Arrima Invitation Score and Draw Results 2026: What You Need to Know
The most common frustration among Quebec immigration applicants in 2026: sitting in the Arrima pool for months with no invitation. You see draw results posted online, your score seems reasonable, and still nothing. The reason is almost always that draws are targeted — MIFI doesn't simply invite the highest-scoring profiles. It runs strategic, filtered draws based on labor market data, and understanding the filter logic is the difference between a competitive profile and one that never gets called.
How Arrima Draws Actually Work
Arrima is Quebec's Expression of Interest (EOI) platform. When you submit a profile, you don't automatically receive an invitation to apply — you enter a pool where MIFI selects candidates based on its current workforce priorities.
The selection process runs in three stages:
Stream targeting — MIFI picks which stream (1, 2, 3, or 4) aligns with current labor demand. If construction is surging, Stream 2 gets the draw. If healthcare is the focus, Stream 3 candidates get called.
Profile filtering — Within the target stream, MIFI applies additional criteria: do you hold a Quebec diploma? Are you working in a priority sector like healthcare, education, or construction? Are you outside the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM)?
Score ranking — Only after filtering by stream and profile does MIFI invite candidates in descending order of their Arrima points.
This means your raw score tells you very little on its own. A 720-point profile in the right stream and occupation can receive an invitation before a 760-point profile in a lower-priority category.
2026 Draw Results Summary
Here's what the PSTQ invitation rounds looked like in Q1 and Q2 of 2026:
| Draw Date | Invitations Issued | Streams Targeted | Minimum Score | Priority Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 29, 2026 | 1,094 | Streams 1 & 3 | 782 | Quebec Graduates |
| February 26, 2026 | 2,549 | All Streams | 741 | Health, IT, Construction |
| March 19, 2026 | 2,522 | Streams 1 & 3 | 718 | Strategic Professions |
| April 30, 2026 | 2,041 | Streams 1 & 3 | 716 | In-Quebec Experience |
The general pattern: candidates without a Validated Job Offer (VJO) outside Montreal typically need around 740+ points to be competitive in an all-streams draw. However, for those with a VJO in a region outside Montreal, invitations have been issued at scores as low as 531. That's a 200+ point swing that comes from a single factor: where the job is located.
What Score Do You Need?
There's no fixed cutoff — scores shift with each draw. But here's how to think about it:
If you're in Montreal without a VJO: Aim for 740+ to be competitive in general draws. Below 720, your wait could be 12–18 months or longer.
If you're in Montreal with a VJO: The VJO adds up to 30 points for a Montreal employer. More useful is optimizing your French score and Quebec experience points.
If you're outside the CMM (regions like Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, etc.): Your target drops significantly. Regional VJOs add 50 points. Long-term regional residence and work experience add up to 100 additional points. Draws for regional profiles have cut off at 531–573 for Stream 2 occupations.
If you're in a healthcare or regulated profession (Stream 3): Draw cutoffs have been lower for targeted healthcare rounds. The March 2026 draw invited candidates focused on "strategic professions" at 718.
Free Download
Get the Canada Quebec Immigration (CSQ) Guide — Quick-Start Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
The Arrima Points Calculator
There's no official online points calculator from MIFI, but the scoring grid is public. The 1,400-point maximum breaks down roughly as:
- Human Capital (max 520 pts): Education, age, French proficiency
- Workforce Needs (max 700 pts): Occupation diagnostic, Quebec diploma, Quebec work experience, regionalization, Validated Job Offer
- Adaptation and Spouse (max 180 pts): Spouse's French, education, and Quebec work experience
The two highest-leverage factors are French proficiency (up to 200 points from language alone) and the workforce needs factors linked to Quebec presence and regionalization (up to 700 points combined for this entire cluster).
Where people underestimate their score: the points for being in a deficit occupation. If MIFI's current labor market study classifies your occupation as in "deficit," you receive up to 120 points for 4+ years of experience in that role. Many applicants don't know whether their occupation is on the current deficit list when they build their Arrima profile.
Common Reasons for Long Wait Times
Wrong stream. Your qualifications fit Stream 2 (manual/technical), but you've applied under Stream 1 because your degree says "engineer." If MIFI audits your experience and finds you don't have the Stream 1 mandatory 12 months at TEER 0/1/2 level, you get no invitation from Stream 1 draws and no consideration in Stream 2 draws either.
Occupation mismatch. Your NOC code on the Arrima profile doesn't match the duties described in your work certificate. Officers look for a 70-80% duties match. A mismatch here doesn't just lower your score — it can trigger a misrepresentation flag and a 5-year ban.
Score in no-man's land. Your score is 680–710: too low for competitive general draws, too high to benefit from the low-cutoff targeted draws aimed at specific deficit sectors. The right move is targeted score optimization — usually improving French or securing a regional job offer — rather than waiting passively.
Offshore profile. You're not yet in Quebec. MIFI draws heavily favor profiles with Quebec education or Quebec work experience. An offshore applicant with identical qualifications will almost always have a lower score than someone already contributing to the Quebec economy.
Strategic Steps to Improve Your Invitation Odds
Step 1: Confirm your PSTQ stream. Review the exact experience and language thresholds for Stream 1 vs. Stream 2 vs. Stream 3. Make sure you're in the stream where your profile is actually strongest.
Step 2: Get an accurate points estimate. Use the official PSTQ selection grid (available on the MIFI website) to calculate your current score. Identify the 3–5 factors where you can still gain points.
Step 3: Evaluate regionalization. If you're flexible about location, research employment in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Drummondville, or Saguenay. A Validated Job Offer outside the CMM is worth 50 points and can immediately put your profile into a competitive range for lower-cutoff regional draws.
Step 4: Push your French. Going from oral Level 7 to oral Level 9 adds meaningful points. At Level 9/10 for both oral comprehension and oral production, you can gain up to 100 points in French alone (50 per skill). The TEF Canada or TCF-Québec are the standard tests.
Step 5: Time your profile update. MIFI assesses profiles at the moment of extraction for a draw. If you've recently changed jobs or moved regions, update your profile before the next draw cycle.
The Canada Quebec Immigration (CSQ) Guide includes the complete PSTQ points grid, the current deficit occupation list, and a step-by-step profile optimization checklist so you can calculate exactly where you stand and what to improve before the next draw.
Get Your Free Canada Quebec Immigration (CSQ) Guide — Quick-Start Checklist
Download the Canada Quebec Immigration (CSQ) Guide — Quick-Start Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.