Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ): programs, French and what comes next

The Quebec Selection Certificate, the CSQ (Certificat de sélection du Québec), is Quebec’s written confirmation that it has chosen you to settle in the province permanently. It is issued by Quebec’s immigration ministry (MII, formerly MIFI). It is not permanent residence, and it doesn’t let you work: once you have it, you still apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence, and IRCC runs its own checks. If you live in Montreal and work mostly in English, the CSQ is also where French stops being optional. This guide is based on quebec.ca and canada.ca pages checked on October 27, 2026.

Key takeaways

• Quebec picks its own economic immigrants. The CSQ is proof of that choice; permanent residence comes later, from IRCC.
• For workers, two programs lead to a CSQ today: the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), through Arrima, and the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), which only receives applications until October 31, 2026.
• Every PSTQ stream except exceptional talent sets a French level. Stream 1 asks for level 7 oral and level 5 written on the Quebec scale; Stream 2 asks for level 5 oral.
• An expression of interest, an invitation and an application for permanent selection are three different things in Arrima. Only the last one leads to a decision.
• The CSQ doesn’t extend your status. Keep your work or study permit valid until permanent residence is granted.

Why Quebec has its own certificate

Under an agreement with the federal government, Quebec selects the economic immigrants who settle in the province. Everywhere else in Canada, IRCC both selects and admits skilled workers, mostly through Express Entry. In Quebec, the work is split in two: the province decides who it wants, and the federal government decides whether that person is admissible, by checking health, security, criminality and the accuracy of the information given.

That split is why people get confused. A CSQ feels like the finish line, because it’s the hardest part to win. It isn’t. Quebec’s own page says that once you get your CSQ, you must continue your immigration process with the Government of Canada and apply for permanent residence. Our page on the CSQ and Quebec selection walks through the whole chain.

Don’t mix the CSQ up with the CAQ (Certificat d’acceptation du Québec). The CAQ is a temporary authorization, mostly for studies and some work permits. The CSQ is about staying for good. A student can hold a CAQ for years and never come near a CSQ; see our page on the CAQ for studies if that’s where you are.

Which program can get you a CSQ

The program you aim for depends on what you can prove today: your occupation, your experience, your diploma and, above all, your French. Here are the doors that are open, and the ones that aren’t.

The PSTQ: the main door for skilled workers

The Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) is for people who want to settle in Quebec permanently to work, whether they are already in the province or abroad. You start by submitting an expression of interest in Arrima, Quebec’s online platform. Quebec then decides which stream you could be invited under, based on the main occupation you declared and the information that goes with it. The program has four streams:

Stream	Who it covers	Work experience	French (Quebec scale)
1. High qualification and specialized skills	TEER 0, 1 or 2 occupations that don’t need a licence to practise	1 year in the occupation, in or outside Quebec, within the 5 years before applying	Level 7 oral, level 5 written
2. Intermediate and manual skills	TEER 3, 4 or 5 occupations	2 years, including at least 1 year in Quebec, within the last 5 years	Level 5 oral
3. Regulated professions	Occupations on the ministry’s list of regulated professions	No set length; you need an authorization to practise or a regulator’s assessment dated within 5 years	Level 7 oral and 5 written (TEER 0–2); level 5 oral (TEER 3–5)
4. Exceptional talent	Outstanding expertise with recognized achievements	3 years in the occupation within the last 5 years	No French requirement

A few rules apply to every stream. You sign a financial self-sufficiency contract, showing you can support yourself and your family for the three months after you become a permanent resident. And you, plus any accompanying family member aged 18 or over, must obtain Quebec’s attestation of learning about democratic values and Quebec values. In Streams 1 to 3, your accompanying spouse or partner also needs French at level 4 oral; Stream 4 has no French requirement.

The TEER category is the second digit of the five-digit National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. A data scientist (NOC 21211) is TEER 1; most office administrative assistants are TEER 3. Get the code right before you build anything else, because it decides your stream and your French threshold. Our page on the PSTQ explains each stream, and our article on PSTQ points and Arrima ranking covers how invitations are decided.

The PEQ: open until 2028, receiving applications until October 31, 2026

The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) was built for Quebec graduates and temporary foreign workers already in the province. Quebec reopened it for two years, from July 2, 2026 to July 2, 2028. But a management decision by the minister limits the receipt of applications to July 2 through October 31, 2026, in both streams. To have your application received in that window, you must have met these criteria as of November 19, 2025:

• Quebec graduates: a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate, a technical DEC, or a DEP of at least 1,800 hours (alone or followed by an ASP), obtained in Quebec;
• Temporary foreign workers: at least two years of work experience in Quebec in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 jobs.

The program’s other conditions still apply, including French at level 7 oral (and level 5 written for graduates). If you’re reading this before October 31 and you qualify, read our page on the Quebec Experience Program today. If not, the PSTQ is your route; our article PSTQ or PEQ compares the two.

Other routes to a CSQ

Quebec runs its own business immigration programs for investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed workers, each with its own conditions. A CSQ can also come at the end of a humanitarian case: when IRCC approves in principle an application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds for someone living in Quebec, Quebec carries out its own selection and issues a CSQ if the person is selected. Our page on humanitarian and compassionate applications explains that path.

Some doors are closed. The old pilot programs and the former Regular Skilled Worker Program no longer take applications, whatever an old forum post says. Before you pay for anything, check the current criteria, forms and intake periods on quebec.ca.

The French question, for English-speaking Montrealers

Plenty of people live and work in Montreal in English for years. That’s fine for a work permit. It stops working at the CSQ stage, because French is built into the selection itself, not added as a bonus. For a TEER 0, 1 or 2 job under Stream 1, you need level 7 in speaking and level 5 in writing on the Quebec scale. A software developer, a marketing manager or a project manager who has never taken a French test is, today, not eligible for that stream, however strong the rest of the profile.

The practical consequence is timing. A French test takes a booking, a sitting and a result, and level 7 oral is a real conversational level, not tourist French. If you plan to stay in Quebec, treat French as the first item of your CSQ project, not the last. Quebec’s page on demonstrating your knowledge of French lists the documents it accepts.

If French is a genuine obstacle and you would be happy living elsewhere in Canada, compare honestly with the federal programs. Express Entry requires you to intend to live outside Quebec, so it’s a different life plan, not a shortcut; our article Express Entry or Quebec selection sets out the choice.

Arrima: interest, invitation and application are three steps

Submitting an expression of interest in Arrima is not an application for a CSQ. It puts your profile in a bank of candidates; Quebec hasn’t assessed you, and nothing guarantees an invitation will follow.

An invitation to apply for permanent selection is the next, separate step. Once you receive it, follow the instructions and the response deadline that come with it.

An invitation is not a selection either. Quebec assesses the application against the program and stream criteria. One rule catches people out: your application is examined on the main occupation you declared when you were invited, and it must stay the same. If you want to change your main occupation after an invitation you haven’t accepted yet, you must decline it, update your expression of interest and wait for a new invitation, if one comes. Our guide to Arrima and PSTQ invitations goes through each step.

Building an application that reads cleanly

Start from the document checklist and the forms for your program and stream. Requirements aren’t the same for everyone, and a document that matters in one file may be irrelevant in another.

Sort your documents by the sections of the forms, then cross-check them. Names, dates of study, employment periods and job duties should tell the same story everywhere. A reference letter that lists tasks from a different TEER level than the one you declared is the kind of inconsistency that triggers questions.

Submit readable copies and follow the translation rules for the process. A translation that doesn’t meet the instructions may not be usable.

If someone represents you, make sure they’re allowed to. In Quebec, an immigration consultant must be listed in the Quebec register of immigration consultants as well as on the College’s register. Our article on checking that a consultant is authorized shows how.

Quebec’s selection fees and IRCC’s permanent residence fees are separate, because they pay for different steps. Check Quebec’s fee schedule for your application on quebec.ca and IRCC’s fees on canada.ca at the time you pay, never from an old guide.

After the CSQ: the federal application

With your CSQ, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence as a Quebec-selected skilled worker. The CSQ doesn’t replace the federal forms or IRCC’s assessment of admissibility. You follow IRCC’s document checklist for that category, include your CSQ and the documents asked for your situation, such as identity and civil status documents and, where required, police certificates, and pay the federal fees.

After you submit, keep your confirmation, watch your account for IRCC’s messages and answer document requests by the stated deadlines. Medical exams and biometrics follow IRCC’s instructions. Our guide CSQ received: next steps with IRCC and our page on permanent residence cover this stage in detail.

Adding or removing a family member

After your CSQ, you can still add or remove an accompanying family member: a spouse, a common-law partner or a dependent child. For a PSTQ file, Quebec now says the request is made directly in your Arrima account, in your PSTQ file (page updated October 23, 2026). The change must be reflected in your federal application too.

Keeping your status while you wait

A CSQ gives you no temporary status and no right to work. Quebec reminds candidates to keep a valid work permit throughout the permanent residence process. What’s available depends on where you are in it:

• CSQ in hand, federal application not yet submitted: an employer-specific work permit exempt from the LMIA, with no CAQ needed. Your employer has steps to take with IRCC and pays the compliance fee.
• Federal application submitted and acknowledged: the bridging open work permit, with no CAQ needed.
• Living outside Quebec: IRCC says Quebec no longer sends invitation letters for the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+) open work permit. IRCC only processes IMP+ applications from people invited before January 16, 2025.

Study permits, work permits and visitor status do different jobs. Our pages explain study permits, work permits, the post-graduation work permit and visitor status. If your employer needs to hire through an LMIA, see our page on the LMIA in Quebec; employers will find their side on our employers page.

Sponsorship is a separate route altogether: see spousal sponsorship in Quebec and family sponsorship. And if your history includes a refusal or another complication, deal with it before you apply again; our pages on visa refusals, inadmissibility and complex cases are a good starting point.

Conclusion

The CSQ is Quebec saying yes. Permanent residence is a second, federal yes that you still have to apply for. Pick the program that matches what you can prove: the PSTQ through Arrima, in the stream your main occupation decides, or the PEQ if you qualify and can apply by October 31, 2026. Start with French if you live your working life in English, keep your documents consistent and keep your permit valid until the very end.

Frequently asked questions

What is a CSQ?

The Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec) is the document in which Quebec’s immigration ministry (MII) confirms it has selected you to settle in Quebec. You then apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

Can I get a CSQ without speaking French?

Not through Streams 1 to 3 of the PSTQ or through the PEQ: each sets a French level on the Quebec scale. Stream 4, for exceptional talent, has no French requirement; it rests on expertise and achievements. Check the current conditions on quebec.ca.

Does a CSQ let me work or travel to Canada?

No. It is neither a work permit nor a travel document. You need a valid permit to work, and the documents needed to enter Canada are checked separately.

How long does a CSQ take?

It depends on the program and the step. Waiting for an Arrima invitation is not the same as processing a complete application. Check the processing times Quebec publishes for your program when you apply, and keep them separate from IRCC’s times for the federal stage.

Can I change my occupation after an invitation?

Not in the same application. Your file is assessed on the main occupation declared when you were invited. If you haven’t accepted the invitation yet, you can decline it, update your profile and wait for a new invitation, if one comes.

Can my spouse be added after I get the CSQ?

Yes. For a PSTQ file, the request to add or remove an accompanying family member is made in your Arrima account, in your PSTQ file. Reflect the change in your federal application as well.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 27, 2026:

• Québec — Skilled Worker Selection Program requirements (in French)
• Québec — After obtaining your CSQ (in French)
• Québec — PEQ selection conditions (in French)
• IRCC — Optional work permits for CSQ holders