New Quebec Experience Program 2023: Fastest path to Canada

Editorial review: August 2026. Immigration rules change frequently and vary according to the profile. Use this guide to understand the process, but confirm forms, deadlines, and eligibility on the official portals of Canada and Quebec before submitting an application.

📌 Historical record, 2023 news. The PEQ has changed a lot since this text. The program was suspended and later reactivated for two years, now requiring French proficiency for most candidates, ending the exemption that allowed qualifying with intermediate French or no French. The old skilled worker streams were also replaced by the PRTQ. For the current situation, read: How to apply for the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) in 2026

Quebec Experience Program: a brief success story

Attention! Due to recent changes in Canada's immigration policy, check the updated summary of rules for international students before proceeding, as some rules in this historical record have already changed.

Anyone who knows me from other texts might know that I immigrated to Canada through the Quebec Experience Program in 2018. Well, at that time, the PEQ was experiencing its best moment with international students, because its rules made life very easy for those who came to the province to study with the intention of settling permanently.

Explaining it very simply, all you had to do was complete a study program of at least 1,800 hours (in French or English), pass a French proficiency test (TEFAQ), and apply for the blessed Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), and in just 6 months your life was already settled. Well, at least for a while it was like that.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky enough to benefit from this condition, because as all immigration legislation constantly changes to meet political and economic needs (not just Canada’s), I also had to adapt to the new demands of the law at the end of 2019. Thus, I had to work for at least a year in an occupation eligible for the program (former NOC) and proceed with the slower and more doubtful process.

Luckily, since my study program was in the IT field, I was able to meet the PEQ requirements easily, something not so easy for some acquaintances of mine at the time.

In short, my permanent residency process took about 4 years, including the 18 months of College, one year of work, and plus the processing time of the CSQ and PR with the federal government.

If I had applied under the old law, it likely would have taken half the time and cost me less money, since the temporary resident status is not the best in the world when living in Canada.

Read also: “What changes for you with permanent residency in Canada”

Quebec Experience Program before and after

The Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ) came into effect in February 2010. The goal of the Quebec Ministry of Immigration was to create an accelerated and simplified program leading to permanent residency.

It allows foreign students who have completed a post-secondary program and foreign workers who have completed a period of skilled work to apply for permanent residency in Quebec.

The PEQ is based on experience acquired in Quebec and can lead to obtaining a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), the provincial step for those intending to settle permanently in the province. Always check the current status of the program before preparing an application.

Unlike economic immigration programs, where the applicant can expect to receive the invitation to enter Canada already as a permanent resident while in their country, the PEQ requires the immigration candidate to be living in Quebec as a worker or student.

Who is the PEQ for?

The PEQ is intended for foreign students graduated in Quebec or for temporary foreign workers.

PEQ fees and processing times

The processing fee is $869 CAD for the main applicant and $186 CAD for the spouse and for each dependent child included in the application. Applications under the PEQ are handled with priority and are typically done within 6 months through the ARRIMA platform.

PEQ eligibility requirements (July 2020 to May 2023)

To apply for selection, you must meet all the eligibility requirements of the program, otherwise, your application will be refused. The PEQ has two streams.

Quebec Graduates

This stream is intended for foreign students in Quebec who have graduated and who subsequently had paid employment experience in Quebec within their field of training for 12 months (undergraduate and postgraduate degree holders) to 18 months (diploma holders in a DEP and ASP program).

Study in Quebec - Você no Quebec - Source: Image bank

Eligible diplomas: Recognized diplomas must have been issued by a university or public educational institution located in Quebec and recognized by the government. In addition, the foreign student must have resided in Quebec for at least half the duration of their study program. The eligible degrees are as follows:

• Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) of 1800 hours of study
• DEP followed by an Attestation of Vocational Specialization (ASP)
• Diploma of College Studies (DEC)
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Master’s Degree
• Doctorate

Read also: “What I need to study and work in Canada”

Temporary Foreign Workers

To be selected for the Temporary Foreign Workers stream, you must legally reside in Quebec as a temporary foreign worker or as part of a youth exchange program. Here are the accepted types of permits:

• Working Holiday (Vacances-travail)
• Young Professionals (Jeunes professionnels)
• International Co-op Internship (Stage Coop International)

Work experience: You must have acquired 24 months of full-time work experience in Quebec in the last 36 months in a job classified as 0, A, or B according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

PEQ eligibility conditions

The terms and conditions of the program must be met regardless of the stream you apply for. The general conditions to be respected are as follows:

• be 18 years of age or older;
• have respected the conditions of your stay;
• demonstrate that you intend to settle in Quebec to hold a job;
• be legally in Quebec when making the application;
• demonstrate financial autonomy capacity;
• match level 7 of the Quebec Scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants for oral French knowledge;
• the accompanying person must have an oral French knowledge equivalent to level 4 of the Quebec Scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants.

Mistakes and successes of the PEQ

Three years after an initial immigration reform in 2020 criticized by the opposition, which caused the number of international students remaining in Quebec to plummet after completing their studies, the Legault government takes a step back in 2023 in another attempt to correct the slip made by the then Minister of Immigration Simon Jolin-Barrette.

Learn French - Source: Image bank

By tightening the eligibility criteria for the PEQ in recent years, the government saw the number of foreign students who applied for the program (5,465 in 2020) drop to 2,268 in 2022. In the eyes of the opposition, this was a more than evident failure of the government, which should encourage these skilled foreigners, who studied in Quebec, to stay in the province.

During this period, there was a true exodus of temporary residents in Quebec moving to other provinces in search of less complex selection criteria that granted permanent residency faster, since the new rules practically doubled the processing time for permanent residency in the case of international students.

The neglect of immigration in the province of Quebec was so great at the time that there are countless reports of people who waited up to 28 months for permanent residency, living the torment of seeing their temporary residence permits expire even before receiving their PR.

In his defense, Simon Jolin-Barrette states that under the current conditions of the program in 2020, the risk of the French language in Quebec suffering another heavy blow would be enormous, as many students and temporary workers were entering the job market without the necessary proficiency to meet the demands in the local labor market.

Read also: “Canadian census reveals Quebec families are speaking less French at home”

Proof that the program still needed to undergo adjustments seen in the Regular Skilled Worker Program was that about 12% of the candidates managed to be accepted without speaking French during the years 2020 to 2022. This is so true that it is not uncommon to find testimonial videos on YouTube where many Brazilians tell how they managed this feat.

How to immigrate to Quebec in 2023?

The most important point in this new PEQ is undoubtedly the prioritization of the French language in candidate selection. From now on, everyone will have to have a knowledge of the language of at least an intermediate level.

Furthermore, the requirements will be modulated according to each profession. Thus, a level 7 (similar to high school) will be required for a management position or a computer network technician.

Dental assistants, nannies (gardiennes d’enfants et manœuvres), for example, can be accepted with only a level 5 oral proficiency, without written requirements.

New PEQ Quebec Study requirements

Rules until May 2023	New rules
Does not encourage the pursuit of studies in French, since the required proficiency level is limited to the intermediate B2 (Oral) level. It was still possible to take a study program in English and take the TEFAQ French exam or complete all levels of Francization to be eligible for the CSQ.	Requires applicants to have completed an eligible PEQ study program in French or, failing that, demonstrate that they have completed at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary studies in French in Quebec or outside of Quebec. Requires knowledge of written French at level 5 of the Quebec scale.
The duration of work experience required of the candidate and the obligation to hold a job at the time of submitting the application caused delays in obtaining the Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ) after studies.	Removal of the requirement to have acquired work experience after the study program and to be employed at the time of application.

Source: ANNEXE 1 RÉSUMÉ DES PRINCIPALES AMÉLIORATIONS PROPOSÉES AUX PROGRAMMES D’IMMIGRATION

New PEQ requirements for temporary foreign workers

Rules until May 2023	New rules
Need to update from the 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) to the 2021 NOC.	Replace the 2016 NOC skill levels with the 2021 NOC TEER categories, making TEER job categories 0, 1, 2, and 3 eligible. By including TEER 3 occupations, new occupations that were not eligible for the PEQ become eligible, such as beneficiary attendants or truck drivers.

Source: ANNEXE 1 RÉSUMÉ DES PRINCIPALES AMÉLIORATIONS PROPOSÉES AUX PROGRAMMES D’IMMIGRATION

What are the changes in the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) in 2023?

In short, the free ride is over for those who wanted to immigrate to Quebec only speaking English. Even highly qualified professionals in fields like IT, who in most cases don’t even need to speak French at work, will have to adapt to the Bonjour anyway if they want to establish permanent residency in the province.

With this initiative, the government expressly declares that the focus of its immigration is candidates who have the French language as their first language or that in other conditions, highly skilled foreign workers are capable of communicating at an advanced level so they can apply for economic immigration programs.

On the other hand, those who intend to use the PEQ Study as an entry route will have a lower effort if we consider that it is possible to arrive with an intermediate level to take a study program and progress well during the course to the point of reaching the necessary proficiency level to be eligible for the CSQ and consequently for permanent residency in Canada.

In practice, coming as a student to Quebec will be the fastest and shortest path to obtain permanent residency in Canada, stressing that criteria such as age have a much lower weight than other federal immigration programs. Thus, forty-somethings and fifty-somethings have a better chance if they choose Quebec and, of course, French.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

What is the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)?

The PEQ is one of the Quebec immigration programs that allows temporary workers and international students who have graduated in the province to apply for permanent residency.

What are the eligible occupations for the PEQ?

Temporary workers wishing to apply for the PEQ now need to have work experience in one of the following occupations:

• Professionals, technicians, and intermediate-level workers in health and social assistance
• Professionals, technicians, and intermediate-level workers in natural and applied sciences
• Professionals, technicians, and intermediate-level workers in administration
• Professionals, technicians, and intermediate-level workers in arts, culture, sports, and recreation
• Professionals, technicians, and intermediate-level workers in sales and services
• Drivers and operators of heavy and mobile equipment
• Workers in production and manufacturing
• Workers in transportation and warehousing
• Workers in food services
• Workers in personal and protective services
• Workers in construction and extraction

What are the requirements for the International Student path in the PEQ?

International students need to graduate in Quebec and have knowledge of French to qualify for permanent residency through the PEQ. Work experience after course completion will no longer be required.

How long does it take to process a permanent residency application through the PEQ?

The PEQ is a fast immigration program that aims to process permanent residency applications within six months. Add to this time the duration of your course + 6 months to obtain the CSQ and processing time for federal permanent residency which today is taking up to 20 months.

Is knowledge of French mandatory to apply for the PEQ?

Yes, knowledge of French is mandatory to apply for the PEQ and from now on the proficiency level will be higher for some occupations, as well as the adoption of the written competence requirement. Just understanding and speaking French is not enough.

What are the advantages of the PEQ compared to other immigration programs?

One of the main advantages of the PEQ is that applications are processed within six months, which is significantly faster than other immigration programs. In addition, the PEQ is a direct path to permanent residency for temporary workers and international students where factors such as age carry a much lower weight compared to other express entry programs in Canada.

For those still lost in the process, I will simplify it. Having a CSQ is practically having a provincial permanent residency; even if the federal PR process takes a while, there is no way your process can go backwards, because immigration candidates with this status enjoy certain privileges and security in the federal process when compared to temporary residents holding work or study permits.

Read also: “Why does the province of Quebec have its own immigration policy?”

Final thoughts

Even with all its back and forths, the PEQ can still be considered one of the best immigration programs for Brazilians, since the French language is easily assimilated by native Portuguese speakers. Perhaps this is one of the major factors why so many Brazilians continue arriving in the province, even with all of Quebec’s complications.

Well, I hope these tips help you in your choice. Anyway, my recommendation is always to use updated sources like the official government website, as legislation changes constantly.

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See you in the next post! 😉