Arrima is the online portal for expressions of interest from foreign nationals interested in immigrating to Quebec under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Anyone 18 years of age or older can submit an expression of interest using Arrima.
As of January 26, 2021, PEQ applicants are required to submit their applications, pay the required fees and upload the required documents through the Arrima portal. Paper applications will no longer be accepted.
Candidates for the Foreign Student Program have been able to submit their documents electronically since spring 2020. As of January 26, 2021, this will also become mandatory.
Why did the Government of Quebec introduce Arrima?
The Quebec Skilled Worker Program is a popular Canadian immigration program that provides eligible foreign nationals and their families with a pathway to Canadian permanent resident status following the issuance of a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de séléction du Québec, or CSQ) from the Government of Quebec.
The Arrima portal launched in September 2018 following the coming into force of the Quebec Immigration Act and regulations on August 2, which put an end to the previous “first-come, first-served” application process for the QSWP.
By implementing an Expression of Interest (EOI) system, the Government of Quebec can now issue invitations to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate on a more regular basis and reduce application processing times for the QSWP.
What is a Quebec expression of interest?
Quebec’s Immigration Ministry (Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration, or MIFI) adopted the Expression of Interest System to facilitate the process of applying for immigration to Quebec under the QSWP.
The new system enables anyone who meets the age requirement (18 years) to first submit an expression of interest by completing an online profile via the Arrima portal. An expression of interest profile is assessed based on information provided, such as the area of training, educational level, language skills and work experience, and other information.
Expression of interest bank candidates who meet eligibility criteria and labour market needs in Quebec will be prioritized by Quebec’s Immigration Ministry.
What happens once an expression of interest is submitted?
Once an Arrima account is created, a candidate has 90 days to complete and submit his or her expression of interest. Candidates must have a valid email address to register an Arrima account.
An expression of interest remains valid for a year and candidates will be able to update their profile during the entire validity period. For example, candidates can increase their chances of being invited by completing a language test.
Candidates who are invited to apply for Quebec Selection Certificate will be required to satisfy certain cut-off and passing scores based on Quebec’s unique QSWP Points Grid. You can calculate your potential Quebec Skilled Worker passing score using the CanadaVisa Skilled Worker Points Calculator.
What are the next steps once an invitation to apply is issued?
If invited to apply for the QSWP, candidates will have 90 days to submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). QSWP applications will continue to be processed using the Mon Projet Québec application management system. Once the Ministry assesses the application, a complete list of required documents will be available to the applicant.
The application review process begins once all documents are provided by the applicant. Some applicants may be invited to attend an interview to verify the information provided in the application.
Most recent invitation rounds using the Arrima portal
| Date of invitation | Number of invitations issued | Candidates had to meet the following criteria |
| June 17, 2021 | 69 | Have a validated job offer |
| May 27, 2021 | 90 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. |
| April 29, 2021 | 83 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. |
| March 30, 2021 | 208 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. |
| January 26, 2021 | 95 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. |
| December 16, 2020 | 233 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. |
| September 24, 2020 | 365 | Have a validated job offer Reside in Québec as diplomatic agents, consular officers or other types of eligible foreign representatives. Be among those who are invited by the Minister based on their ability to contribute to Québec’s prosperity by staying or settling there. |
| June 18, 2020 | 7 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| January 16, 2020 | 23 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| December 17, 2019 | 220 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| December 12, 2019 | 85 | Candidates had a valid offer of employment; OR They were staying in Quebec carrying out official duties as diplomats, consular officers, or representatives of intergovernmental organizations, among others. |
| October 29, 2019 | 73 | Candidates had a valid offer of employment; OR They were staying in Quebec carrying out official duties as diplomats, consular officers, or representatives of intergovernmental organizations, among others. |
| October 23, 2019 | 89 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| September 25, 2019 | 169 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| September 4, 2019 | 32 | Candidates had a valid offer of employment; OR They were staying in Quebec carrying out official duties as diplomats, consular officers, or representatives of intergovernmental organizations, among others. |
| August 19, 2019 | 444 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
| July 17, 2019 | 259 | Candidates had a valid offer of employment; OR They were staying in Quebec carrying out official duties as diplomats, consular officers, or representatives of intergovernmental organizations, among others. |
| July 4, 2019 | 691 | Candidates were either except from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Regular Skilled Worker Program or they were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019, when roughly 16,000 Regular Skilled Worker Program applications were cancelled; AND They filed an expression of interest with the Minister before December 17, 2019. |
