Quebec has lowered the qualifying scores for the September PSTQ selection round

The province invited 519 candidates, and the minimum scores decreased in all three public streams.

Quebec held its latest selection round under the PSTQ Skilled Worker Program on September 24, 2026. A total of 519 candidates from the Arrima pool received invitations to apply for a Quebec selection certificate across all four streams of the program.

Under Stream 1 for highly skilled professionals, 86 people received invitations, with a minimum score of 634. Under Stream 2 for mid-level professions and skilled trades, the province invited 316 people with scores of 611 or higher. Under Stream 3 for regulated professions, 110 people with scores of 380 or higher received invitations. Under Stream 4 for exceptional talents, Quebec invited 7 people; their scores were not published.

Within each stream, Quebec conducts several selection rounds with different criteria; therefore, the lowest score for each stream is listed here. In most selection rounds within streams 1, 2, and 3, candidates were required to be in Quebec, know French, and work in a profession listed among the priority occupations.

Comparison with the Previous Selection

The previous PSTQ selection round took place on August 27, 2026. At that time, Quebec invited 780 people: 87 in Stream 1 with a score of 639, 563 in Stream 2 with a score of 616, 109 in Stream 3 with a score of 393, and 21 in Stream 4.

The minimum scores decreased in all three streams where they are published: by 5 points in streams 1 and 2, and by 13 points in stream 3. The total number of invitations decreased by 261, almost entirely due to stream 2.

What the 2026 tryouts reveal

Since July, Quebec has been issuing significantly fewer invitations. In each of the five selection rounds from January through June, there were about 2,500 invitations, while on July 3, the province invited 501 people; on July 30, 523; on August 27, 780; and on September 24, 519.

In Stream 1, the volume has remained consistent with recent months: 74 invitations on July 3, 105 invitations on July 30, 87 in August, and 86 in September. The score of 634 remains within the 2026 range, which was between 571 and 674.

In the 3rd stream, the score of 380 was the second-lowest in 2026. It was lower only on July 30, when it stood at 376 points.

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Who Is PSTQ For?

The program is designed for skilled workers who wish to live in Quebec. Candidates submit an expression of interest through Arrima, and during the selection process, Quebec invites the candidates with the highest scores from the groups it needs. The requirements vary by stream: they are described in detail in the articles on Stream 1 for workers with specialized skills, Stream 2 for skilled tradespeople, Stream 3 for regulated professions, and Stream 4 for talented professionals with notable achievements.

A general overview of the program can be found in the article on Quebec's program for skilled professionals.

Not sure if you meet Quebec's requirements? Schedule an assessment of your chances of immigrating to Canada.

A counselor will assess your French proficiency, your profession, and your experience, and will advise you on which PSTQ track offers you the best chances.

The dates of all provincial draws, the minimum scores, and the number of invitations are listed on the page detailing the history of immigration draws in Quebec.

Source

#PSTQ selection

#skilled workers in Quebec

#Arrima database

#Quebec selection certificate

#minimum score

#highly skilled professionals

#regulated professions

#exceptional talents

#point deductions

#number of invitations

#priority occupations