Arrima and the PSTQ get used as if they were the same thing, and they are not. One is a portal. The other is a programme. Knowing which is which changes what you are actually waiting for.
Quebec selects its own economic immigrants, and the process does not work like the federal one. Here is how it really runs.
What is the difference between Arrima and the PSTQ?
Arrima is the platform where you declare your interest. The PSTQ is the programme that selects you.
The Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés is Quebec’s skilled worker selection programme — the route for people who want to settle in Quebec permanently and work there.
Arrima is where that starts. You complete a declaration of interest in Arrima, it goes into a bank of declarations, and your profile is scored against a set of criteria.
So “I applied through Arrima” is not a thing that happens. What happens is that you place a scored profile into a pool and wait to be picked out of it. Until you are invited, you have not applied for anything.
How does the process actually work?
Three stages, and you cannot skip or reorder any of them.
- You submit an expression of interest in Arrima. This is free to enter and it is not an application.
- You receive an invitation. Quebec is explicit: you must receive an invitation before submitting an application for permanent selection. No invitation, no application.
- You are selected and receive the CSQ — the Québec Selection Certificate.
The CSQ is the provincial half. Once you hold it, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. Quebec selects; Canada admits. That order never changes.
Is it actually open, or is this theoretical?
Open and running. There were invitation rounds throughout 2026.
The most recent one we verified was on August 27, 2026, which issued 87 invitations under Volet 1. Before that, rounds ran on January 29, February 26, March 19-20, April 30, June 4, July 3 and July 30.
Volet 2 also had rounds: January 29, February 26, March 19-20, April 30 and June 4.
Two things that list tells you. Rounds happen roughly monthly, and the number of invitations in a round can be small. Being in the pool is not the same as being close to the front of it.
What French do you actually need?
It depends on your stream, and the requirement is not the same for speaking and writing.
| Stream | French required |
|---|---|
| Volet 1 — Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills | Oral level 7 or higher, written level 5 or higher |
| Volet 2 — Intermediate and Manual Skills | Spoken level 5 or higher |
| Volet 3 — Regulated Professions | TEER 0-2: same as Volet 1. TEER 3-5: spoken level 5 or higher |
| Volet 4 — Exceptional Talent | No specific French requirement stated |
| Your spouse, any stream | Spoken level 4 or higher |
The detail people miss is the last row. Your spouse has their own French requirement, and it applies across every stream. A couple planning around one person’s language level is planning around half the problem.
The other detail worth noticing: Volet 1 asks for written French at a lower level than spoken. Quebec is asking you to be able to hold a conversation more than to write an essay, which is a reasonable thing to know before you choose which test to prepare for.
So what should you do first?
- Work out which volet fits your occupation. The French requirement follows from that, not the other way round.
- Check both partners’ French, not just yours. Level 4 spoken for the spouse, in every stream.
- Put the declaration in Arrima and treat it as the beginning, not the application. It costs nothing to be in the pool.
- Understand that the CSQ is half the process. IRCC comes afterwards, with its own timeline.
Where we come in
Castle & Co. works with people on the part of this that decides whether you get invited at all:
- Identifying which volet your profile actually fits
- Reading your score against what recent rounds have been inviting
- Planning the French for both partners, in the right order
- Preparing the permanent selection application once the invitation arrives
If you are not sure whether your profile is competitive, start your process now and we will tell you where you stand before you spend a year preparing for the wrong stream.
