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Under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements and selects immigrants who will adapt well to living in Quebec. If you want to come to Canada as a Quebec-selected skilled worker, you must first apply to the Quebec government for a certificate of selection (Certificat de sélection du Québec). Quebec Immigration Questions and answers

ABOUT QUÉBEC - Immigration Québec

Quebec-selected skilled workers must apply in two stages.

You must first apply to the Quebec government for a certificate of selection (Certificat de sélection du Québec). This is the official document that shows that the Government of Quebec has accepted you to that province. Visit the website of the Quebec ministry that handles immigration for more information on how to obtain a certificate.

Official Québec immigration application

To submit an official immigration application, you must fill out the Application for a Selection Certificate (Dynamic PDF, 708 Kb) and the Contract respecting financial self-sufficiency (PDF, 64 Kb) by following the instructions provided.

Important:

Before making an official immigration application (Application for a Selection Certificate) which involves non-refundable processing fees, we recommend that you first evaluate online your chances of being selected by Québec. The response is immediate and free!

If you cannot download the forms, contact the Immigration-Québec office abroad for your country to obtain them. Do not forget to specify if your spouse or dependent children age 18 or over will be accompanying you as well as the occupation you plan to practise in Québec.

If Quebec ministry that handles immigration does not receive the form duly completed and signed, the necessary official documents (appendices, declarations, etc.) and full payment (in Canadian currency only) of the required fees, your application will be returned to you without being processed.

If additional documents are required in order to review your file, you will be given 60 days to submit them. This time limit is calculated from the date of the acknowledgement of receipt sent to you and indicating which documents are missing. If the office processing your application has not received all the documents within the set time limit, your application will be refused.

To find out more, refer to Understanding the selection process.

Schedule of selection missions

Selection missions for skilled workers are carried out in several countries at different times of the year. Some missions can take place on the same dates in a given territory. Consult the schedule of selection missions which is updated every two months, but is subject to change at any time.

Schedule of selection missions for skilled workers - October - November - December 2010 (PDF, 41 Kb)

If the applicant is accepted, the SIQ (Service d'immigration du Québec):

• issues the CSQ (Certificat de sélection du Québec);
• sends the CSQ to the applicant; and
• either provides the applicant with the federal application kit (supplied by the CVS); or 
• tells the applicant how to access the federal forms from the Internet.
  

The applicant is then expected to send the CSQ and the completed IMM 0008EGEN with the correct
fee to the CVS ( Canadian Visa Service -The Canadian Visa Service (CVS) is the federal immigration service overseas).

The CVS will create an immigration file when it receives from the applicant:

• the completed federal application forms;
• the correct fee;
• the CSQ; and
• the Quebec form 6 (which confirms the lock-in date).
  

The CVS will then assess the application for admissibility pursuant to federal statutory requirements.

Second Step

After you have been selected by Quebec, you have to make a separate application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residence.

This is the second and final stage. Here, you will have to pass a medical examination, security and criminal checks. CIC conducts these checks for all immigrants, wherever they intend to move in Canada.

You must also show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada.

Quebec-selected skilled workers are not assessed on the six selection factors of the Federal Skilled Workers Program.

Requirements of the Immigration Program for Québec skilled workers

Self-employed workers
If you are a self-employed worker, you may be eligible for the Self-employed Worker Program for businesspeople.

Temporary workers
If you wish to stay in Québec in order to fill a temporary position, consult the Temporary workers section.

To be selected as an immigrant worker, you must, in particular:

• settle in Québec with the goal of being employed there
• hold at least one diploma that corresponds, in the Québec education system, to a Secondary School Diploma or a Diploma of Vocational Studies
• have acquired training and occupational skills that will facilitate your insertion into the job market
  

Knowledge of French is an important asset. If in doubt, we strongly recommend that you check your level of French with a recognized organization. Knowledge of English is also an asset not to be overlooked. You can take courses or acquire more experience in order to upgrade your occupational or language skills

PRACTICAL ADVICE: Check if your profession or trade is regulated. Find out now about the conditions for practising in Québec. See Finding out about regulated professions or trades

Selection factors

Does your professional profile (as well as your spouse’s, if applicable) allow you to easily adapt to the requirements and rapid development of the Québec labour market? Check to see if you are eligible for the Immigration Program for skilled workers. The following employability factors will be taken into account:

• your schooling (your level of education and area of training) (minimum high school, max 28 points)
  (2009 List of areas of training, 2009 List of preferred areas of training, Summary table of the 2009 list of areas of training and the 2009 list of preferred areas of training) The diploma or degree must have been obtained in the five years previous to applying for a Québec Selection Certificate (QSC). If this is not the case, the applicant must have worked for at least one year out of the five years in question in a field directly related to the diploma or degree obtained and for which assessment is being made.
• your work experience (at least 6 months in the past 5 years, max 8 points)
• your age (age 18-35 gets 16 points, age 43+ gets 0 points)
  
• your knowledge of French and English (French max 16 points, English max 6; max 22 points)
  
• your stays in Québec and family relationship with a Canadian citizen or a permanent Québec resident (Maximum 8 points)
  
• having a valid employment offer (this applies only if you have received a job offer that meets certain conditions from a Québec employer.) See the section Recrutement international - Embaucher un travailleur étranger permanent   (Max 10 points)
  
• characteristics regarding your accompanying spouse or common-law spouse, if applicable (Maximum of 16 points)
  

Other factors that will be taken into account when your application is assessed are:

• the number of children under the age of 22 who will be accompanying you to Québec. (Max 8 points)
  
• your capacity for financial self-sufficiency (you must sign a contract confirming your commitment to provide for your needs and your family’s needs for at least the first three months following your arrival in Québec). (Max 1 point - based on a signed declaration)
  
• your adaptability (preparation of your immigration project) which will be assessed based on the steps that you have undertaken to facilitate your socioeconomic integration and your personal qualities with regard to your work activities. (max 6 points)

What is the purpose of the list of areas of training?
The 2009 List of areas of training (PDF, 224 Kb) is intended to identify candidates who have earned diplomas or degrees in areas with good medium-term job prospects. It is compiled with particular regard to Québec job market requirements. The diploma or degree must have been obtained in the five years previous to applying for a Québec Selection Certificate (QSC). If this is not the case, the applicant must have worked for at least one year out of the five years in question in a field directly related to the diploma or degree obtained and for which assessment is being made.

This list served as the basis for creating the 2009 List of preferred areas of training which is used to prioritize the processing of immigration applications from workers who are skilled in areas that offer good prospects for occupational integration in Québec.  These are the areas with high point value on the 2009 List of areas of training.

Québec diploma

This is:

• a diploma issued by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), for secondary or college studies, or by a Québec university. The training can have been received in Québec or abroad; OR
• an Attestation of Collegial Studies issued by a college recognized by the MELS. The training must have been received in Québec full time over a period of more than one year.
  
  

And treated as a Québec diploma:

• a Canadian diploma (if it is issued by the minister responsible for education or by a university of a Canadian province or territory);
• a foreign diploma recognized as equivalent by a Québec regulatory body, except if it is a medical diploma;
• a foreign diploma or training leading to the practice of a regulated profession or trade in Québec, if you have already received authorization to practise this occupation in Québec;
• a training certificate that falls under a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) concluded within the framework of a mutual recognition agreement regarding professional qualifications with another government, for the practice of a profession governed by a professional order in Québec. You must possess the legal ability to practise required under this arrangement and this arrangement must have been implemented. Note that France is the only country with which such an agreement has been concluded;
• a foreign diploma or training that falls under an MRA that allows for the practice of a regulated occupation in Québec, if the Québec regulatory body attests that you meet the required training conditions and, if applicable, the professional experience required to practise this occupation.

The colleges recognized by the MELS are listed on the MELS website

Obtaining an Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec (Application form)

Points will be awarded, if applicable, for each of these selection factors. The assessment of your application will help to determine if you obtain a sufficient number of points to be selected by Québec. The Summmary table of factors and criteria used to select skilled workers (in French - PDF, 414 Kb) presents the factors and criteria as well as how they are weighted and the passing scores that apply to skilled workers, as stipulated in Schedule A of the Regulation respecting the selection of foreign nationals and the Regulation respecting the weighting applicable to the selection of foreign nationals in effect since October 14, 2009.

Passing score for preliminary stage (single/with dependants) 49/57
Final passing score (when adaptability is counted in): 55/63

Financial self-sufficiency

For the period from January 1 to December 31, 2011, single persons must have at least $2,800 at their disposal to meet their basic needs for the first three months following their arrival in Québec. In addition to this sum, they must have at their disposal an additional amount for each family member accompanying them (spouse or de facto spouse and children). For example, a household with two adults and two children under 18 years of age must have at least $4,965 at their disposal for the first three months. The following table indicates the essential needs of main family units.


Note : Amounts (in Canadian dollars) in effect from January 1 to December 31, 2011.

The cost of immigrating to Québec

Evaluating the cost of immigrating to Québec, including the expenses of settling in, will help you avoid any surprises and plan a realistic budget.

• Fees levied by the Gouvernement du Québec for processing an immigration application (Application for a Selection Certificate).
• Fees levied by the Government of Canada for a permanent residence application (visa).
• Fees for the translation of the various documents to be provided as part of your procedure.
• Fees related to your procedure with a regulatory body for your profession or trade, if applicable.
• Fees related to the Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec (Comparative Evaluation for Studies Done Outside Québec) (sometimes required, this evaluation is a good tool when looking for a job). See Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec
• Financial resources to meet the needs of your family. You must be aware of the cost of immigrating to Québec as well as typical living expenses and the Canadian exchange rate for your currency. These costs include transportation to Québec, housing, heating, taxes, food, clothing, education, private insurance, etc.

Fees

The fees levied by the Québec government for processing immigration applications are indicated below (Application for a Selection Certificate).

The fees required must be paid in full, in Canadian currency only, by you or by a third party, at the time the application is dropped off or mailed. These fees are not reimbursed, even if your application is refused.New fee schedule as of January 1, 2011 (PDF, 24 Kb)


Calculate your (CIC) fees.

You will have to pay the following fees:

    * The processing fee for you and your dependants must be paid when you apply. It is not refundable, even if your application is not approved.
    * Wait until your application is processed to pay the Right of Permanent Residence fee for you and your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, if applicable. It must be paid before Citizenship and Immigration Canada issues your permanent resident visa. This fee is refundable if you cancel your application, if your application is not approved or if you do not use your visa.

You will also have to pay fees to third parties for:

    * your medical examination
    * a police certificate, if you require one as part of your criminal and security check, and
    * language testing, as required.

Information on how to pay your processing fee and your Right of Permanent Residence fee is included in the instructions for the visa office where you submit your application.

Submitting your application

You must submit your CIC application to the correct visa office. That is the visa office that serves your country of nationality or the country where you have been legally admitted for at least one year.

Select your country of residence or citizenship and you will be directed to the visa office responsible for your application. You must check the website of the visa office where you will submit your application, since application procedures may vary slightly from one visa office to another.

In some exceptional cases application forms are sent to:



References:

• Official site of the Government of Québec
• Quebec-selected skilled workers
• OP 7a — Quebec Skilled Workers
• Glossary
• List of areas of training
• Emploi-Québec To find the title corresponding to your profession or trade in Québec.
• Power of Attorney and Mandate
• Quebec immigration Statistics
• Finding out about regulated professions or trades
• Learning French on-line and List of Alliances françaises
• Banque d'exercices de français
• Learning about Québec
• Obtaining an Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec
• Emploi-Québec
• ICC offices outside Québec – by continent
• Immigration-Québec - Processing times (table)
• Taking TEF test online