Under political pressure from hospitals and unions, Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge pledged on 5 February to fast-track applications from orderlies, nurses and other foreign healthcare staff caught in the transition to the new Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ). (montreal.citynews.ca)
The commitment follows the government’s November 2025 decision to abolish the popular Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), which had been a critical pathway to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers and international graduates. Health-sector employers warned that as many as 5,000 staff risked losing their legal status before their PSTQ files could be assessed.
During Question Period in the National Assembly, Roberge said healthcare cases “will be prioritized” and resolved by the end of 2026. While no formal policy document was released, ministry sources indicate that a dedicated processing unit and simplified document checklist are under consideration.
![Quebec promises priority processing for foreign healthcare workers amid PSTQ backlash]()
For individual healthcare professionals and HR teams navigating the shifting requirements, partnering with an experienced visa facilitator can save weeks of guesswork. VisaHQ, for example, offers up-to-date guidance on Canadian immigration streams, document preparation and filing logistics, and its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) lets users track each step in real time—services that can prove invaluable while the PSTQ rules are still settling.
For hospitals and long-term-care facilities already wrestling with vacancy rates above 10 per cent, the announcement offers short-term relief. It also signals that Quebec is open to sector-specific carve-outs even as it pursues overall reductions in temporary and permanent immigration.
Mobility managers should note that the province still intends to cap temporary foreign workers by 2029. Companies in non-priority sectors may therefore see longer PSTQ queues, making federal work-permit extensions or inter-provincial transfers viable stop-gap measures.
The commitment follows the government’s November 2025 decision to abolish the popular Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), which had been a critical pathway to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers and international graduates. Health-sector employers warned that as many as 5,000 staff risked losing their legal status before their PSTQ files could be assessed.
During Question Period in the National Assembly, Roberge said healthcare cases “will be prioritized” and resolved by the end of 2026. While no formal policy document was released, ministry sources indicate that a dedicated processing unit and simplified document checklist are under consideration.
For individual healthcare professionals and HR teams navigating the shifting requirements, partnering with an experienced visa facilitator can save weeks of guesswork. VisaHQ, for example, offers up-to-date guidance on Canadian immigration streams, document preparation and filing logistics, and its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) lets users track each step in real time—services that can prove invaluable while the PSTQ rules are still settling.
For hospitals and long-term-care facilities already wrestling with vacancy rates above 10 per cent, the announcement offers short-term relief. It also signals that Quebec is open to sector-specific carve-outs even as it pursues overall reductions in temporary and permanent immigration.
Mobility managers should note that the province still intends to cap temporary foreign workers by 2029. Companies in non-priority sectors may therefore see longer PSTQ queues, making federal work-permit extensions or inter-provincial transfers viable stop-gap measures.
