Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The QWSP - Quebec Skilled Worker Program is administered by the Government of Quebec in collaboration with the Federal Government of Canada. It offers a pathway for immigration to Canada for trained and highly educated overseas nationals to arrive at Quebec as skilled workers. 

 Immigration candidates who apply for the QSWP are assessed based on a grid of factors for selection. The applicants who secure adequate points are offered a CSQ - Quebec Selection Certificate and they can use it to apply for Canada PR Visa. 

The Immigration Department of Quebec functions independently of the IRCC. Quebec does not participate in the Express Entry Program and it does not seek qualified immigrants through the Express Entry draw. 

Interested applicants are required to apply directly to the Governing Body of Quebec. If you wish to permanently settle in Quebec, you must first submit an EOI Expression of Interest to the Quebec Ministry of Immigration - Ministre de immigration. You will then receive an invitation to furnish an application for permanent selection if your qualifications and/or skills meet the requirements of the province. It must be noted that noteworthy higher points are allocated for skills in the French language over the English language. 

What are different Quebec Immigration Programs?

The Government of Quebec has made several changes to its immigration programs through the Immigration Act of Quebec -2016 and Immigration Regulation of Quebec  2018. 

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

• Launching 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 

• Selection grid for Skilled Workers that allocates points for an offer of job across several Quebec regions 

• Extension of the QEP - Quebec Experience Program allowing workers and their de facto spouse/spouse to possess employment in Quebec at any skill level 

• Launching of Entrepreneur Pathway for entrepreneurs who receive support from a University entrepreneurship center, incubator, or business accelerator 

• Increase in net worth and investment requirements for Quebec Investor Program 

• Launching of Security and Startup Deposits for Self-employed Worker and Entrepreneur Programs 

Quebec selects most of the overseas nationals for immigration every year through the Economic Class which consists of the following 5 programs:

Quebec Skilled Workers Program: 

The overseas national settle in Quebec for holding the employment that the overseas national is possibly capable to hold. This is determined chiefly based on the experience, education, and other selection factors of the candidates. 

Quebec Experience Program:

The overseas national who has worked in Quebec for 1 year within 2 years before the application date or has obtained a qualified Diploma from an educational institution in Quebec within 3 years before the application while completing a minimum of 50% of the program duration in Quebec and can prove proficiency in the French language at the intermediate-advanced level through standardized tests.

How to apply for Quebec Entrepreneur Program?

The overseas national who arrives in Quebec for operating a business created solely or in partnership and has obtained an offer of service from a university entrepreneurship center, incubator, or business accelerator or creates a business with 25% ownership or acquires a business with a minimum of 51% control of the business.

Quebec Investor Program: 

The overseas national who has 

• Appropriate management experience of 2 years in the last 5 years before the application.

• Solely or with his accompanying de facto spouse or spouse has assets of the net worth of a minimum of $2,000,000 legally obtained excluding recently gifted amounts. 

• Agreed to invest $1,200,000 for 5 years in an approved investment through an undertaking. 

Quebec Self-employed Worker Program: 

The overseas national arrives in Quebec for creating employment for the applicant through the practice of a profession specified in the NOC - National Occupational Classification. 

The selection process for Economic Class immigrants is based on points. The Immigration Department of Quebec  MIDI: Ministre de immigration, de la Diversity et de inclusion, usually through a Ministerial Order legislates: 

• The sum of points that can be awarded for each factor for selection 

• The power for creating, eliminating, and/or modifying the compulsory cut-off points that the applicants can be asked to secure for each of the factors of selection within every class of immigrants 

• The power for retrospectively enacting amendments that can be applied to applications furnished before the amendment and that have not progressed to a distinct phase in the process of assessment 

Quebec province has the governmental authority for admitting 50,000 immigrants annually as per the current plan for annual immigration. This includes around 30,000 immigrants under the economic class that far exceeds any other Canadian province. MIDI submits its yearly report to the National Assembly of Quebec every year outlining the total number of immigrants to be accepted to the province for the subsequent year. 

What is the process for Quebec Immigration?

Each immigration program of Quebec has specific eligibility criteria and application procedures. The most renowned pathway for Permanent Residence in Quebec is the QSWP that has two steps: 

Phase 1: Get the CSQ - Quebec Selection Certificate

Applicants are required to first submit an EOI online through the portal ARRIMA. The highly eligible candidates will be offered the ITA by MIDI for permanent selection. The candidates must apply for permanent selection with the MIDI online through Mon Projet Quebec within 60 days of receipt of the ITA. If approved, the CSQ - Quebec Selection Certificate is offed to the chosen candidates. 

Phase 2: Application for PR - Permanent Residence 

After receiving the CSQ, the candidates can apply for the Canada PR Visa with the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada - IRCC as a skilled worker selected by Quebec. IRCC may approve the Canada PR Visa upon due verification. The role of the Federal Government in the evaluation of Quebec's application for PR Visa is chiefly restricted to issues of criminality and health. 

The Expression of Interest

The MIDI has launched the EOI - Express of Interest system in 2018 to streamline the process of application. Prospective candidates are now required to affirm their interest to migrate to Quebec through the submission of an online profile to the province EOIB - Expression of Interest Bank. 

What is the ARRIMA Portal?

The new online portal ARRIMA is aimed at individuals who wish to migrate to Quebec through the QWSP. It successfully put an end to the earlier process of application functioning under the first arrived, first-served principle. The portal remains accessible throughout the year and candidates can any time submit the EOI free of cost. 

Any individual who fulfills the age requirement of 18 years is eligible to submit the online EOI. As per MIDI, candidates are selected from the EOI Bank depending on criteria that define their profile concerning employability and their role in strengthening the French language. 

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

The QWSP aims at the selection of candidates with the highest likelihood of successfully settling economically in Quebec. Overseas applicants who do not have French language proficiency at the intermediate-advanced level have maximum chances of qualifying under QSWP if their occupation is highly demanded in Quebec. 

• Human Capital  Level of education, proficiency in French, age, etc.

• Capability for finding a job in Quebec  Having a valid job offer, having obtained a Degree in Quebec or having the status of Provisional Worker with a minimum of 6 months work experience in the province of Quebec. 

• The dynamic job market needs  Training areas related to fields that are facing shortages of labor. 

The QWSP aims at the selection of candidates with the highest likelihood of successfully settling economically in Quebec. Overseas applicants who do not have French language proficiency at the intermediate-advanced level have maximum chances of qualifying under QSWP if their occupation is highly demanded in Quebec. 

The Mon Projet Quebec Portal

Candidates who receive the invitation to apply for CSQ will be led to a protected space in the Quebec portal Mon Projet. They will then be in a position to completely submit their application and make payment of the required fees for processing within the deadline of 3 months. Candidates are also able to track their application status. MIDI will issue a personalized checklist of essential documents when it is ready for processing the application. 

How many points are required for Quebec Immigration?

The applicants are required to ensure that they fulfill the requirement of passing scores under the grid for selection at this stage.

For single candidates, 43 points are the employability threshold. The credentials that are considered here include education, age, job offer, work experience, family and visits to Quebec, and language proficiency. 

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

Candidates who have a spouse also get the consideration of select credentials of their spouse's education, age, and proficiency in French. The selection threshold scores are also higher for employability the cut-off score is 52 points and for QSWP selection the cut-off score is 59 points. 

The submission of documents

The essential documents must be furnished within 3 months of the receipt date of the personalized checklist. Specific formatting requirements are imposed by MIDI for the documents requested from the candidates. 

What is the processing time for Quebec immigration?

The Quebec Skilled Worker program processing times are divided into 2 periods: 

• The time that is needed for obtaining the CSQ from the Immigration authorities of Quebec 

• The time that is needed for obtaining the Canada PR Visa from the Immigration authorities of Canada at the federal level (15 to 17 months) 

What are the occupations that are in demand in Quebec?

The Government of Quebec regularly updates the Areas of Training List which is a major element of the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. The list describes an extensive range of studies allocating points to applicants, and their de facto spouse or spouse for Diplomas obtained outside Quebec, or acquired within Quebec or considered on par with Quebec credentials. 

The QSWP aims to choose candidates with maximum potential to settle economically successfully in the Quebec province. The Quebec occupation In Demand list offers overseas applicants the maximum chances for qualifying under Quebec immigration rules if they do not have intermediate abilities in French. 

Here is a partial presentation of the High Demand Occupation List for immigration to Quebec: 

• Management Occupations

• Business, Administration, and Finance Occupations 

• Applied and Natural Sciences and Associated Occupations 

• Occupations in Health

• Occupation in Government Service, Religion, Social Science, and Education 

• Occupations in Recreation, Sports, Art, and Culture 

• Occupations in Sales and Service 

• Equipment Operators, Trades and Transport and Correlated Occupations

• Occupations Exceptional to Manufacturing, Processing, and Utilities

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