Foreign nationals interested in immigrating to Quebec under the popular Quebec Skilled Worker Program must begin the process by submitting an expression of interest to the program through the province’s online portal, Arrima.
The process of applying for immigration under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), or what the Government of Quebec calls the Regular Skilled Worker Program, is a five-step process:
- Completion of an Expression of Interest profile through the Arrima Portal and entry into the QSWP’s Expression of Interest bank of candidates.
- Quebec’s Immigration Ministry reviews expressions of interest and issues invitations to apply. Invitations may reflect labour market needs in various regions of Quebec.
- Submission of a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ) under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
- Applications are reviewed and assessed based on employability and selection factors and approved candidates are issued a CSQ.
- Application for Canadian permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
How candidates will be invited to apply for a CSQ
Any foreign national 18 or older may submit an expression of interest to the province using the Arrima Portal.
Candidates will be ranked against the competition in the QSWP’s Expression of Interest Bank using a ranking system that has yet to be detailed. MIFI says invitations to apply for a CSQ will be issued to “those who meet certain criteria, focusing mainly on labour market needs in the different regions of Quebec.”
Candidates invited to apply for a CSQ under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program will have to meet the passing scores required for the program based on the QSWP Points Grid.
Quebec Skilled Worker candidates who meet the initial requirements for education and financial self-sufficiency must then meet the required cut-off score of 43 points for Employability factors.
If a candidate has a spouse, his or her education and training, work experience and language proficiency will be considered towards a candidate’s overall cut-off score. The Employability cut-off score for candidates with a spouse or common-law partner is 52.
Candidates invited to apply for a CSQ under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program will also be required to meet the minimum threshold for Selection factors, which is a passing score of 50 points (and 59 with a spouse or common-law partner). Selection factors take into consideration all Employability factors, the presence of accompanying children and the ability to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency.
Calculate your Quebec Skilled Worker immigration passing score
Even though the Government of Quebec has not specified the exact criteria that will be used to rank candidates in the Expression of Interest Bank, it has announced how points will be assigned for obtaining a CSQ once a candidate is invited to apply.
