Quebec Immigration

The province of Quebec, under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, establishes their own selection criteria and requirements for immigration to the province. If you’re seeking to immigrate to the city of Quebec, Montreal, Laval, Gatineau, Sherbrooke or any of the other cities in Quebec as a skilled worker you must meet the immigration requirements of Quebec. You must submit an application Certificate of Selection (Certificat de Selection du Quebec) to be selected. Once you’ve been selected by the province you must make a separate application to Citizenship & Immigration Canada for permanent residence.

The International graduate and Skilled Workers may apply to immigrate to Quebec under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), or the Quebec Experience Program - PEQ.
To streamline processing QSWP applications you must create an Expression of Interest profile on the online Arrima Portal.

The immigration process consist of two steps as follows

1) You must be selected by the MIDI, Quebec's immigration authority and receive a Quebec Certificate of Selection (CSQ)

2) Apply to Government of Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence (PR).

To qualify for a CSQ you must score 50 points under the Quebec Immigration Selection factors if you are single, or 59 if you are married or have a common-law partner.
You may submit your language test results along with your immigration application to be awarded point for language proficiency.

Processing fees

1) Principal applicant - CAD$798

2) Spouse/common-law partner - CAD$171

3) Dependant children - CAD$171

Quebec has two programs to enable skilled workers settle down in Quebec:

• The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

• The Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ)

You can apply for permanent Quebec selection in the skilled worker category if you are 18 years of age or over and intend to settle in Quebec for the purpose of working there.

After obtaining your Quebec Selection Certificate, you will need to apply for permanent residence.

Important: You can apply for permanent selection as a skilled worker from the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) or apply through Arrima, and you may be invited to apply to the Regular Skilled Worker Program.

Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) - Quebec graduate

Eligibility

• Have an eligible Quebec diploma

• Have a level 0, A, B or C job in the National Occupational Classification (in the latter case, the job must be related to the vocational training diploma obtained) full-time in Quebec;

• Have work experience at level 0, A, B or C of the National Occupational Classification (in the latter case, the job must be related to the vocational training diploma obtained) of at least 12 or 18 months , according to the diploma obtained;

• Demonstrate oral knowledge of French (oral comprehension and oral production) at a proficiency level equal to or higher than level 7 of the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants (PDF, 1,923 kb) or its equivalent.

Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) - Temporary foreign (skilled) worker

Eligibility

• Are currently employed at level 0, A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) ;

• Have held such a job for at least 24 months during the last 36 months;

• Demonstrate oral knowledge of French (oral comprehension and oral production) at a proficiency level equal to or higher than level 7 of the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants (PDF, 1,923 KB) or its equivalent.

Note

If you are not eligible for the Quebec Experience Program, you may be eligible for the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ). To find out if you are eligible, you need to apply on Arrima and you may be invited to submit an application under this program.

Regular Skilled Worker Program

This program provides for an assessment of your socio-professional characteristics based on nine factors; it also takes into account the characteristics of your spouse or common-law partner included in the application.

Eligibility

• Training (level of education and area of training). Only diplomas obtained before the submission of your application are considered in the attribution of points for the Education Level criterion;

• Work experience

• Age

• Knowledge of French and English

• Current residence in Québec and family relationship with a Canadian citizen or a permanent Québec resident

• Having a permanent employment offer validated by the Ministère. See the section International recruitment - Hiring a permanent foreign worker

• Characteristics of your accompanying spouse or de facto spouse, if applicable

• Other factors, incuding the number of children under the age of 22

• Financial self-sufficiency (you must sign a contract in which you undertake to provide for your needs and your family’s needs for at least the first three months following your arrival in Québec).

Processing Time

The Ministère will analyze your application within a period of six months*, starting from the date on which the complete information required to process your application (forms and documents) has been received and added to your file.

* The application processing timeframe may exceed six months for applications that require verifications.

Quebec Business Immigration

Québec offers a diversified, dynamic, modern and outward-looking economy, a highly skilled labour force, competitive operating costs and an advantageous corporate tax system.

Investor Program

To be eligible for the Investor Program, you must:

• Have net assets of at least C$2,000,000, before your application is submitted

• Have management experience for at least two years in the five years preceding the application for selection. This experience must include duties related to the planning, management and control of financial, human or material resources under your authority

• Intend to settle in Québec

• Sign an investment agreement with a financial intermediary (broker or trust company) authorized to participate in the Investor Program

• Make a five-year term investment of C$1,200,000 with Investissement Québec - Immigrants Investisseurs Inc.

• Obtain, an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values. The members of your family accompanying you (your spouse of 16 years of age or older and your dependent children of 18 years of age or older) must also obtain the attestation.

The other factors your application will be assessed are your age, education and language skills.

Note: Progam is suspended from November 1, 2019 to April 1, 2021.

Making an exploratory trip to Québec

If you apply to immigrate as an entrepreneur, it is a good idea to make an exploratory visit to Québec before submitting your application. Although not mandatory, an exploratory visit will enable you, depending on the program component selected, to take control of your business project and further develop the main components of your business plan.

Developing your business project

When applying for immigration to Québec under the Entrepreneur Program, you must include your business project, which will be the key factor in assessing your application. Your business project must be presented in the form of a business plan.

Going into business or acquiring a business

Once in Québec, you will have to undertake a number of steps to start your own business. This will be much easier if you made contacts during your exploratory visit.

Two steps to take as soon as you arrive:

• Get business start-up support

• Completing the formalities for starting a business

Self-employed Worker Program

To qualify for this program:

1. Create your individual job by working in a profession or trade that you are qualified

2. Have a net worth CAD $ 100,000

3. Deposit a specific amount according to the region they are working

Quebec Entreprenur Program

To qualify for this program:

1. Have net assets of CAD $ 300,000

2. Have two years experience in the last five years before submitting you application

3. Establish or acquire a business in Quebec and participate in the managment of the operation