Quebec Skilled Worker and Experience Program

Quebec’s Unique Immigration Programs

The province of Quebec, as a result of the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, has its own immigration programs with different selection criteria than those administered by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, formerly CIC) federally.

The Two-Stage Immigration Process

Any prospective immigrant to Quebec has to pass through two stages in his or her immigration process:

1. They must be selected by the Ministère de l’immigration, de la francization et de l’Intégration (MIFI) — the Quebec counterpart of IRCC — which administers all Quebec immigration programs, and receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de Sélection du Québec, or CSQ).
2. Once a CSQ is issued, an application for permanent residence has to be filed with IRCC. While Quebec is responsible for the selection of its own immigrants, Canadian federal immigration authorities take care of the applicants’ background checks, security, criminality and health issues, and issuance of permanent resident visas.

Regular Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) Program

Like with its Federal counterpart selecting candidates from the Express Entry pool, applicants to the Regular Skilled Worker Program in Quebec have to express their interest through Arrima – an online portal of MIFI. If the profile matches the criteria of current needs in Quebec, which fluctuate frequently, one will receive an invitation to submit an application for permanent selection (CSQ). Quebec has its own selection grid to assess these factors and their criteria for the expression of interest stage, and then Arrima uses its own algorithm to calculate the score within the system.

The Regular Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) Program selects applicants through a multi-stage point system, evaluating their area of training, education, experience, age, language, partner or spouse’s qualifications (if applicable), offer of employment, connection to Quebec and children. Knowledge of French at the CLB 7 level is mandatory in QSW, as the province adopted a strict francophone policy. Settlement funds are also mandatory; however, the requisite amount is lower than in any federal program, which may make QSW more attractive to prospective immigrants who are fluent in French. Several areas of training in a variety of occupations are considered “priority” and allow qualified candidates to collect bonus points and reach the minimum passing score to enter their profile in the Arrima portal. The profile can stay in the system for 12 months. Draws take place about twice a month.

Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) is the best and fastest immigration program for qualified candidates who have studied or worked in the province of Quebec. Candidates who qualify under PEQ must also submit their expression of interest through the Arrima portal.

Foreign workers in Quebec may apply after having worked full-time for 24 months in Quebec, while international graduates will need to have obtained their Quebec diploma or degree in the 36 months preceding submission of their application, and starting November 23, 2024, will need to have completed 75% of their credit courses in French. Interestingly enough, for a married / common-law applicant, their spouse or common-law partner must demonstrate a CLB 4 level of French.

Quebec Business Programs

The Quebec Business Programs consist of Entrepreneur, Investor, and Self-Employed sub-classes. Each has its requirements, selection process, fees, quotas, and processing times.

Entrepreneur Program

Candidates interested in coming to Quebec to establish or acquire a business have three streams: Innovative Business, Business Startup, and Business Takeover.

• Stream 1 — Innovative Business requires a candidate to obtain support from an organization specialized in innovation in addition to committing significant capital of their own. There is no quota and no open or closed application period; however, French at CLB 7 is mandatory for all business programs and streams.
• Stream 2 — Business Startup requires a candidate to have a net worth of at least CAD 600,000, have managerial experience in a business that they either owned or controlled, and is willing and able to invest their own capital between $150,00 and $300,000 into the operating costs of the established business in Quebec to qualify.
• Stream 3 — Business Takeover requires a candidate to arrange for the services of an organization specializing in business takeovers to support the candidate throughout the entire transfer process. An organization specialized in business takeovers is an organization with an establishment in Québec whose main activity is to provide support services (training, mentoring, business transfer brokerage). The organization must be able to demonstrate that it can support the candidate in their business project. The other main qualifications are similar to the above, with $600K of net worth, CLB 7 French.

Self-Employed Program

The Self-Employed Program is for candidates interested in creating their own employment by practicing their profession or trade. To qualify, an applicant must have a net worth of at least $100,000 CAD and work experience in the profession or trade one plans to practice.

Self-Employed Program requires the applicants to demonstrate that they will be practicing their profession in Quebec, alone or in a partnership, with or without paid employees.

Investor Program

The Investor Program is for candidates wishing to participate in Quebec’s economic development by making an investment. The applicant is required to have a net worth of at least $2 million CAD, managerial experience, and the willingness to make a government-secured, no-interest investment of $1 million CAD and a financial contribution of $200,000 to Investissement Québec Immigrants Investisseurs Inc. There is no quota, and application intake is constant. However, knowledge of French at the CLB 7 level is mandatory.

Quebec’s Appeal to Young Families

Quebec is an attractive destination for young families: it is the only province in Canada so far with fully functioning government-regulated childcare, which costs parents only a nominal fee. Newcomers studying French as a second language receive a student allowance during their studies, and some are qualified for financial compensation for the French language studies they took in their home countries. Vehicle insurance is around half what it is in Ontario, its neighboring province. And university tuition for residents of Quebec is the lowest in Canada. In 2023, Montréal was crowned 3rd Best City in the World according to Lonely Planet.

Therefore, if you intend to immigrate to Quebec, I invite you to book a consultation to discuss your application.