The Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ) – Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program – uses a detailed points-based system to rank candidates who wish to immigrate to Quebec as permanent residents. This system evaluates both the principal applicant and, where applicable, their accompanying spouse or common-law partner.
On this page you will find
- An overview of the three main scoring groups
- Detailed point charts for every factor
- How French tests and Quebec diplomas boost your score
- Extra points for jobs and stays outside Montréal
- Frequently asked questions about the PSTQ grid
Candidates are awarded points based on a wide range of human capital factors, labour market needs, and integration potential. These include:
- French language proficiency
- Age
- Work experience in and outside Quebec
- Education (both Quebec and foreign diplomas)
- Validated job offers and professional licences
- Time spent living, working, or studying in Quebec
- Family connections and spousal credentials
The maximum number of points available is 1,400, divided across several categories. Meeting the minimum threshold does not guarantee an invitation – candidates are selected based on how their score compares with others in the Arrima pool.
This page provides a full breakdown of the PSTQ scoring system, including all applicable tables and point allocations, to help you understand where you stand and how to improve your chances of selection.
LANGUAGE
Oral Comprehension
| Québec Level | Principal Applicant (max 50 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 40 pts) |
| 1–4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5–6 | 38 | 30 |
| 7–8 | 44 | 35 |
| 9–10 | 50 | 40 |
| 11–12 | 50 | 40 |
Oral Production
| Québec Level | Principal Applicant (max 50 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 40 pts) |
| 1–4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5–6 | 38 | 30 |
| 7–8 | 44 | 35 |
| 9–10 | 50 | 40 |
| 11–12 | 50 | 40 |
Written Comprehension
| Québec Level | Principal Applicant (max 50 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 40 pts) |
| 1–4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5–6 | 38 | 30 |
| 7–8 | 44 | 35 |
| 9–10 | 50 | 40 |
| 11–12 | 50 | 40 |
Written Production
| Québec Level | Principal Applicant (max 50 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 40 pts) |
| 1–4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5–6 | 38 | 30 |
| 7–8 | 44 | 35 |
| 9–10 | 50 | 40 |
| 11–12 | 50 | 40 |
AGE
| Age | Principal Applicant (max 120 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 100 pts) |
| 18–19 years | 110 | 90 |
| 20–30 years | 120 | 100 |
| 31 years | 110 | 95 |
| 32 years | 100 | 90 |
| 33 years | 90 | 81 |
| 34 years | 80 | 72 |
| 35 years | 75 | 68 |
| 36 years | 70 | 63 |
| 37 years | 65 | 59 |
| 38 years | 60 | 54 |
| 39 years | 55 | 50 |
| 40 years | 50 | 45 |
| 41 years | 40 | 36 |
| 42 years | 30 | 27 |
| 43 years | 20 | 18 |
| 44 years | 10 | 9 |
| 45+ years | 0 | 0 |
WORK EXPERIENCE
(Experience in the 5 years before profile extraction)
| Duration of Experience | Principal Applicant (max 70 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 50 pts) |
| Less than 12 months | 0 | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 20 | 15 |
| 24 to 35 months | 40 | 30 |
| 36 to 47 months | 50 | 35 |
| 48 months or more | 70 | 50 |
EDUCATION
| Education Level | Principal Applicant (max 130 pts) | Accompanying Spouse (max 110 pts) |
| Completed general secondary school | 13 | 11 |
| Vocational secondary (600–899 hours, Québec diploma) | 13 | 11 |
| Vocational secondary (900+ hours, Québec diploma) | 26 | 22 |
| Vocational secondary (1+ year full-time, outside Québec) | 26 | 22 |
| Post-secondary general (2 years full-time) | 39 | 33 |
| Technical post-secondary (900+ hours, Québec diploma) | 52 | 44 |
| Technical post-secondary (1–2 years full-time, outside Québec) | 52 | 44 |
| Technical post-secondary (3 years full-time) | 78 | 66 |
| Undergraduate (1 year full-time) | 78 | 66 |
| Undergraduate (2 years full-time) | 91 | 77 |
| Undergraduate (3–4 years full-time) | 104 | 88 |
| Undergraduate (5+ years full-time) | 110 | 93 |
| Master’s degree (1 year full-time) | 110 | 93 |
| Master’s degree (2+ years full-time) | 117 | 99 |
| Medical specialisation (2+ years full-time) | 130 | 110 |
| Doctorate (PhD) | 130 | 110 |
LABOUR MARKET DIAGNOSIS AND EXPERIENCE
(Maximum 120 points)
| Diagnosis Type | Duration of Experience | Points |
| Balanced or no diagnosis | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 5 | |
| 24 to 35 months | 10 | |
| 36 to 47 months | 15 | |
| 48 to 60 months | 25 | |
| Slight shortage | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 70 | |
| 24 to 35 months | 80 | |
| 36 to 47 months | 90 | |
| 48 to 60 months | 100 | |
| Shortage | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 90 | |
| 24 to 35 months | 100 | |
| 36 to 47 months | 110 | |
| 48 to 60 months | 120 |
QUEBEC EDUCATION
(Maximum 200 points)
| Quebec Diploma Type | Principal Applicant Points |
| Completed general secondary school | 20 |
| Vocational secondary diploma (600–899 hours – DEP, ASP, or DEP-ASP) | 20 |
| Vocational secondary diploma (900+ hours) | 40 |
| Post-secondary general (2 years full-time) | 60 |
| Technical post-secondary (900+ hours) | 80 |
| Technical post-secondary (3 years full-time) | 120 |
| Undergraduate – 1 year full-time | 120 |
| Undergraduate – 2 years full-time | 140 |
| Undergraduate – 3 or 4 years full-time | 160 |
| Undergraduate – 5+ years full-time | 170 |
| Master’s degree – 1 year full-time | 170 |
| Master’s degree – 2+ years full-time | 180 |
| Medical specialisation – 2+ years full-time | 200 |
| Doctorate (PhD) | 200 |
QUEBEC WORK EXPERIENCE
(Experience in the 5 years before profile extraction – Maximum 160 points)
| Duration of Work Experience in Quebec | Principal Applicant Points |
| Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 40 |
| 24 to 35 months | 80 |
| 36 to 47 months | 120 |
| 48 to 60 months | 160 |
IN-DEMAND REGIONS
Residence Outside the Montréal Metropolitan Area
(Maximum 40 points)
| Duration of Residence | Points |
| 0 to 5 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 6 |
| 12 to 23 months | 16 |
| 24 to 35 months | 24 |
| 36 to 47 months | 32 |
| 48 months or more | 40 |
Work Experience Outside the Montréal Metropolitan Area
(Maximum 60 points)
| Duration of Work Experience | Points |
| 0 to 5 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 9 |
| 12 to 23 months | 24 |
| 24 to 35 months | 36 |
| 36 to 47 months | 48 |
| 48 months or more | 60 |
Study Period Outside the Montréal Metropolitan Area
(Maximum 20 points)
| Duration of Study Period | Points |
| 0 to 5 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 3 |
| 12 to 23 months | 8 |
| 24 to 35 months | 12 |
| 36 to 47 months | 16 |
| 48 months or more | 20 |
JOB OFFER
(Must match declared main occupation – Maximum 50 points)
| Location of Job Offer | Principal Applicant Points |
| Outside the Montréal Metropolitan Area | 50 |
| Inside the Montréal Metropolitan Area | 30 |
CREDENTIALS
(Must relate to declared main occupation – Maximum 50 points)
| Condition | Principal Applicant Points |
| Holder of a valid licence to practise in Quebec | 50 |
| Holder of a diploma or training program partially or fully recognised by Quebec regulator | 50 |
STUDY PERIOD WITHOUT DIPLOMA
(Maximum 30 points)
Completed Study Periods
| Duration of Completed Study | Principal Applicant Points |
| Less than 6 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 1 |
| 12 to 23 months | 3 |
| 24 to 35 months | 5 |
| 36 to 47 months | 8 |
| 48 months or more | 10 |
Ongoing Study Periods
| Duration of Ongoing Study | Principal Applicant Points |
| Less than 6 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 5 |
| 12 to 23 months | 12 |
| 24 to 35 months | 18 |
| 36 to 47 months | 24 |
| 48 months or more | 30 |
FAMILY MEMBER IN QUEBEC
(Must live outside the Montréal Metropolitan Area – Maximum 10 points)
| Relationship of Family Member | Principal Applicant Points |
| Related to the principal applicant | 10 |
| Related to the accompanying spouse or partner | 5 |
ACCOMPANYING SPOUSE OR PARTNER
Spouse – Oral Comprehension
(Maximum 10 points)
| Québec Level | Spouse Points |
| 1 to 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 or 6 | 6 |
| 7 or 8 | 8 |
| 9 or 10 | 10 |
| 11 or 12 | 10 |
Spouse – Oral Production
(Maximum 10 points)
| Québec Level | Spouse Points |
| 1 to 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 or 6 | 6 |
| 7 or 8 | 8 |
| 9 or 10 | 10 |
| 11 or 12 | 10 |
Spouse – Written Comprehension
(Maximum 10 points)
| Québec Level | Spouse Points |
| 1 to 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 or 6 | 6 |
| 7 or 8 | 8 |
| 9 or 10 | 10 |
| 11 or 12 | 10 |
Spouse – Written Production
(Maximum 10 points)
| Québec Level | Spouse Points |
| 1 to 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 or 6 | 6 |
| 7 or 8 | 8 |
| 9 or 10 | 10 |
| 11 or 12 | 10 |
Age of Accompanying Spouse or Common-Law Partner
(Age on the date of profile extraction – Maximum 20 points)
| Age Range | Spouse Points |
| 16 to 19 years | 18 |
| 20 to 30 years | 20 |
| 31 years | 18 |
| 32 years | 17 |
| 33 years | 16 |
| 34 years | 15 |
| 35 years | 14 |
| 36 years | 12 |
| 37 years | 10 |
| 38 years | 8 |
| 39 years | 7 |
| 40 years | 6 |
| 41 years | 5 |
| 42 years | 4 |
| 43 years | 3 |
| 44 years | 2 |
| 45 years or more | 0 |
Quebec Work Experience – Spouse or Common-Law Partner
(Experience in the 5 years before profile extraction – Maximum 30 points)
| Duration of Work Experience | Spouse Points |
| 0 to 5 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 5 |
| 12 to 23 months | 10 |
| 24 to 35 months | 15 |
| 36 to 47 months | 23 |
| 48 to 60 months | 30 |
Education Level – Spouse or Common-Law Partner
(Diploma must be completed before profile extraction – Maximum 20 points)
| Education Level | Spouse Points |
| Completed general secondary school | 2 |
| Vocational secondary (600–899 hours, Québec diploma) | 2 |
| Vocational secondary (900+ hours, Québec diploma) | 4 |
| Vocational secondary (1+ year full-time, outside Québec) | 4 |
| Post-secondary general (2 years full-time) | 6 |
| Technical post-secondary (900+ hours, Québec diploma) | 8 |
| Technical post-secondary (1–2 years full-time, outside Québec) | 8 |
| Technical post-secondary (3 years full-time) | 12 |
| Undergraduate – 1 year full-time | 12 |
| Undergraduate – 2 years full-time | 14 |
| Undergraduate – 3 or 4 years full-time | 16 |
| Undergraduate – 5+ years full-time | 17 |
| Master’s degree – 1 year full-time | 17 |
| Master’s degree – 2+ years full-time | 18 |
| Medical specialisation – 2+ years full-time | 20 |
| Doctorate (PhD) | 20 |
Quebec Diploma – Spouse or Common-Law Partner
(Diploma must be completed before profile extraction – Maximum 30 points)
| Quebec Diploma Type | Spouse Points |
| Completed general secondary school | 3 |
| Vocational secondary (600–899 hours) | 3 |
| Vocational secondary (900+ hours) | 6 |
| Post-secondary general (2 years full-time) | 9 |
| Technical post-secondary (900+ hours) | 12 |
| Technical post-secondary (3 years full-time) | 18 |
| Undergraduate – 1 year full-time | 18 |
| Undergraduate – 2 years full-time | 21 |
| Undergraduate – 3 or 4 years full-time | 24 |
| Undergraduate – 5+ years full-time | 25 |
| Master’s degree – 1 year full-time | 25 |
| Master’s degree – 2+ years full-time | 27 |
| Medical specialisation – 2+ years full-time | 30 |
| Doctorate (PhD) | 30 |
How tie-breakers work
When two candidates reach the same total, the system ranks them by the exact date and time they submitted their expression of interest in Arrima.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are my French test results converted into Québec levels?
The Ministry publishes conversion tables for each accepted exam. After you declare your results, Arrima automatically applies the correct level on the Québec 1 to 12 scale. Higher levels yield more points, and level 9 or higher can be confirmed by certain French-language diplomas.
Do I need a job offer to succeed under the PSTQ?
No – a job offer is optional. However, a validated offer in your main occupation is worth up to 50 points, and you gain the full amount if the position is outside Montréal. That boost can make a meaningful difference in your ranking.
Can part-time work count toward the experience grids?
Experience is measured in months, not hours, but it must come from employment in a National Occupational Classification profession. Co-op or training placements shorter than three months can still count if a credential program officially recognises them.
Why does studying without obtaining a diploma still earn points?
The system rewards genuine exposure to Québec life. Even if you finish a short programme and leave before graduation, time spent attending classes helps your integration and is therefore recognised under the adaptation factors.
If my spouse travels to Québec later, can I update our file?
Yes. You may modify your expression of interest in Arrima as circumstances evolve. Adding new French test scores, work history or a spouse’s credential can raise your total. Remember that each change carries a fresh submission timestamp for tie-breaking purposes.
