Maple News reports that Quebec’s immigration ministry has announced the reopening of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) on July 2, 2026, for a two-year window that runs through July 2, 2028. The PEQ provides a fast-track route to permanent residence for qualified graduates and workers in Quebec, and this reopening marks a planned temporary measure amid ongoing system reforms.
The pathway will reopen in two phases. The first phase, from July 2 to October 31, 2026, will target foreign nationals who were eligible for PEQ at the time of its closure on November 19, 2025. It will cover both PEQ streams—international graduates and foreign workers—with the government aiming to issue a corresponding number of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) across both streams.
Eligibility criteria will remain unchanged from the time the PEQ graduate stream was suspended and the PEQ worker stream was closed.
There is no cap on applications for the first phase. Applications will be accepted starting July 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time and continuing through October 31, 2026.
During this period, the Quebec government will scale back invitations issued through the Skilled Worker Search Program (PSTQ) and will target candidates in TEER 4 or TEER 5 occupations, as well as those who have not yet accumulated two years of work experience.
Quebec describes the PEQ reopening as a temporary measure, with the intent to sunset the PEQ eventually and shift all permanent residence selection to the PSTQ. An earlier May announcement had indicated a reopening but did not specify a start date.