(QUEBEC) — Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) issued 2,573 invitations on February 23, 2026, asking skilled workers to apply for permanent selection under its Skilled Worker Selection Program.
MIFI spread the invitations across four streams, a broad round that offered fresh signals on where Quebec’s immigration selection is focusing as candidates and employers track the province’s main skilled pathway.
Selections covered the Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills stream, the Intermediate and Manual Skills stream, the Regulated Professions stream, and the Exceptional Talents stream, reflecting a mix of labor-market priorities rather than a single occupation-focused sweep.
Candidates drew attention to the round because it provides a snapshot of demand areas and selection patterns, including the growing weight of regulated roles and the ongoing centrality of French proficiency in Quebec’s approach.
Quebec has treated the PSTQ as its primary skilled-worker pathway after the closure of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) on November 19, 2025, a change that pushed more applicants into Arrima-driven selection.
MIFI also ended three pilot programs on January 1, 2026, covering food processing, orderlies, and AI/IT/visual effects, further concentrating permanent selection on the PSTQ’s four-stream structure.
Officials have tied the province’s planning to Quebec’s 2026 immigration plan, which targets 45,000 permanent immigrants, while emphasizing French integration through PSTQ selection using the Arrima platform.
That emphasis showed up again in the February invitations, which targeted candidates already residing in Quebec with relevant work experience and French proficiency at level 7+ oral and level 5+ written on the Québec Scale.
Within the round, the distribution across streams pointed to a sizeable share for regulated occupations alongside substantial selection for highly qualified and specialized workers, with additional selection activity in the intermediate/manual and exceptional-talent categories even when totals were not fully broken out publicly.
MIFI issued 1,141 invitations under the Regulated Professions stream, a large share of the round that highlighted the province’s focus on roles linked to licensing and oversight by professional bodies.
Quebec also issued 901 invitations in the Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills stream, spread across three selections that targeted TEER 0, 1, 2 occupations and relied on minimum scores and Quebec-specific education and experience patterns.
MIFI did not specify a total for the Intermediate and Manual Skills stream within the overall 2,573 invitations, while confirming it formed part of the round and applied to workers in intermediate/manual occupations residing in Quebec.
Officials also did not break out a separate total for the Exceptional Talents stream, which sits alongside the other streams in the PSTQ structure and can cover candidates with exceptional achievements, advanced credentials, or sustained work experience.
The scale of the February 23, 2026 round, and its mix across streams, signaled continued selection activity early in the year as Quebec pursues a managed intake under its 2026 planning target of 45,000 permanent immigrants.
Regulated professions drew particular attention because invitations in that stream can reflect not only points-based rankings but also the pipeline of candidates who can move through Quebec’s regulatory and licensing expectations.
For highly qualified candidates, the round reinforced the value Quebec places on Quebec-based education and on recent Quebec experience, which can shape who rises to the top even among strong profiles in the Arrima pool.
Eligibility themes varied by stream, but MIFI’s invitations in February again centered on candidates already in Quebec, with work experience tied to the stream’s underlying labor-market objectives and with French proficiency set as a baseline requirement.
In the Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills stream, MIFI tied eligibility to Quebec diplomas, recent work history, and a minimum score, aiming to capture candidates who can integrate into higher-skill occupations while showing Quebec-based training or experience.
For that stream, MIFI listed examples of eligible Quebec diplomas, including a professional certificate over 600 hours, a college/technical diploma, and a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, alongside a requirement of at least 24 months of work experience in the last 5 years, including at least 12 in Quebec.
MIFI also set a minimum score of at least 688 points for the Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills stream, then ran three selections within it, issuing 254 invitations tied to a Quebec diploma plus at least 900h/30 credits, 419 tied to a Quebec diploma plus priority occupations, and 234 tied to a Quebec diploma only.
Regulated Professions invitations focused on candidates in in-demand regulated roles residing in Quebec, reflecting a stream designed around professional licensing pathways and the province’s need to staff occupations governed by regulators.
For that stream, MIFI directed candidates to include regulatory authority assessments from MIFI’s List of Regulated Professions, a reminder that meeting regulatory expectations can be as determinative as a points score once a candidate receives an invitation.
Intermediate and Manual Skills selections, while included in the round’s overall invitations, reflect a different design logic, aiming to capture residents working in intermediate/manual occupations and to align selection with Quebec labor-market fit.
Exceptional Talents stands apart in design, offering a recognition-oriented pathway that can apply to candidates who can present a document from MIFI’s List of Exceptional Achievements (Stream 4), hold a Quebec-equivalent doctorate, or show at least 36 months of work experience in their primary occupation in the last 5 years.
Arrima remains the entry point into this system, with candidates submitting expressions of interest through the platform at no cost, then waiting for invitations tied to stream priorities and targeted selections.
MIFI set those Arrima expressions of interest as valid for 90 days, a time limit that keeps the pool refreshed and can force candidates to keep documentation current as they compete for invitations.
Applicants typically prepare identity and travel documents such as a passport, French test results including TEF/TCF, diplomas and other credential proof, and employment certificates covering the last 5 years, with validated job offers included as an optional element where applicable.
Once invited, candidates must assemble and file the permanent selection application promptly, a timeline pressure that can be sharper for applicants who need licensing-related paperwork, updated language tests, or employer documentation.
Quebec’s early 2026 invitation activity has already shown how selection intensity and minimum score floors can shift between rounds and among targeted selections inside the same stream.
MIFI’s prior draws in 2026 included 1,094 invitations on January 29, with at least 737 points in some streams, and 683 invitations on January 26, with at least 657 points, underscoring that cutoffs can vary and that targeted selections can apply different thresholds.
Regulated-profession selections have carried a distinct dynamic, with candidates balancing the points framework against steps tied to professional and regulatory assessment, which can influence how quickly a profile can translate into a complete permanent selection application.
For many candidates watching Quebec, the February invitations reinforced a practical message about the province’s direction: stream targeting matters, Quebec-based education and work experience can play a decisive role, and French proficiency remains a central selection filter embedded across the system.
Employers and applicants are likely to watch for further stream-by-stream targeting within the PSTQ, particularly the pace of regulated-profession invitations and how Quebec maintains selection volumes while pursuing its 2026 target of 45,000 permanent immigrants.
