Quebec opens two pilot permanent-residency routes for healthcare and AI workers
MIFI's quiet announcement could redirect thousands of applications away from the federal stream.
The Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francophonie et de l'Intégration has launched two narrow pilot programmes — one for nurses, one for AI specialists — that bypass the standard PEQ scoring grid in favour of an employer-led assessment.
Caps are small: 1,400 places combined for the first two years. But the political signal is large. Quebec has been openly frustrated with federal selection priorities, and a self-managed pilot is its way of saying so.
Eligibility is tight — a job offer in the relevant sector, a B2 in French, and at least 18 months' Quebec residence. For candidates already on a closed work permit in a Montréal hospital or a Mila-affiliated lab, the pathway is direct.
Whisper & Hart's Montréal desk expects the first invitations to be issued in late spring. If you are in scope, prepare your dossier now — pilots, in our experience, fill faster than headlines suggest.
Further Reading
Record wildfires engulf southern Europe as temperatures soar past 45 °C
Greece, Spain and southern France face the worst wildfire season in recorded history. Thousands evacuated as EU mobilises emergency response.
The talk of the talk shows: immigrants now top France's income charts
Immigrants now earn more than the native-born: France faces an unexpected reversal in 2026.
UK lifts skilled-worker salary floor again, narrowing the white-collar route
Westminster's quiet revision pushes thousands of mid-career applications back to the drawing board.