Quebec is the only province whose official language is French only. Many people mistakenly believe that Montreal is the capital of Quebec, but it is not. The capital of this province is Quebec City.
Although Quebec is a province of Canada, the province has its own immigration programs and they go aside “ordinary” provincial programs. The governments of Quebec and Canada concluded a number of agreements, according to which Quebec established its selection criteria for all economic immigrants (skilled and businessmen) with the intention to live in Quebec.
Immigration to Quebec is going through a special system, which was launched in an updated form on August 2, 2018. Individuals who wish to apply for immigration to the province through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program begin the process by submitting an application for their interest in immigrating (expression of interest, EOI) after creating a profile in the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank on the Arrima portal.
The Quebec immigration system is divided into the following categories:
For skilled workers:
– Quebec Skilled Worker Program – a program for skilled workers and students who intend to live in Montreal or in another city or region of Quebec.
Candidates who qualify for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) and then apply for permanent residence to the Government of Canada.
The Quebec Skilled Worker Program assesses the social and professional characteristics of a candidate based on 10 factors, and also takes into account the characteristics of the partner (spouse) of the candidate who immigrates with him.
Under the new Expression of Interest system, a single applicant must score at least 50 points, and an applicant with a spouse or partner must score at least 59 points.
The program is divided into the following subcategories:
– Foreign student in Québec – a category for people who are currently studying or successfully completed a study program in Quebec. If you study in Quebec in English, for example, at the prestigious McGill University, then you can immigrate through this category. By the way, you can apply for immigration under this program after 6 months of study in Quebec.
– Temporary foreign worker – a category for people who legally and temporarily worked in Quebec for at least 1 year in total.
– Youth exchange program – a category for young people who legally stayed in Quebec as a participant of a youth exchange program (for example, Working Holiday, Young Professionals, International Co-op Internship permit) for 1 year in total.
For skilled workers and graduates in Quebec (Program de l’expérience québécoise, PEQ – Québec experience program):
– PEQ Québec graduate – a program for people who graduated from a college or university of Quebec and received a diploma or are currently studying at a college or university of Quebec and speak oral French at an upper-intermediate level.
– PEQ Skilled temporary foreign worker – a program for skilled workers who currently occupy a skilled position, have worked in Quebec for at least 12 of the last 24 months in a skilled position, and speak oral French at an upper-intermediate level.
Business immigration:
– Entrepreneur Program – a program for entrepreneurs who are interested in creating or acquiring a business in Quebec.
– Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) – a program for entrepreneurs who are interested in participating in the economic development of Quebec by investing.
– Self-Employed Worker Program – a program for people who are interested in coming to Quebec and working for themselves in their profession at their own expense.
If you do not know which immigration program you need, you can answer a few questions and the system will provide you with a suitable immigration option.