Immigration to Quebec and Saskatchewan in 2025 felt more like a wake, spiced with Halloween-style jokes... Like, it's so sad, so let's laugh about it
Saskatchewan: 4,761 quotas issued for 2025. The quota for 2026 is the same. As always, they started with 3,000 and increased the quotas at the end of the year. But this is half the number of 2024 spots. Back then, there were 8,000 spots. Saskatchewan allocated them to priority areas. Furthermore, half of the spots were allocated to nominations from those who applied back in 2024, just like in British Columbia. This led to Saskatchewan not inviting residents to apply for nominations in 2025. Saskatchewan's 2026 quota is the same: 4,761. Half will be allocated to priority sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, artisans, mines, manufacturing, energy, and technology. About 1,000 spots will be allocated to graduates of the province. Interestingly, Saskatchewan has stopped nominating spouses of foreign workers on open work visas.
Quebec: in short, they've closed everything they could in 2025… And no changer are expected in 2026.
Overall, approximately 51,000 people were invited in 2025. The 2026 quota is 45,000. Of these, 30,000 are for economic immigration (workers and students), 10,000 for family reunification, and 6,000 for humanitarian immigration (all selection certificates under the humanitarian program).
In the summer, Quebec closed applications for sponsorship of spouses, children, and parents. The 2025 quota of 13,000 people has been reportedly reached. The moratorium will last until June 2026. Be very vigilant, the 2026 family immigration quota is even smaller! It's possible that the 2026 quotas will be reached in just 3-4 months.
The most shocking news from Quebec in 2025 is the closure of the PEQ program—a special program for Quebec work experience and nominations for graduates of Quebec educational institutions.
And, continuing the string of sad news, Quebec extended the ban on employers hiring foreign workers in Montreal and Laval until December 2026. This means that only those workers who do not require a special permit from their employer—that is, those with a high salary or who are not eligible for a work permit, will be able to obtain a work permit.
In 2025, they reformed their selection system and began inviting people under a new one, divided into four categories: highly skilled workers, manual workers, regulated occupations, and exceptional talent. Several selections were made under this system, but almost all were based on incredibly high scores and bypassed the Montreal region.
In 2025, Quebec shifted its repopulation of regions outside Montreal and Laval to 100%. Meanwhile, Montrealers were told to prepare for a prolonged period of uncertainty. The focus was also shifted to inviting graduates from within the province.
And as the final nail in the coffin of immigration to Quebec, three temporary Quebec programs have been completely closed:
- program for food industry workers
- program for caregivers for the elderly
- program for specialists in artificial intelligence and information technology
My personal conclusion is that Quebec is becoming a breeding ground for Francophones in federal Canada, a sort of transit point, while Saskatchewan will rehabilitate itself in 2026.
Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada
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