024 and still applied under PSTQ draws in 2026, it can effectively raise the bar for applicants from very high-volume countries such as India, since once that share is filled the rest wait for a later draw. It is not a PR cap, and it is unrelated to the separate CAQ study-permit cap.