## Key takeaways
– Quebec’s PEQ first intake closes on Saturday, October 31, 2026 — seven days from October 24, 2026.
– This first intake is reserved for people who already met PEQ eligibility when the program closed on November 19, 2025.
– After October 31, no new PEQ applications will be received until Quebec’s immigration ministry (MIFI) announces the next intake; no dates for a later intake have been set.
– The PEQ is a fast track to a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), the selection certificate needed before applying for federal permanent residence.
– Applications are submitted through Quebec’s Arrima portal.
## What is closing on October 31
Quebec temporarily revived the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ) for two years, from July 2, 2026 to July 2, 2028, after abolishing it on November 19, 2025. The revival is being run in phased intake periods. The first intake period runs from July 2 to October 31, 2026, and it is reserved for foreign nationals who already met the PEQ’s eligibility requirements on November 19, 2025, the day the program closed.
This reminder follows ImmiQuest Immigration’s October 18, 2026 post announcing the intake close. Nothing about the October 31 date has changed since then.
## Who this first intake is for
The first intake covers both PEQ streams: Quebec graduates and temporary foreign workers. The key test is timing, not just qualifications: you must have already met your stream’s eligibility requirements as of November 19, 2025. If you only became eligible after that date, you cannot use this first intake and must wait for a later intake period, whose criteria and timing MIFI has not yet announced.
There is no cap on the number of applications accepted during this first period. MIFI estimated when it announced the reopening on June 10, 2026 that between 8,000 and 12,000 applications might be submitted by October 31. Reporting on an access-to-information release in October 2026 put July and August applications alone at 12,364, already above that forecast.
## What happens after October 31
Once the first intake closes, MIFI will not receive PEQ applications until it announces a new intake period. MIFI has said it will adjust Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ) invitations from November 2026 based on the volume of PEQ applications received, and that it intends to issue equivalent numbers of Quebec Selection Certificates through both programs over the rest of the 2026-2029 planning period.
## Frequently asked questions
Q: Does the PEQ close permanently on October 31, 2026?
A: No. October 31 ends the first intake period only. The temporary PEQ revival runs to July 2, 2028, with further intake periods expected, though MIFI has not announced their dates.
Q: Who can apply before October 31?
A: People who already met PEQ eligibility for their stream (Quebec graduate or temporary foreign worker) as of November 19, 2025.
Q: What if I became eligible after November 19, 2025?
A: You cannot use this first intake. You would need to wait for a later intake period or consider another Quebec pathway, such as the PSTQ via Arrima.
Q: What does the PEQ lead to?
A: A Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). With a CSQ, you can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence.
If you think you may qualify for this first intake, now is the time to check — the window closes in seven days. Contact ImmiQuest Immigration at +1 778-855-4155, email info@immiquest.ca, or visit https://immiquest.ca for a consultation.
Vikas Tulashyam, RCIC #R709710