Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) is run by the Quebec government in partnership with the federal government of Canada. It provides a channel for trained and highly educated abroad nationals to immigrate to Canada and work in Quebec.

Immigration candidates that apply for the QSWP are evaluated using a grid of selection criteria. Applicants that get enough points are given a CSQ – Quebec Selection Certificate, which they can use to apply for a Canada PR Visa.

Check your Eligibility for Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The Immigration Department of Quebec operates independently of the IRCC. Quebec does not participate in the Express Entry Program and does not recruit suitable immigrants through the Express Entry draw.

Interested persons must apply directly to the Governing Body of Quebec. If you want to permanently reside in Quebec, you must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Quebec Ministry of Immigration (Ministre de Immigration). If your qualifications and/or talents match the provincial standards, you will be invited to submit an application for permanent selection. It should be remembered that French talents receive significantly more points than English skills.

What are different Quebec Immigration Programs?

The Government of Quebec has made various adjustments to its immigration programs, including the Immigration Act of Quebec -2016 and the Immigration Regulation of Quebec 2018.

The chief features of the new immigration programs are as follows:

Launch of immigration system ARRIMA similar to federal-style EOI - Expression of Interest for skilled worker category applicants in place of the earlier First-arrived, first processed system
A selection grid for skilled workers that assigns points for a job offer across multiple Quebec areas
Extension of the QEP - Quebec Experience Program, which allows workers and their de facto spouse/spouse to work in Quebec at any skill level
Launch of the Entrepreneur Pathway for entrepreneurs who receive support from a University entrepreneurship center, incubator, or company accelerator
Increase in net worth and investment requirements for the Quebec Investor Program
Launch of Security and Startup Deposits for Self-employed Workers and Entrepreneurs

Quebec selects the majority of the overseas nationals for immigration every year through the Economic Class, which comprises of the following five programs:

Quebec Skilled Workers Program:

The foreign national settles in Quebec to pursue employment opportunities. This is mostly influenced by the candidates’ experience, education, and other criteria for selection.

Quebec Experience Program:

The overseas national who has worked in Quebec for one year within two years of the application date, or who has obtained a qualified Diploma from an educational institution in Quebec within three years of the application date, while completing at least half of the program duration in Quebec, and can demonstrate proficiency in the French language at the intermediate-advanced level through standardized tests.

How to apply for Quebec Entrepreneur Program?

The overseas national applying for the Quebec Entrepreneur Program must operate a business founded solely or in partnership and have received an offer of service from a university entrepreneurship center, incubator, or business accelerator, or create a business with 25% ownership or acquire a business with at least 51% control.

Quebec Investor Program:

An overseas national who has

Appropriate management experience of two years during the last five years preceding the application.
He owns legally obtained assets worth at least $2,000,000, either alone or with his accompanying de facto spouse or spouse, excluding recently gifted amounts.
Agreed to invest $1,200,000 over five years in an approved investment via an endeavor.

Quebec Self-employed Worker Program:

The overseas national arrives in Quebec to provide employment for the applicant by practicing a vocation specified in the NOC – National Occupational Classification.

Economic Class immigrants are selected using a points-based system. The Immigration Department of Quebec (MIDI: Ministre de immigration, de la diversité et de l’inclusion), generally through a Ministerial Order, legislates:

The total number of points that can be granted for each factor of selection
Complete a language test and meet the required proficiency levels for writing, reading, listening, and speaking
The capacity to retrospectively legislate revisions that can be used to applications provided before the amendment and that have not progressed to a distinct phase in the evaluation process.

According to the present immigration plan, the province of Quebec has the governmental authority to admit 50,000 immigrants per year. This comprises approximately 30,000 immigrants from the economic class, which significantly outnumbers any other Canadian province. Every year, MIDI provides a report to the National Assembly of Quebec stating the total number of immigrants who will be welcomed into the province for the next year.

What is the process for Quebec Immigration?

Quebec’s immigration programs have specific eligibility criteria and application procedures. The most well-known pathway for permanent residence in Quebec is the QSWP, which has two steps:

Phase 1: Get the CSQ - Quebec Selection Certificate

Applicants must first submit an EOI online through the ARRIMA portal. MIDI will offer the ITA to highly qualified candidates for permanent selection. Candidates must apply for permanent selection with the MIDI online via Mon Projet Quebec within 60 days of receiving the ITA. If approved, the CSQ – Quebec Selection Certificate is distributed to the selected candidates.

Phase 2: Application for PR - Permanent Residence

After getting the CSQ, the candidates can apply for the Canada PR Visa with the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada – IRCC as a skilled worker designated by Quebec. IRCC may approve the Canada PR Visa upon sufficient verification. The Federal Government’s participation in evaluating Quebec’s PR visa application is primarily limited to crime and health issues.

The Expression of Interest

The MIDI launched the EOI – Express of Interest system in 2018 to streamline the application process. Prospective candidates must now confirm their desire to migrate to Quebec by submitting an online profile to the provincial EOIB – Expression of Interest Bank.

What is the ARRIMA Portal?

The new online portal ARRIMA is aimed at people who want to migrate to Quebec via the QSWP. It successfully ended the previous application process, which operated on the first arrived, first served principle. The portal is open year-round, and candidates can submit their EOI at any time for free.

Any individual over the age of 18 is eligible to submit an online EOI. According to MIDI, candidates are selected from the EOI Bank based on criteria that define their employability and role in strengthening the French language.

More precisely, the three main categories on which the invitations are based are:

The QSWP aims to select candidates who have the best chance of successfully settling economically in Quebec. Overseas applicants who lack intermediate-advanced French language proficiency have the best chance of qualifying for the QSWP if their occupation is in high demand in Quebec.

Human capital Education level, French language proficiency, age, and so forth.
Capable of finding a job in Quebec Having a valid job offer, a degree from Quebec, or the status of Provisional Worker with at least 6 months of work experience in the province of Quebec.
The shifting work market requirements Training areas focused on fields with workforce shortages.

The Mon Projet Quebec Portal

Candidates who receive an invitation to apply for CSQ will be directed to a secure area on the Quebec portal Mon Projet. They will then be able to finish their application and pay the necessary processing costs within the three-month limit. Candidates can also track the status of their applications. When MIDI is ready to handle the application, it will send out a personalized checklist of required documents.

How many points are required for Quebec Immigration?

At this point, candidates must verify that they meet the passing score criteria as outlined in the grid.

For single candidates, the employability requirement is 43 points. Education, age, job offer, work experience, family and Quebec visits, and language skills are all taken into account.

Additional points are awarded for financial independence and the presence of children. The selection threshold score for qualifying under QSWP is 50 points.

Candidates with a spouse will also be considered for specific credentials such as their spouse’s education, age, and French fluency. The selection threshold scores are also higher: for employability, the cut-off score is 52 points, and for QSWP, the cut-off is 59 points.

The submission of documents

The required documents must be submitted within three months of receiving the personalized checklist. MIDI imposes specific formatting criteria on the materials sought from candidates.

What is the processing time for Quebec immigration?

The Quebec Skilled Worker program's processing times are separated into two periods:

What are the occupations that are in demand in Quebec?

The Quebec government frequently updates the Areas of Training List, which is a key component of the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. The list describes a wide range of studies that assign points to applicants and their de facto spouse or spouse for diplomas received outside Quebec, acquired within Quebec, or regarded equivalent to Quebec credentials.

The QSWP seeks people with the greatest economic potential for successful settlement in Quebec. If an overseas applicant lacks intermediate French skills, the Quebec occupation In Demand list provides them with the best possibility of qualifying under Quebec immigration laws.

Here is a brief summary of the High Demand Occupation List for Immigration to Quebec:

Management occupations
Business, administration, and finance jobs
Applied and natural sciences and related occupations
Occupations in Health
Work in government service, religion, social science, and education
Jobs in Recreation, Sports, Art, and Culture
Jobs in Sales and Service
Equipment Operators, Trades, Transport, and Related Occupations
Occupations Exceptional for Manufacturing, Processing, and Utility

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