Skilled Worker applicants who intend to reside in Montreal or in another city or region within the province of Quebec are assessed under a different system than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada.
Skilled Workers or international graduates in Quebec may apply to immigrate to Quebec under what the Government of Quebec calls its ‘Regular Skilled Worker Program’, also known as the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), or the Quebec Experience Program — PEQ.
Quebec’s introduced an Expression of Interest System in 2018 as part of the province’s efforts to streamline the processing of QSWP applications. Under this system, individuals interested in immigrating to the province through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program must first create an Expression of Interest profile using the province’s Arrima portal.
Creating an Expression of Interest profile in the online Arrima portal is free and available to anyone 18 years of age or older. The Arrima portal is available year-round and an Expression of Interest profile can be submitted at any time.
Candidates invited to apply for immigration to Quebec through the QSWP must use the secure Mon projet Québec portal in order to submit an application. Mon projet Québec allows candidates to complete their application for a CSQ, make their payment online, follow the status of their application, make changes to their application, and access personal electronic messaging throughout the process.
Applicants who are successful under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program are issued a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) and can then apply to the Government of Canada for permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will conduct a medical and criminal background check as part of its approval process.
In order to qualify for a CSQ, you must score enough points under the Quebec Immigration selection factors described below. A single (unmarried) applicant must score at least 50 points based on this system, while an applicant with a spouse or common-law partner must score at least 59 points.
The Quebec Immigration selection factors may be summarized as follows:
| Factors | Points |
|---|---|
| Education | Up to 14 points (Cutoff Score = 2 points) |
| Area Of Training | Up to 12 points |
| Validated Employment Offer | Up to 14 points |
| Work Experience | Up to 8 points |
| Age | Up to 16 points |
| Language Proficiency | Up to 22 points |
| Stay And Family In Quebec | Up to 8 points |
| Spouse/Common-law partner Characteristics | Up to 17 points |
| Presence Of Accompanying Children | Up to 8 points |
| Financial Self-Sufficiency | 1 point |
Many of the documents required in order to apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program must be certified true copies.
Language test results must be submitted along with immigration applications to be awarded points for language proficiency.
Processing Times for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program vary from one Canadian Immigration Visa Office to another.
Processing fees for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program for 2019 are as follows:
| Applicant | Fees |
|---|---|
| Principal Applicant | CAD $798 |
| Spouse, de facto spouse | CAD $171 |
| Each dependant child | CAD $171 |
For more information about the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, see the Quebec Skilled Worker FAQ.
Learn more about the Canadian Immigration Process for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
Learn more about Quebec.
The Quebec Experience Program, or Programme de l’expérience Québécoise, or PEQ) is another Quebec immigration pathway available to eligible international graduates with a Quebec diploma and individuals with at least 12 months skilled work experience in the past 24 months. Applicants to the PEQ are required to have an advanced intermediate knowledge of spoken French.