Quebec’s distinct immigration regime examined through its programs, selection processes, and practical challenges for practitioners advising clients in 2026.
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Lisa Middlemiss
October 8, 2026 at 12:00pm EST
$90
3 hours
Attend Live Online and On-Demand Recording
This course provides a comprehensive, practitioner-focused overview of Quebec’s distinct immigration regime in 2026, covering the constitutional foundations, program structures, and practical challenges unique to this jurisdiction. Participants will examine Quebec’s shared federal-provincial authority under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the invitation-based Arrima system, the PSTQ economic immigration streams, and temporary residence pathways including CAQ requirements for students and workers. The course also addresses French language thresholds, family class quotas, misrepresentation risks, and refusal remedies, with real-world fact patterns integrated throughout to ground the legal framework in practice. Designed for immigration lawyers and RCICs advising clients in Quebec, this course equips practitioners to navigate one of Canada’s most complex and rapidly evolving immigration jurisdictions.
• CAQ vs CSQ: Identifying when each is required
• Authorized representatives before the MIFI: licensing restrictions and co-counsel solutions
• Constantly changing landscape
• Constitutional and legal foundations: Canada–Quebec Accord (1991)
• Quebec’s authority over selection vs federal authority over admissibility
• Shared jurisdiction in practice and impact on processing times
• Immigration levels and policy priorities in Quebec: annual and pluriannual immigration planning
• Policy drivers: settlement capacity, demographics, French language
• French language thresholds for economic immigration
• Recognized French exams and strategic selection
• Quebec values test and government-sponsored French courses
• End of the PEQ and shift to invitation-based selection
• Overview of the PSTQ
• Detailed review of the four PSTQ streams
• Arrima system mechanics
• Points system and invitation factors
• Strategic and practical considerations
• Post-invitation timelines
• Documentary requirements and best practices
• Processing, refusals, and follow-up
• Federal-provincial division of responsibility
• Family class quotas and intake caps
• Undertaking applications and financial capacity rules
• CAQ for students
• CAQ for workers (LMIA-required roles)
• Quebec facilitated processing and salary thresholds
• Intentions to reject or refuse
• Misrepresentation and consequences
• Administrative review
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Principal Lawyer
Middlemiss Immigration Law
Lisa Middlemiss is the principal lawyer at Middlemiss Immigration Law which she founded in September 2024. Previously, Lisa worked at Gomberg Dalfen, a boutique immigration law firm in Old Montreal for 11 years, first as Associate and then as a Law Partner. She initially joined the firm as a student in 2010 and subsequently articled at the firm. Called to the Quebec Bar (Barreau du Québec) in August 2013, Lisa has been practising exclusively in Canadian immigration and citizenship law ever since.
Lisa completed civil law and common law degrees in 2012 at McGill University’s Integrated Law Program in Montreal. She was awarded her bachelor of arts in polit- ical science in 2008 from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia and completed a related university exchange in 2006 at l’Institut d’Études Politiques in Lille, France.
Throughout her practice in immigration and citizenship law, Lisa has been involved with the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). She initially served as vice-president and then president of the Quebec Branch of the CBA’s Immigration Law Section. Subsequently, Lisa was elected as a table officer of the CBA’s National Immigration Law Section’s executive, holding the lock-step positions of secretary/communications officer, vice-chair, chair, and immediate past chair.
Lisa has co-authored with Amandeep Hayer the Emond publication Maintaining Permanent Residence and Acquring Citizenship.
Before attending law school, Lisa worked for the International Policy and Agreements Division of Human Resources and Social Development Canada in Ottawa, which gave her an appreciation for the civil service.
Lawyer and Founder, Holthe Immigration Law
Immigration Lawyer Mark Holthe started his legal career with a large national law firm in Calgary where he initiated the business immigration practice at the firm. Since those early days, he has had the opportunity to work in a wide variety of law firm configurations before finally realizing that the best place for him was within the confines of an immigration boutique firm of his own making.
As a Canadian Immigration lawyer Mark Holthe has particular experience in assisting clients with all aspects of Canadian immigration law. He assists large national and multinational companies in navigating the complex world of Canadian immigration and provides strategic immigration advice to international and domestic companies seeking to recruit and retain foreign skilled and semi-skilled personnel.
Mark also assists temporary foreign workers with their transition to permanent resident status in Canada and over the past few years, he has taken great satisfaction in helping individuals and families with their various immigration related needs. Mark finds no greater satisfaction than helping to facilitate the reunification of families.
While attending law school, Mark worked as an Immigration officer for Citizenship and Immigration Canada on the Alberta/Montana border. While completing his final year of law school, he worked as a pro bono student to the Canada Border Services Agency Hearings Officers representing the minister before the Immigration Appeal Division in Calgary, Alberta. As a result of his prior experience as an immigration officer, Mark has been able to enhance the services he offers to his cross-border and overseas clients. Since that time, he has continued to work hard fostering positive relationships with the various immigration related government departments and has focused a significant portion of his practice on cross-border matters.
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