You received a PSTQ invitation: deadlines, your permanent selection application and what comes next

An invitation under Québec's Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) opens a stage with strict deadlines. Here, in order, is what the ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII, formerly MIFI) expects from you.

1. Spotting the invitation

The invitation can arrive at any time in the message centre of your Arrima account, and an email lets you know. The department reminds candidates that checking the Arrima message centre is their own responsibility, so keep an eye on your junk folder too.

2. Answering within 30 days

From the date of the invitation, you have 30 days to respond in Arrima. You have three options:

• accept the invitation;
• decline it and ask that your expression of interest stay in the bank;
• decline it and ask that it be withdrawn.

If you do not answer in time, your expression of interest becomes invalid and leaves the bank. Only an invitation accepted on time lets you submit an application.

Watch your main occupation: your application will be assessed on the occupation listed in your expression of interest when you were invited. If you want to change it and have not yet accepted, you need to decline the invitation, keep your expression of interest, correct it and wait for a possible new invitation. If you have already accepted, do not submit the application; you can file a new expression of interest once the response period has run out.

After you accept, a second message explains how to submit your application.

3. Submitting the application: 60 days or one year

The clock starts on the date you accept:

• 60 days if you were invited under Stream 1, 2 or 4, or under Stream 3 while already holding proof of recognition from the regulatory body;
• one year if you were invited under Stream 3 without that proof. The department asks you to start the process with the regulatory body as soon as possible after accepting.

Either way, the application must include the required documents and payment of the fees.

Your answers from the expression of interest carry over automatically, but you must review them and add more information. You are responsible for it: false or misleading information can lead to the rejection of your application and of any new application for five years.

For supporting documents, Québec.ca posts a list by topic: identity, marital status, dependent children, status and stays, education, work experience, documents specific to Streams 3 and 4, French, residence and family in Québec, and other forms. Documents must be:

• scanned in colour and combined into a single PDF file;
• legible, complete and accurate, in the required formats;
• in French or English, or accompanied by a translation from a recognized translator.

Keep a copy of everything you send. The general requirements also include a financial self-sufficiency contract covering your first three months as a permanent resident.

4. Paying the fees

Since January 1, 2026, having an application examined costs $940 for the principal applicant, and $201 for a spouse or common-law partner as well as for each dependent child. Payment is by credit card, in full and in Canadian dollars, by you or by someone else. The fees are adjusted every January 1 and are not refunded, even if the application is refused or rejected.

5. While your application is reviewed

Processing time. It is counted from the day your application is received, not from the invitation. According to information updated on October 13, 2026, the department was then reviewing applications received in February and March 2026. An incomplete application, or one that needs extra checks, may take longer.

Priority for some work permits. From May 13, 2026 to May 13, 2027, the department is prioritizing applications from people whose work permit has expired or is about to, without guaranteeing a decision before it runs out: apply to renew your permit.

Values attestation. After you apply, you receive a message asking you, and family members aged 18 or over, to obtain the Attestation d'apprentissage des valeurs démocratiques et des valeurs québécoises. You have 60 days, or the application is rejected. Depending on your situation, the attestation is obtained online or through an Objectif Intégration session, and it stays valid for two years.

Other things that may happen:

• a letter of intent to reject if documents are missing or in the wrong format, with 60 days to fix it;
• adding or removing a family member in your online file (adding one means extra fees, removing one brings no refund);
• a call to an interview, sent through Arrima with the date, time, place and documents to bring.

6. The decision

There are three possible outcomes:

• Selection: you receive your Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), and those of your family, in Arrima, with information on the next steps.
• Intent to refuse: you must answer within the stated deadline with the requested documents. Without an answer, the application is refused.
• Intent to reject: this can follow doubts about a document's authenticity, missing documents or a missed interview. Without an answer, the application is rejected.

After a refusal or rejection, you may, under certain conditions, ask for an administrative review.

7. After the CSQ: the federal stage

A CSQ is not permanent residence. You then apply for permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), as a skilled worker selected by Québec. Canada decides on admission, including after the medical exam and the security and criminality checks. Federal fees and processing times are posted on the IRCC website.

Other steps may apply depending on your situation:

• if you live abroad and your CSQ is 24 months old or less, you may be eligible for an open work permit through the International Mobility Program Plus (IMP+);
• if you are in Québec, keep a valid work permit until you become a permanent resident;
• once you are a permanent resident, plan for a permanent Social Insurance Number, a new health insurance card from the RAMQ and a Québec driver's licence.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 60-day period start with the invitation?

No. You have 30 days after the invitation to accept it, then 60 days from acceptance to submit your application (one year under Stream 3 without proof of recognition).

Track your file with CSQ Tracker Pro

CSQ Tracker Pro is an independent app, not affiliated with the Government of Québec. Its step-by-step journey tracker helps you keep an eye on each deadline, and its chat rooms bring together candidates invited on the same date, with automatic translation.

Official sources

• Invitation to apply for permanent selection
• Submitting an application for permanent selection
• Documents to be submitted with an application for permanent selection
• Requirements of the Skilled Worker Selection Program
• Examination of the permanent selection application
• Receiving the attestation of learning about democratic and Québec values
• Prioritization of PSTQ application processing, May 13, 2026 (in French)
• After receiving your Certificat de sélection du Québec
• Apply to the federal government for permanent resident status
• Understanding the difference between selection by Québec and admission by Canada
• Quebec-selected skilled workers (Canada.ca)

Information checked on November 5, 2026. Rules can change: always check Québec.ca before acting.