The long-awaited announcement of the reopening date of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) was finally revealed by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration of Quebec (MIFI). The PEQ will be open on July 2 for a period of two years, namely until July 2, 2028. This news is welcomed with relief by many foreign students, temporary workers and employers, even if several gray areas remain, regret student and union organizations.
Who are the eligible candidates for the PEQ?
The reopening of the PEQ will concern its two components, that of Quebec graduates and that of temporary foreign workers having acquired the required qualifications (having obtained one of the eligible Quebec diplomas recognized by the MIFI or having accumulated at least two years of eligible work experience) before the suspension of this program, on November 19, 2025. In order to respect the immigration targets set by Quebec (45,000 new permanent residents for the period of 2026-2029, including 29,000 relating to economic immigration), Christine Fréchette’s government has decided to receive applications in successive periods. A first submission window will be open from July 2 to October 31, 2026 for both components of the PEQ. Depending on the number of requests recorded at the end of this period, new reception periods could be announced before the end of the program.
Contrary to what several candidates feared, no ceiling will be imposed for this first period. All applications meeting the established criteria will be processed by the Department of Immigration. However, the government has clarified that the six-month processing time, which was previously respected in this program, will not be reinstated.
The reopening of the PEQ: good news and questions
For candidates eligible for the PEQ, this news is above all a huge relief. Since the closure of this program, thousands of foreign workers and graduates have lived with the anxiety of having to leave Quebec despite years of study, work and integration efforts. Some had even left personal or professional projects on hold while awaiting a government decision.
The reopening of the PEQ is also welcomed by several economic players. Companies, particularly in the regions, fear losing a workforce that is already trained, French-speaking and integrated into Quebec communities. For the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ), the reopening of the PEQ comes at the right time for all of Quebec and ensures essential continuity and avoids the departure of workers whose regions have a pressing need. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) also welcomes this reopening and is asking the federal government to establish a work permit renewal mechanism to allow the processing of PEQ applications and prevent the loss of these valuable candidates for the job market. According to survey data from this institution, 42% of SMEs rely on immigration to recruit, and the non-renewal of temporary foreign workers places businesses at risk.
The return of the PEQ therefore represents “an additional path”, without constituting a global solution to economic immigration issues. After closing a door that seemed definitively doomed, the government is today reopening a path to permanent residence for thousands of people who had already chosen to make Quebec their homeland. It now remains to be seen whether this temporary reopening will lead to a lasting solution or if it only constitutes a parenthesis in a debate which continues to divide Quebec society. However, questions remain. What about people who left Quebec after the abolition of the PEQ due to lack of prospect of regularization? How will the government manage the influx of applications and processing times? Finally, the reopening of the program for only two years leaves uncertainty over the future of this immigration route which, for more than a decade, constituted one of the main tools for attracting and retaining international talent.
Sofiane Idir