Immigration for healthcare workers in Quebec in 2026: what are the options after the end of the PEQ?
A context of ongoing shortages and a transformed immigration landscape
Quebec continues to face a critical shortage of healthcare workers. According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, more than 28,000 positions in health care and social services remained vacant in the third quarter of 2025.
At the same time, the rules governing permanent immigration in the province were profoundly modified with the abolition of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), replaced by the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), which is more selective and region‑based.
This change has plunged thousands of foreign workers—including nurses, orderlies, and physicians—into great uncertainty about their future in Quebec.
End of the PEQ: a shock for healthcare workers
For years, the PEQ offered a simple and fast pathway to obtain permanent resident status. This was possible after a period of skilled work or studies in Quebec.
Its gradual abolition—marked by the suspension of the “Quebec Graduates” stream on October 31, 2024, followed by the suspension of the “Temporary Foreign Workers” stream on June 5, 2025, followed by its official abolition on November 19, 2025—caused a shockwaves among workers already in the province. Many of them now see their work permits expiring in 2026.
According to the government, the program resulted in too high a volume of applications and lacked the tools to effectively target priority sectors. It has now been replaced by the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ).
The PSTQ: the new mandatory path, more targeted and more restrictive
Since 2025, all applications under Quebec’s jurisdiction must now go through the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) via the Arrima platform. The PSTQ makes it possible to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), a document required before submitting a permanent residence application at the federal level.
Candidates must submit a declaration of interest on Arrima and then wait for an invitation based on multiple criteria (priority sectors, regions, French proficiency).
It is important to remember that Québec is the province with the highest level of autonomy in selecting its immigrants. Elsewhere in Canada, foreign workers and international students can apply directly for permanent residence.
2026 priorities
For 2026, invitations will follow three main orientations:
- Quebec graduates
- Occupations in strategic sectors
- Candidates located outside Montreal and Laval
Selection is slower than under the PEQ, since it is not “automatic” once the eligibility criteria are met, with about 2,500 invitations issued per month. However, this number of invitations should be sufficient to meet the annual targets set by the government while respecting the province’s integration capacity.
This new selection system complicates the situation for many workers already established in Québec. Several are “disadvantaged” because they live and work in Montreal, a region that is now given lower priority in the selection process.
Age, which is a factor in the points system, can also create an additional challenge. Indeed, a large number of temporary workers are in their late thirties or early forties. This reality reduces their competitiveness in points‑based systems compared with younger candidates.
Impact on foreign healthcare personnel
Many workers recruited between 2022 and 2024 had been informed that they would receive a two‑year work permit before becoming eligible for permanent residence. This pathway was intended to facilitate their settlement in Canada in the post‑pandemic context. It was part of the immigration efforts implemented following the 2020–2022 health crisis.
However, uncertainty remains, particularly due to processing delays, the lack of transparency in invitation rounds, and the sometimes difficult renewal of temporary work permits.
Express Entry: a more stable and predictable option
What is Express Entry?
Unlike Quebec’s immigration mechanisms, the federal Express Entry system remains consistent, fast, and transparent. It selects candidates based on a score, with publicly announced invitation rounds.
Express Entry includes three programs:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Major advantages
Since 2024–2025, the federal government has strengthened targeted categories for healthcare (and social services) occupations, which increases the chances of receiving an invitation.
In addition to meeting the requirements of one of the programs, nurse/orderly applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Experience: at least 12 months of continuous full‑time work (or equivalent) in one of the eligible healthcare occupations within the past 3 years (in Canada or abroad).
- Language: valid test results, level 5 to 7 depending on the profession.
In December 2025, the federal government announced targeted immigration measures for physicians in Canada.
Among them, a targeted category was added: the category for physicians with Canadian work experience.
In addition to meeting the requirements of one of the programs, physician applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Expérience : au moins 12 mois continus à temps plein (ou équivalent) dans l’une des professions de santé admissibles au cours des 3 dernières années au Canada.
- General practitioners and family physicians
- Specialists in surgery
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
In addition, IRCC has reserved 5,000 spaces under the Provincial Nominee Program. It will also offer 14‑day processing for work permits for physicians who have a job (or a job offer) and are nominated by a province or territory.
Which strategy should you choose in 2026?
If you are a French‑speaking nurse already working in Quebec.
Express Entry can be extremely advantageous if you:
- Have already accumulated work experience in Canada (Canadian Experience Class),
- Work in an in‑demand profession (health category),
- Are proficient in French (French‑language category).
These three pathways increase your chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence.
Current processing times are estimated at 4 to 6 months. Express Entry offers greater visibility on upcoming invitation rounds, as well as on the scores of selected candidates.
For example, in 2025, for all three pathways, invitation rounds took place almost every month.
Of course, you must be willing to settle in a Canadian province other than Quebec.
The PSTQ remains the appropriate option if:
- You work in a region outside Montreal/Laval;
- Your employer can support your application through a validated permanent job offer;
- You absolutely want to remain in Quebec long term.
However, the combined processing times (invitation → CSQ → federal) can reach up to two years. And selection is not guaranteed, despite promises to include healthcare workers.
The Minister of Immigration also sought to reassure the public by stating that healthcare personnel would not be overlooked in the invitation rounds. He announced a commitment to selecting 6,300 healthcare workers under the PSTQ by the end of 2026.
Ultimately, after the end of the PEQ, is Express Entry emerging as the safest pathway for healthcare workers?
The end of the PEQ has significantly weakened the immigration pathway for healthcare workers in Quebec. Despite the Quebec government’s efforts to reassure workers, the PSTQ remains a process that still needs to prove itself, while workers often find themselves in a precarious administrative situation.
In contrast, Express Entry offers a fast, transparent, and strengthened pathway for healthcare professions, particularly since the introduction of federal targeted categories. This route can therefore be a serious alternative to consider if you are willing to settle outside Quebec.
To determine whether you are eligible for the PSTQ or Express Entry and to choose the best strategy, you can complete our pre‑assessment.
This article has been updated following recent immigration‑related developments. Its last update was on February 19, 2026.