Quebec Skilled Worker

Foreign nationals who wish to permanently reside in Quebec may apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) under the Quebec Skilled Worker program with the Ministère de l’immigration, de la diversité et de l’inclusion (Immigration Quebec). The Quebec Skilled Worker program category is a points-based system that allows the province of Quebec to select potential immigrants. 

Application Process

Applying for a CSQ as a Quebec Skilled Worker is a four step process:

  1. The foreign national must first register with Immigration Quebec through the Arrima online portal and file their Expression of Interest;
  2. The foreign national must then receive an Invitation to Apply from Immigration Quebec. Once an Invitation to Apply is received, the foreign national has 90 days to complete their profile online;
  3. Immigration Quebec will then issue a personalized Document Checklist once they have started to review the CSQ application. Once the Document Checklist is issued, the foreign national will have 90 days to provide all of the required documentation; and
  4. Once Immigration Quebec have received the requested documents and has completed their assessment against the Quebec Skilled Worker Evaluation System, a CSQ will be issued if the application is approved.

Expression of Interest

A foreign national must first submit a profile, otherwise known as an “Expression of Interest” with Immigration Quebec through the Arrima portal. Based on the information contained in the Expression of Interest, a foreign national will be awarded points based on their:

  • Age
  • Education, including diploma from a Quebec institution
  • Area of training (for those applicants who do not fall under the pool of applicants in Quebec with a valid work permit or who have a validated job offer)
  • Work experience in Canada or in the United States
  • French language skills
  • Other language skills
  • Spouse's or common law partner's French language skills and education
  • Skill transferability

The Expression of Interest is valid for 12 months. If a foreign national is not invited after a 12 month period, they will have to submit a new Expression of Interest.


Invitation to Apply

Invitations to Apply will be sent out regularly by Immigration Quebec to foreign nationals who have submitted their Expression of Interest. Candidates will be grouped into two pools of applicants:

  1. Foreign nationals with a validated job offer or those who are currently working in Quebec with a valid work permit; and
  2. Those residing outside of Quebec.

Immigration Quebec has established different factors that they will consider when sending out Invitations to Apply. The factors are related to the employability of the foreign national in Quebec and are grouped under three broad categories:

  • Factors related to human capital (for example: age, French language skills, and education)
  • Factors that favor integration with the Quebec labour market
  • Factors related to filling a need for the changing Quebec labour market (for example: education related to occupations where there is a shortage of labour)

Once invited, a foreign national will have 90 days to complete their online application and to pay the application fees. Once Immigration Quebec is ready to review a foreign national’s application, they will provide the foreign national with a customized document checklist. Once received, a foreign national will have 90 days to submit all of the required documents.


Evaluation System

Receiving an Invitation to Apply does not guarantee that a foreign national will receive a CSQ. Applicants must still obtain the minimum number of points under the Quebec Skilled Worker evaluation system. Under the Quebec Skilled Worker program, a single applicant must obtain a minimum of 50 points and an applicant with a spouse or common-law partner must obtain a minimum of 59 points. If a foreign national is successful, he or she will be issued a CSQ.

An application for a CSQ will be assessed against a number of factors, including:

  • Education
  • Work Experience
  • Age
  • Language abilities in French and/or English
  • Stay in Quebec
  • Family in Quebec
  • Accompanying spouse's or partner's qualifications
  • Validated job offer
  • Accompanying children

Only once the CSQ is issued by Immigration Quebec, a candidate can then submit their application for permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Immigration Canada).  Immigration Canada will be responsible for assessing medical and criminal admissibility, and will issue the Confirmation of Permanent Residence.