The Regular Skilled Worker program assesses applicants based on several different factors. Applicants are then selected based on their score and/or other criteria such as if they have previously worked or studied in Quebec, or if they have a job offer in Quebec.

The factors that applicants are assessed on are as follows:

• Their level of completed education and the area of training/study
• Their work experience
• Their age
• Their knowledge of French and English
• Any periods of stay in Quebec
• Any family relationship with a Canadian citizen or a permanent Québec resident
• Having a permanent offer of employment which has been validated by the Ministère
• Characteristics of their accompanying spouse or de facto spouse, if applicable
• The number of children under the age of 22 who will be accompanying them to Québec
• Their ability to sustain themselves and their family financially

Those applying through the Regular Skilled Worker program need to submit an Expression of Interest (EI) through an online application portal called Arrima. Applicants need to be 18 years of age or older to submit an Expression of Interest (EI). Expressions of Interest (EI) are free to submit.  You will not need to submit any documentation at the Expression of Interest (EI) stage. You will be required to submit the following information as part of your Expression of Interest (EI)

• Personal information
• Contact information
• Family situation
• Status in Québec
• Education
• Work experience
• Job offer validated by the Ministère, if applicable
• Knowledge of French and English
• Additional information

Once you have submitted an Expression of Interest (EI), you then need to wait to be invited to apply. Your Expression of Interest (EI) will be valid for twelve months after it has been submitted. Once you are invited to apply, you will have 60 days to submit your application. After your application as been submitted, if your application is approved, you will receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). The Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) then allows you to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.

The Skilled temporary foreign worker program is for those who currently hold a full-time skilled job, and have held that skilled job in Québec for at least 24 of the last 36 months on a full time basis, and have an advanced intermediate knowledge of oral French.

Those who have obtained their Quebec work experience on a youth exchange program cannot count their work experience for this program.

The Québec graduate program is for those who have obtained an eligible Québec diploma, have acquired work experience in Québec, currently hold a job in Québec and have advanced intermediate knowledge of oral French.

Applicants will be required to obtain their diploma and provide it or an attestation of successful completion of their diploma as well as the transcript of their final grades in order to submit an application under this program.

The Investor program is current suspended. Below are the requirements that were in place before the program was suspended for applications.

You must:

• Have, alone or with your accompanying spouse or de facto spouse, legally acquired net assets of at least C$2,000,000, excluding any amounts received by donation less than six months 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. This does not include experience acquired in an apprenticeship, training or specialization leading to a diploma
• 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. This will be returned to you without interest
• Obtain, by the prescribed deadline, an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values. Accompanying spouse and dependent children over the age of 18 also need to obtain an attestation.

Your application will also be assessed on other factors, such as your age, education and language skills.

This program is only accepting a maximum of 50 applications between November 1, 2020
and September 30, 2021. If you have advanced intermediate knowledge of French (level 7 or 8 of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes or its equivalent) your application would not be subject to the 50-application maximum.

To be eligible for the Self-Employed Worker Program, you must:

• Go to Québec to practice a profession or business activity, alone or with others, with or without paid help
• Make a start-up deposit at a financial institution located in the region where you intend to practise your trade or profession:

• • C$25,000 start-up deposit if you intend to practise your trade or profession outside the Montréal Metropolitan Community (MMC) area
  • C$50,000 start-up deposit if you intend to practise your trade or profession in the Montréal Metropolitan Community MMC area

• Have minimum net assets of C$100,000 in conjunction, if applicable, with your accompanying spouse or de facto spouse, and proof of its source and lawful acquisition
• Have at least two years of experience as a self-employed worker in the profession or trade you intend to practise in Québec
• Obtain, by the prescribed deadline, an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values. Accompanying spouse and dependent children over the age of 18 also need to obtain an attestation.

The Entrepreneur program is currently suspended. Below are the requirements that were in place before the program was suspended for applications. If you have advanced intermediate knowledge of French (level 7 or 8 of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes or its equivalent) and you are applying through the first stream outlined below, then you can still submit your application.

The Quebec Entrepreneur Program has two different streams that applicants can use. In order to qualify under the first stream applicants need to meet the following requirements:

• They must settle in Québec to create and operate a business for which they have already received a service offer from a business accelerator or incubator or a university entrepreneurship centre.
• They must present your business project in the form of a business plan, as well as a service offer.
• They must obtain, by the prescribed deadline, an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values. Accompanying spouse and dependent children over the age of 18 also need to obtain an attestation.

In order to qualify under the second stream applicants need to meet the following requirements:

• They must settle in Québec to create or acquire and operate a business.
• They must make a start-up deposit and a security deposit at a financial institution with an establishment in Québec with whom they have signed a deposit agreement:
  • They must use the start-up deposit to set up their business. The required amount is $200,000 if the business will be located outside of the Montréal metropolitan area. The required amount is $300,000 if the business will be located in the Montréal metropolitan area.
  • The security deposit will be refunded once they demonstrate that their business plan has been carried out.
• They must also have a minimum net worth of $900,000, alone or with your spouse or de facto spouse, and you must demonstrate that this money has been legally acquired.
• They must present their project in the form of a business plan.
• They must obtain, by the prescribed deadline, an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values. Accompanying spouse and dependent children over the age of 18 also need to obtain an attestation.

• If they choose to create a business, they must own and control at least 25% of its equity capital. If they choose to acquire a business, they must own and control at least 51% of its equity capital.
• Their business cannot be involved in any of the following activities:
  • Payday loans, cheque cashing, or pawnbroking
  • Real estate development or real estate or insurance brokerage
  • Production, distribution, or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services related to the sex industry, such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services or erotic massages
• Their business
  • Must have been in operation during the five years prior to your date of application

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor certain family members to Canada including, but not limited to, spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents and grandparents. Before applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to sponsor their family member, they would first need to obtain a  Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ – Québec selection certificate) if their family member will be settling in Quebec.

Quebec’s Humanitarian Immigration program is in place to assist refugees. This includes government-assisted refugee selected abroad by Québec, sponsored refugees and refugees recognized in Canada.

If you are going to study in Quebec, you also need to obtain approval from the province of Quebec before applying for your study permit. Students first need to obtain a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ – Québec Acceptance Certificate) before applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for their study permit.

If you are going to work in Quebec, you also need to obtain approval from the province of Quebec before applying for your work permit. Workers first need to obtain a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ – Québec Acceptance Certificate) before applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for their work permit.