PEQ is back: impacts for employers and workers

After more than seven months of closure, the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) is temporarily reopening its doors as of July 2, 2026. For Quebec manufacturers struggling to recruit skilled tradespeople, this development is worth paying attention to.

What’s Changing

The Quebec government has confirmed the PEQ will reopen for a two-year period, running until July 2, 2028. Unlike its historically continuous intake process, the program will now be managed through designated application periods. The first intake period runs from July 2 to October 31, 2026.

One important note: this first window is exclusively for individuals who already met the eligibility requirements before the program closed — that is, before November 19, 2025. Two profiles are targeted:

• Temporary foreign workers who had accumulated at least two years of work experience in Quebec in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation before that date
• Graduates who had obtained a recognized Quebec diploma before November 19, 2025

French language requirements remain unchanged. No cap has been set on the number of applications for this first period, and processing times are estimated at six to seven months.

What It Means for Quebec Manufacturers

For employers in the manufacturing sector, the return of the PEQ is a welcome development in a market where the shortage of skilled labour remains one of the biggest brakes on growth.

Since the program closed in November 2025, many foreign workers already employed in Quebec factories found themselves at an impasse: integrated, trained, operational — but with no clear path to permanent residence. For a CNC machinist, a welder, or a production operator who has been working in Quebec for two years or more, the PEQ now represents a concrete way forward toward stability.

For employers, this translates into an additional retention argument. A skilled worker who knows they can access permanent residence through their current employer is a worker more likely to stay – and that’s precisely the kind of stability manufacturers need for their key production roles.

What It Means for the Local Workforce

The reopening of the PEQ is not without impact for workers already established in Quebec. By making it easier for skilled foreign workers to access permanent residence, the program maintains competitive pressure on the manufacturing labour market, meaning more candidates competing for the same positions.

For some local workers, particularly those looking to negotiate a raise or change employers, a pool of foreign workers who are stable and motivated to settle in Quebec may reduce their bargaining power. It would be dishonest to ignore this reality.

That said, in a manufacturing sector where demand for skilled labour far exceeds the local supply available, and where positions have been sitting vacant for months, the PEQ addresses a real deficit more than it creates direct competition for local workers.

A Shift to Watch: The Impact on the PSTQ

The PEQ reopening comes with a direct tradeoff: Quebec will temporarily reduce the number of invitations issued under the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) while PEQ applications are being processed. Invitations will be limited primarily to candidates under Stream 2 (TEER 4 and 5 occupations) and Stream 4 (Exceptional Talent).

For manufacturers who have been using the PSTQ as an international recruitment tool — particularly for technical profiles at TEER 2 or 3 levels such as machinists or industrial technicians — invitation volumes and timelines could be affected starting in November 2026.

Key Takeaways for the Coming Months

The PEQ remains a temporary measure. The government has made clear that the PSTQ will once again become the primary selection mechanism once the reopening period ends. Additional intake periods may be announced before July 2028, depending on application volumes and the ministry’s processing capacity.

For manufacturing employers, the current window is short and the criteria are strict. If you have foreign workers on your team who met the PEQ requirements before November 2025, now is the time to inform them and, if necessary, point them toward an immigration advisor.

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