Quebec’s Immigration Ministry, the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI), will introduce an Expression of Interest (Déclaration d’intérêt) application intake system to help facilitate permanent immigration applications under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. The act enabling this new system will come into effect on August 2, 2018. 

The new system will replace the current first-come, first-served application process for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)

The process of applying immigration under the Quebec Skilled Worker program, or what the government calls the Regular Skilled Worker Program, will include the following steps for candidates:

1. Submission of an Expression of Interest to settle in Quebec and entry into Quebec’s Expression of Interest Bank.

2. Successful selection from the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank results in an invitation to apply for the QSWP.

3. Submission of an application for a Quebec Selection Certificate, or certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) to the MIDI.

4. Submission of a Canadian permanent residence application to the federal government.

After the initial step of submitting an Expression of Interest to MIDI, candidates will be entered into the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank.

Quebec immigration candidates who meet the requirements, cut-off thresholds and passing scores for the program will be considered for selection. 

How candidates will be ranked in Quebec’s Expression of Interest Bank

Any foreign national 18 or older may submit an Expression of Interest to the province. 

Once candidates are in the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank, they are grouped under two categories: Candidates with a job offer or connection to Quebec and candidates residing outside Quebec. In each category, candidates will be assigned points across various factors.

Candidates with a connection to Quebec

This group is for candidates with a job offer in Quebec or who are residing in the province with the primary goal of attaining employment while on a work permit and have a Quebec-approved degree or six months of full-time work experience and are currently working full-time in the province. 

Candidates in this group will be assigned a score based on the following seven factors: Age, Quebec Diploma, Canadian or United States work experience, French language proficiency, knowledge of other languages, education level, and a spouse or common-law partner’s education level and proficiency in French.

Candidates residing outside Quebec

Candidates in this group will be assigned a score based on the following eight factors: Age, Quebec degree, Canadian or United States work experience, training that the Government of Quebec lists as in-demand, French language proficiency, knowledge of other languages, education level and and a spouse or common-law partner’s education level and proficiency in French. 

The province of Quebec has yet to detail the points structure that will apply to the factors under the two groups.

How candidates will be selected from Quebec’s Expression of Interest Bank

Candidates selected to apply for a CSQ under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program will need to demonstrate that they have met 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 candidates overall cut-off score.The Employability cut-off score for candidates with a spouse or common-law partner is 52.

Candidates selected 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.

Are you eligible for selection as a Quebec Skilled Worker? Get your score now.

Quebec Immigration — Skilled Worker Program Selection Factors

FACTORSCriteriaPoints
Factor 1: Training Maximum 26 points 
 

Education Level 

Maximum = 14 points

Cut-off score = 2 points

secondary school general
diploma
2
  
secondary school vocational
diploma
6
  
postsecondary school general
diploma attesting
2 years of full-
time studies
4
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 1 year of
full-time studies
6
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 2 years of
full-time studies
6
  
secondary school vocational
diploma or postsecondary
school technical diploma
attesting to 1 or 2 years of full-
time studies in training
contemplated in section A or B
of area I or II of criterion 1.2
0
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 3 years of
full-time studies
8
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 3 years of
full-time studies in training
contemplated in section A or B
of area I or II of criterion 1.2
0
  
undergraduate university
degree attesting to 1 year of
full-time studies
4
  
undergraduate university
degree attesting to 2 years of
full-time studies
6
  
undergraduate diploma
attesting to 3 or more years of
full-time studies
10
  
master’s degree attesting to 1
or more years of full-time
studies
12
  
doctorate
14
 

Areas of training

Maximum = 12 points

Section A of areas 
12
  Section B of areas9
  Section C of areas6
  Section D of areas 2
  Section E, F, G of areas 0
Factor 2: Work experience Maximum 8 points
 Professional experience of skilled worker
48 months or over
8
  36 to 47 months6
  24 to 35 months6
  12 to 23 months4
  6 to 11 months4
  
Less than 6 months
0
Factor 3: AgeMaximum 16 points
  18 to 35 years of age16
  36 years of age14
  37 years of age12
  38 years of age10
  39 years of age8
  
40 years of age
6
  42 years of age2
  43 years and older 0
Factor 4: Language proficiencyMaximum 16 points
 

French

Maximum = 16 points

Oral comprehension0, 5, 6 or 7
  Oral expression0, 5, 6 or 7
  Written comprehension0 or 1
  Written expression0 or 1
 

English

Maximum = 6 points

Oral comprehension0, 1 or 2
  Oral expression0, 1 or 2
  Written comprehension0 or 1
  Written expression0 or 1
Factor 5: Stay and Family in Quebec Maximum 8 points 
 

Stay in Quebec

Maximum = 5 points

to study for 1 regular full-time
semester if study is the main
activity
0
  
to study for at least 2 regular
full-time semesters if study is
the main activity
0
  
for studies leading to a
vocational training diploma
(DEP) or an attestation of
college studies (AEC) attesting
to a total of 900 to less than
1,800 hours, combined with
full-time work experience in
Québec, related to the field of
training, for a period of at least
6 months followin
g the program
of studies
5
  
for studies leading to a
vocational training diploma
(DEP) or an attestation of
college studies (AEC) attesting
to a total of 900 to less than
1,800 hours, combined with
full-time work experience in
Québec, related to the field of
training, for a period of at least
6 months following the program
of studies
5
  
to work, with a work permit of at
least 1 year and full-time work
experience of 6 months
5
  
to work for at least 3 months if
work is the main activity
0
  
to work for at least 6 months if
work is the main activity
0
  
in the context of a youth
exchange program to which an
international agreement
entered into by Québec or
Canada, if work is the main
activity for at least 3 months
0
  
in the context of a youth
exchange program to which an
international agreement
entered into by Québec or
Canada, if work is the main
activity for at least 6 months
0
  
for business for at least 1 week
0
  Other stay 
for a duration
equivalent to at least 2 weeks
1
  
Other stay for a duration
equivalent to at least 3 months
2
 

Family in Quebec

Maximum= 3 points

Common-law partner/son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister/grandfather or grandmother3
Factor 6: Spouse/common-law partner characteristics Maximum 17 points
 

Education level

Maximum = 4 points

secondary school general
diploma
1
  
secondary school vocational
diploma
2
  
postsecondary school general
diploma attesting to 2 years of
full-time studies
1
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 1 year of
full-time studies
2
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 2 years of
full-time studies
2
  
postsecondary school technical
diploma attesting to 3 years of
full-time studies
3
  
undergraduate university
degree attesting to 1 year of
full-time studies
1
  
undergraduate university
degree attesting to 2 years of
full-time studies
2
  
undergraduate university
degree attesting to 3 years of
full-time studies
3
  
master’s degree attesting to 1
year or more of full-time
studies
4
  
doctorate
4
 

Areas of training 

 Maximum = 4 points
Section A of areas 
4
  
Section B of areas 
3
  
Section C of areas 
2
  
Section D of areas 
1
  
Section E, F, G of areas
0
 Age
 Maximum = 3 points
18 to 35 years of age
3
  
36 – 39 years of age
2
  40 – 72 years of age1
  43 years and older0
 French language proficiency Oral comprehension or expression 0, 2 or 3
Factor 7: Valid job offerMaximum 14 points
  
Validated employment offer in
the metropolitan area of
Montréal
8
  
Validated employment offer outside the metropolitan area of Montréal in one of the following administrative regions:
 
  
a. Abitibi-Témiscamingue
13
  b. Bas-Saint-Laurent12
  c. Capitale-Nationale14
  
d. Centre-du-Québec
13
  
e. Chaudière-Appalaches
14
  
f. Côte-Nord
12
  
g. Estrie
13
  
h. Gaspésie
10
  
i. Lanaudière 
13
  
j. Laurentides 
12
  
k. Mauricie 
12
  
l. Montérégie 
14
  
m. Nord-du-Québec
12
  
n. Outaouais 
13
  o. Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean12
Factor 8: Presence of accompanying childrenMaximum 8 points
  
for each dependant 12 years of age or
younger
4
  
for each dependant 13 to 21 years of
age
2
Factor 9: Financial self-sufficiency                                                                           Cut-off score = 1Maximum 1 point
Employability Applicable factorsCUT-OFF SCORE Maximum
Applicant without
spouse or common-law partner
Total of factors 1 to 7, except 643 points94 points
Applicant with spouse
or common-law partner
Total of factors 1 to 752 points111 points
Selection
Applicable factorsPASSING SCOREMaximum
Applicant without
spouse or common-law partner
All, except 650 points103 points
Applicant with
spouse or common-law partner
All59 points120 points

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