Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, Francisation et Intégration (MIFI) issued 519 invitations on 24 September 2026 in an Arrima draw covering all four streams of the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ). The round is notable for its smaller size—about 60 percent below the five-draw average—suggesting that the province may be pacing nominations to stay within its 2026 allocation under the federal immigration levels plan. Although MIFI does not publish cut-off points for every stream, consultancy analyses indicate that most invitations went to candidates scoring above 630 points and working in sectors targeted in Quebec’s labour market priorities list. Applicants who receive an invitation have 60 days to file a complete permanent-selection application and pay the provincial processing fee. For employers, the draw is a reminder that Quebec’s system operates independently from the federal Express Entry pool and that Arrima scoring differs significantly from the Comprehensive Ranking System. Companies with francophone talent outside Quebec should therefore maintain both federal and provincial strategies. Provincial officials have hinted that remaining 2026 invitations may increasingly focus on regional streams that encourage settlement outside Montréal, aligning with Quebec’s long-standing objective of distributing newcomers more evenly across the province. Candidates working in health care, information technology and advanced manufacturing are expected to remain high priorities for the rest of the year. Global-mobility managers should review employees’ language scores and credential evaluations now so they can react quickly when the next draw criteria are published, as processing times tighten once the provincial quota nears exhaustion.
