Quebec Immigration: Regular Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)

Quebec has a unique position in Canada's immigration landscape due to its French-speaking
heritage. The province has its own permanent visa programs. Due to its French-speaking
heritage, Quebec is considered a unique place to settle in Canada. There are various
immigration pathways available to individuals wanting to visit and live in the province. The main
immigration pathways available to those wishing to settle in Quebec is the Regular Skilled
Worker Program (QSWP).

Similarly, to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) under the Express Entry system,

foreign nationals who wish to immigrate through the QSWP must first declare their interest in
immigrating to Quebec by completing an expression of interest (EOI) form through an online
portal. The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) regularly
selects people from the pool of candidates and invites them to apply for permanent selection.

Successful applicants may bring accompanying family members to Quebec, and a job offer is
not required.

Quebec’s Expression of Interest System:

The EOI system gives an equal opportunity for permanent selection to all potential candidates.
Anyone 18 years of age or older who wishes to immigrate to Quebec can declare their interest
in doing so at any time.

The EOI system is a two-step process for selecting skilled immigrants, whether they are
abroad or already in the province.

The first step is to submit an electronic expression of interest for permanent immigration to

Arrima. This is a pre-screening process that allows the government to rank interested
candidates based on their human capital and labour market-related criteria.

The second step is for the government to invite the top-ranked candidates to apply for
permanent immigration in regular draws from the pool. The chances of being invited in the
draws depend on many factors. These include the government's annual admission targets, its
processing capacity, the candidates' ranking scores in the pool, whether there is a job offer, and
the targeted occupations at the time of each draw.

Eligibility:

In order to be eligible for a CSQ under the QSWP, candidates must obtain sufficient points
based on the Quebec Immigration selection grid.

This grid is composed of nine factors:

 education;
 work experience;
 age;
 knowledge of French and English;
 stay and family in Quebec;
 validated job offer;
  spouse’s characteristics;
 presence of children;
 ability to be financially independent

A single (unmarried) candidate must score at least 50 points based on this system, while a
candidate with a spouse or common-law partner must score at least 59 points.