Quebec Plans 45,000 Annual Immigration Cap for 2026–29

(QUEBEC, CANADA) Quebec unveiled a new Quebec immigration regime for the period 2026–2029, setting a permanent immigration cap of 45,000 newcomers per year starting in 2026 and introducing, for the first time, formal targets for temporary residents. The plan, tabled in November 2025 by Minister Jean‑François Roberge, represents a major reset after admissions rose in recent years, with the province expecting about 61,000 permanent residents in 2025.

Officials say the shift is meant to reduce pressure on housing, healthcare, and French‑language integration capacity while keeping the economy supplied with needed workers. The new approach uses Quebec’s powers under the Canada–Québec Accord to select immigrants and set its own targets.

Key changes and numerical targets

• Permanent admissions cap: Held at 45,000 per year from 2026 through 2029.
• Temporary resident forecast for 2026: Between 84,900 and 124,200 (Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Student Program).
• Temporary resident target by 2029: Aim for a 13% reduction compared with 2024 levels.
• End of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ): Scheduled for November 19, 2025.
• French requirement for long‑term temporary foreign workers: Spoken French level 4 required to renew work authorization starting December 2028, following a three‑year transitional period.

Why the government chose these levels

During public consultations, the government considered three reduction scenarios and selected the least severe option—keeping the cap at 45,000 rather than deeper cuts to 35,000 or 25,000. Officials argued the chosen level better balances labor needs with integration capacity and is a stabilizing move aimed at preventing services from buckling while investments in French training and regional settlement support ramp up.

Temporary flows and planning benefits

This plan is the first time Quebec has tied its immigration regime to numeric objectives for temporary admissions. Officials say giving employers, schools, and municipalities clearer ranges will help them plan:

• housing
• classrooms
• training resources

By forecasting a range for 2026 and aiming for reductions by 2029, Quebec seeks to manage the surge in temporary residents that has been seen across Canada.

French language policy and francization

French language policy is central to the plan. Key points:

• Temporary foreign workers with three or more years in Quebec will need to demonstrate spoken French at level 4 to renew their work authorization.
• The renewal requirement starts in December 2028, with a three‑year transitional period before full application.
• The government says the requirement supports workplace safety, access to services, and long‑term social cohesion.

Advocates welcomed the early notice but warned that training capacity must grow so workers—especially in regions and lower‑wage sectors—can meet the bar without losing status.

PEQ closure and skilled worker selection

• The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) will end on November 19, 2025.
• Quebec will direct all skilled worker selection through the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ).
• The government says this streamlining will:
  • Focus selection on applicants with French ability and profiles aligned with regional labor needs
  • Reduce overlaps that strained processing and integration services

Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests the PEQ’s closure may push more applicants to strengthen French skills and gain regional experience (outside Montréal) to remain competitive.

Priority for people already in Quebec

The plan prioritizes applicants already in Quebec, particularly those with:

• Quebec diplomas
• Regional work experience
• Strong French

Officials argue selecting newcomers already studying or working in the province reduces the risk of poor matches between newcomers and available jobs. Business groups say the clarity of a multi‑year permanent immigration cap helps recruitment planning, though they continue to call for targeted exemptions in sectors with acute shortages.

Regional settlement emphasis

Quebec wants more newcomers to land and stay outside Montréal to support local economies and ease concentration pressures that have stretched the city’s housing market and French classes. The plan suggests:

• Stronger alignment between admissions and regional capacity
• More selection points for candidates willing to live and work in areas with labor shortages

Mayors of mid‑sized cities say they can welcome more families if support services and francization follow.

Reactions from stakeholders

Reactions have split along familiar lines:

• Public‑service groups praised the planned 13% reduction in temporary residents by 2029 as a needed pause.
• Universities and colleges warned that caps and language rules could deter international students, who help research and fill skills gaps in fields such as engineering and health sciences.
• Labor unions requested that the French requirement be paired with stronger workplace language training to avoid pushing out lower‑wage workers.
• Immigration lawyers welcomed clearer targets but urged transparent criteria in the PSTQ to avoid uncertainty for families caught between temporary status and permanent pathways.

Practical implications and timelines

For people already in Quebec, the timeline matters:

• A foreign student graduating in 2026 may face fewer permanent seats than in 2025.
• A temporary worker approaching the three‑year mark by December 2028 will need to plan to meet French level 4 to keep working without disruption.
• Employers in regions such as Saguenay or Trois‑Rivières will factor the 2026 temporary admission ranges into their recruitment for seasonal and skilled workers.
• The PSTQ’s regional focus may reward job offers outside Montréal.

These policy choices affect everyday life—for example, whether a family secures daycare, whether a clinic can hire a nurse, or whether a manufacturing line adds a second shift.

Broader context and risks

Quebec frames the plan as a response to capacity limits, not a retreat from economic growth. By setting a permanent immigration cap and binding temporary targets for 2026–2029, the province aims to:

• Slow the pace of arrivals
• Reinforce French proficiency
• Distribute newcomers more evenly across regions

That said, risks remain:

• Housing starts are still below levels many economists say are needed.
• Labor shortages persist in health, construction, and advanced manufacturing.
• If temporary targets squeeze certain sectors too hard, pressure may build for adjustments.
• If French training scales up as promised, renewal and PSTQ pathways may become more predictable.

Quebec’s message: stretch growth across the map, keep arrivals within what services can carry, and make French proficiency the common thread tying the 2026–2029 plan together.

For official context on Quebec’s selection powers and the shared roles of federal and provincial governments, the Canada–Québec Accord is publicly available through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at this federal page: Canada–Québec Accord relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens.