Quebec PSTQ Qualified Worker Selection Program: Eligibility & Streams

Visa Overview

The Quebec PSTQ (Qualified Worker Selection Program) is a skilled worker selection program with four streams covering all occupations on the Quebec job market, under which candidates must meet both general requirements and stream-specific criteria to receive an invitation for permanent selection.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the PSTQ, you must be considered a skilled worker and meet both the general requirements that apply to all streams and the specific requirements of the stream under which you are applying for permanent selection.

Age Requirement

• Be 18 years of age or older.

Financial Requirements

• Demonstrate, by signing a Financial Self-Sufficiency Contract, your capacity to provide for yourself and, if applicable, that of your accompanying family members for the three months after becoming a permanent resident.
• Consult the current scales (PDF 157 Kb, in French only) for the total amount that applies to your situation.

Documentation Requirements

• Your main occupation is the one you wish to practice in Quebec and in which you are likely to be able to hold a job.
• You must find the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code that corresponds to your main occupation and the corresponding program stream(s) by visiting the page "Find the NOC code for your main occupation and the corresponding stream."
• Important: To accept an invitation, you must still intend to practice your main occupation as stated in your declaration of interest. If you change your mind, you must decline the invitation and update your declaration.
• Note the NOC code and corresponding PSTQ stream(s) to determine the selection criteria that apply to your professional situation.
• Pay close attention to occupation details: Some jobs are regulated, require Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, or require a Quebec diploma.

Skills Assessment Requirements

• Certain selection conditions depend on the FEER (training, education, experience, and responsibilities) category of your main occupation, which corresponds to the second digit of the five-digit NOC code.
• There are six FEER categories:
• 0: Management-related professions
• 1: Professions that usually require a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree)
• 2: Occupations that usually require a college or vocational secondary school degree of two years or more, OR supervisory responsibilities, OR significant safety responsibilities
• 3: Occupations that usually require a college or vocational secondary school degree of less than two years, OR more than six months of on-the-job training or training courses, combined with a certain level of secondary education and specific work experience
• 4: Occupations that usually require a High School diploma OR several weeks of on-the-job training, with a certain level of secondary education
• 5: Jobs that usually require a brief demonstration of your skills and have no specific educational requirements
• Example: NOC code 21211 - Data Scientists is FEER 1 since the second digit of the code is "1." This means that to work in this profession, a university education is usually required.

Special Provisions and Additional Conditions

• Meet the criteria that led to the invitation to submit the application for permanent selection you have received.
• Comply with any conditions for returning to your country imposed by a scholarship in Québec, if applicable.
• Obtain the Attestation d’apprentissage des valeurs démocratiques et des valeurs québécoises (Attestation of learning of democratic and Québec values). Accompanying family members aged 18 or over also need to obtain one.

Status and Visa Requirements

• Intend to settle in Québec to take up employment which is not on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly, and is not in ineligible areas (payday loans, cheque cashing or pawnbroking; production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services related to the sex industry such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services or erotic massages).
• Be likely to be able to do the job.
• You do not need to be employed in your main occupation when you receive the invitation or submit your application.

Restrictions and Exclusions

• Canadian citizenship or permanent residency is required for some occupations.
• A Quebec diploma is required for some occupations.
• Some jobs are regulated.

Supplementary Information

Application Process

The application process involves: 1) Determine your main occupation, 2) Find its NOC code and corresponding PSTQ stream(s), 3) Know the FEER category, 4) Submit a Declaration of Interest, 5) If invited, submit an application for permanent selection meeting both general and stream-specific requirements.

Important Notes

• Based on the primary occupation you indicated in your Declaration of Interest and related information, the Ministère will determine the component in which you may receive an invitation to apply for permanent selection.
• If you wish to practice a profession other than the one stated in your declaration of interest, you must decline the invitation, update your new main occupation, and wait for a new invitation (with no guarantee of receiving another one).
• You do not need to be employed in your main profession when you receive the invitation or submit your application for permanent selection.
• Pay close attention to occupation-specific details: some jobs are regulated, require Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, or require a Quebec diploma.