Quebec has launched new immigration pilot programs for food industry workers, orderlies and technology workers to help meet critical labour needs in several key industries.
This comprehensive CanadaVisa page will help you determine if you meet the specific eligibility requirements for each of the pilot programs.
Overview
Quebec’s pilot programs were developed to help the province find the talent it needs in several sectors that are currently experiencing labour shortages. The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) plans to issue Quebec Selection Certificates (QSC) to up to 550 principal applicants plus their family members annually under each of the three pilot programs.
All three pilot programs will be in effect until January 1, 2026.
Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Workers in Food Processing
This pilot program offers a pathway to permanent immigration for temporary foreign workers who hold jobs that are admissible in the food processing sector.
The application intake period is from March 24 to October 31, 2021.
General Requirements
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Intend to settle in Quebec to work;
- Have met the conditions of your stay in Quebec;
- Be able to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency for at least the first three months following arrival in Quebec.
Education Requirements
- Hold a diploma corresponding to at least a high school diploma or a Quebec vocational diploma in a full-time program of study of at least one year.
Work Experience Requirements
- Hold a full-time job in an eligible sector in Quebec; or
- Have worked in an eligible, full-time, paid job for at least 24 months in Quebec in an eligible sector during the 36 months preceding the date of application;
- The work experience or job must be in one of two eligible sectors under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) of the Government of Canada:
- NAICS 311 – Food manufacturing; or
- NAICS 3121 – Beverage manufacturing
Language Requirements
- Demonstrate knowledge of French corresponding to level 7 (advanced intermediate) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes, or equivalent.
Targeted Occupations
The work experience or currently held job must correspond to one of the following occupations under the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- NOC 6732 – Specialized cleaner
- NOC 8431 – General farm worker, but only in the position of chicken catcher
- NOC 9461 – Process control and machine operator, food and beverage processing
- NOC 9462 – Industrial butcher and meat cutter, poultry preparer and related worker
- NOC 9463 – Fish and seafood plant worker
- NOC 9617 – Labourer in food and beverage processing
- NOC 9618 – Labourer in fish and seafood
Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Orderlies
This pilot program offers a pathway to Canadian permanent resident status to those already residing in Quebec and working as orderlies, nurses aides or as patient service associates. This program is divided into the following two streams:
- Work
- Work-Study
The application intake period is from March 31 to October 31, 2021.
General Requirements for Both Streams
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Intend to settle in Quebec to work;
- Have met the conditions of your stay in Quebec;
- Demonstrate financial self-sufficiency for at least the first three months following your arrival in Quebec.
- Demonstrate knowledge of French corresponding to level 7 (advanced intermediate) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes, or equivalent.
Work Stream – Specific Conditions
Education Requirements
- Hold a diploma related to the occupation of orderly obtained after completing a full-time program of study of at least one year;
- The diploma must correspond to a diploma of vocational studies (DEP) in Quebec.
Work Experience Requirements
- At least 24 months of work experience as orderly in Quebec in the 36 months preceding the date of application; or
- At least 12 months in a health occupation related to basic personal care outside Quebec and at least 12 months as orderly in Quebec during the 36 months preceding the date of application;
- Work experience must have been legally acquired, paid and full-time.
Targeted Occupations
The work experience or currently held job must correspond to the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) code:
- NOC 3413 – Nurse aide, orderly and patient service associate.
Alternatively, the work experience may have been acquired outside of Québec in an occupation other than the one cited above, it must correspond to one of the following NOC codes:
- NOC 3011 – Nursing coordinator and supervisor
- NOC 3012 – Registered nurse and registered psychiatric nurse
- NOC 3124 – Allied primary health practitioner
- NOC 3233 – Licensed practical nurse
- NOC 4412 – Home support worker, housekeeper and related occupations
Work-Study Stream- Specific Conditions
Education Requirement
- Have obtained a Quebec diploma of vocational studies (DEP) leading to the practice of the orderly occupation during the 24 months preceding the date of submission of the application;
- To be eligible for the work-study program, applicants must have completed the Institutional and Home Care Assistance Program and have a secondary diploma of vocational studies.
Work Experience Requirement
- Have at least 12 months of work experience as an orderly in Quebec, accumulated in the 24 months preceding the date of application and after the date of completion of the program of study;
- Work experience must have been legally acquired, paid and full-time;
- After completing their program of study, applicants must be hired by a Quebec employer and obtain a work permit.
Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Workers in the Artificial Intelligence, Information Technologies and Visual Effects Sectors
This permanent immigration pilot program aims to attract and retain Quebec graduates in artificial intelligence as well as international talent working in the technology industry in Quebec or who have a job offer from a Quebec employer.
The program is divided into two streams:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Information technology and Visual Effects (IT/VE)
This program aims to select 275 Quebec graduates and temporary workers in the AI sector and 275 foreign workers in the IT/VE sector.
General Requirements for Both Streams
- Be 18 years of age or older;
- Intend to settle in Quebec to work;
- Have met the conditions of your stay in Quebec, if applicable;
- Demonstrate financial self-sufficiency for at least the first three months following your arrival in Quebec.
Language Requirements for Both Streams
Both streams in this program include a French speaker and a non-French-speaker profile.
- Those selected under the French-speaker profile must demonstrate knowledge of French corresponding to level 7 (advanced intermediate) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes, or equivalent.
- Those selected under the Non-French-Speaker profile will automatically be enrolled in a free, personalized program called “Accompagnement Québec” designed to facilitate the process of integration into Quebec society and support in learning French.
Artificial Intelligence Stream – Specific Conditions
Foreign Workers
Education and Work Experience Requirements
- Have a diploma equivalent to a Quebec bachelor’s degree and have acquired two years of full-time work experience in level 0, A, or B jobs according to the National Occupational Classification; or
- Have obtained a diploma equivalent to a Quebec master’s or PhD in the last year before applying and hold or have accepted a job in Québec in the AI sector. The gross annual salary for the job must be at least $75,000 if the employer is located outside of the Metropolitan Montréal Community or at least $100,000 if located in the Metropolitan Montréal Community.
Quebec Graduates
Education and Work Experience Requirements
- Have a higher specialized studies (DESS) diploma, a master’s or a PhD from a Quebec educational institution issued in the last 24 months;
- Hold or have accepted a full-time job in Québec in the AI sector;
- Applicants who hold a diploma of higher specialized studies (DESS) must have held a full-time job in a level 0, A or B according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for a least 6 months after completing their studies;
- Have lived in Quebec as a student for a least half of the study program.
Information Technology and Visual Effects Stream – Specific Conditions
Education Requirement
- Have a diploma equivalent to a Québec diploma of college studies – technical training, or a Québec bachelor’s degree.
Work Experience Requirement
- Have held an eligible full-time job for at least 2 years; or
- have or accept a full-time eligible job with an hourly wage equivalent to the maximum wage of the average wage of your occupation as specified on the Emploi-Québec website.
Targeted Occupations
The work experience or currently held job must correspond to one of the following occupations under the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- NOC 0213 – Computer and information systems manager
- NOC 2133 – Electrical and electronics engineer
- NOC 2171 – Information systems analyst and consultant
- NOC 2173 – Software engineer and designer
- NOC 2174 – A computer programmer and interactive media developer
- NOC 2241 – Electrical and electronics engineering technologist and technician
- NOC 2281 – Computer network technician
- NOC 5131 – Producer, director, choreographer and related occupations,
- NOC 5225 – Audio and video recording technician,
- NOC 5241 – Graphic designer and illustrator
Application Process for Quebec Pilot Programs
If you would like to immigrate to Québec under one of the three permanent immigration pilot programs, you must submit your application on Quebec’s online immigration platform Arrima. Applications for Canadian permanent residence under Quebec programs follow a two-step process. First, applicants must apply to the Quebec government to obtain a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). After having obtained the CSQ, applicants can apply for permanent residence to the federal government.
