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
| FACTORS | Criteria | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 areas | 9 | ||
| Section C of areas | 6 | ||
| 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 months | 6 | ||
| 24 to 35 months | 6 | ||
| 12 to 23 months | 4 | ||
| 6 to 11 months | 4 | ||
Less than 6 months | 0 | ||
| Factor 3: Age | Maximum 16 points | ||
| 18 to 35 years of age | 16 | ||
| 36 years of age | 14 | ||
| 37 years of age | 12 | ||
| 38 years of age | 10 | ||
| 39 years of age | 8 | ||
40 years of age | 6 | ||
| 42 years of age | 2 | ||
| 43 years and older | 0 | ||
| Factor 4: Language proficiency | Maximum 16 points | ||
French Maximum = 16 points | Oral comprehension | 0, 5, 6 or 7 | |
| Oral expression | 0, 5, 6 or 7 | ||
| Written comprehension | 0 or 1 | ||
| Written expression | 0 or 1 | ||
English Maximum = 6 points | Oral comprehension | 0, 1 or 2 | |
| Oral expression | 0, 1 or 2 | ||
| Written comprehension | 0 or 1 | ||
| Written expression | 0 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 grandmother | 3 | |
| 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 age | 1 | ||
| 43 years and older | 0 | ||
| French language proficiency | Oral comprehension or expression | 0, 2 or 3 | |
| Factor 7: Valid job offer | Maximum 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-Laurent | 12 | ||
| c. Capitale-Nationale | 14 | ||
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-Jean | 12 | ||
| Factor 8: Presence of accompanying children | Maximum 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 = 1 | Maximum 1 point | ||
| Employability | Applicable factors | CUT-OFF SCORE | Maximum |
Applicant without spouse or common-law partner | Total of factors 1 to 7, except 6 | 43 points | 94 points |
Applicant with spouse or common-law partner | Total of factors 1 to 7 | 52 points | 111 points |
Selection | Applicable factors | PASSING SCORE | Maximum |
Applicant without spouse or common-law partner | All, except 6 | 50 points | 103 points |
Applicant with spouse or common-law partner | All | 59 points | 120 points |
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