Immigration Corner | Québec reopens immigration programmes

Dear Ms Powell,

I have a brother living in Montreal, and he would like me to come there to live with him and his family. I have a bachelor’s degree and adequate savings. I was looking through your articles and I haven’t seen much about Québec. I don’t speak French. Are there any programmes that I could apply for if I’d like to live in Québec?

AM

Dear AM,

Québec has its own unique pathways for immigration separate from the Federal Express Entry system. The province announced that effective November 23, 2023, and continuing to December 31, 2024, or until the cap is reached, three streams will be reopened and accepting applications. The streams are the permanent immigration pilot programme for workers in food processing; the permanent immigration pilot programme for orderlies; and the permanent immigration pilot programme for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies, and visual effects sectors.

REQUIREMENTS

The government will be accepting 600 applications from persons who qualify as a temporary foreign worker in Québec’s food-processing sector and another 600 for persons currently working as orderlies. Individuals must be proficient in French, have work experience in Québec in the food-processing sector or as an orderly and must be employed in that sector in Québec when the application is submitted. If you meet the requirements, you may apply for permanent residence to obtain a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) via the province’s website.

The permanent immigration pilot programme for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies, and visual effects stream will be accepting 700 applications. This pilot programme allows you to settle in Québec permanently if you are a foreign worker, or a Québec graduate in artificial intelligence, or a foreign worker in information technologies and visual effects. Other conditions include that you must currently hold an eligible full-time job in Québec or have held an eligible job for at least 24 months on a full-time basis in Québec in one of the eligible sectors.

You must also have strong knowledge of spoken French that corresponds to level 7 of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français or Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada).

Additionally, you must be prepared to provide proof of being financially self-sufficient. For an individual applicant you must provide proof of at least the minimum savings required for 2023, which is approximately C$3,600; for couple – C$5,300.00; single applicant with one child C$4,900.

HOW TO APPLY

Once you meet the above criteria, you may download the relevant application form for the particular stream and apply via www.quebec.ca. You will find the link to create a profile via the ARIMA portal, where you must upload the required forms and pay the processing fee. The current fees are Principal applicant - C$869; spouse, de facto spouse - C$186; each dependent child - C$186.

QUÉBEC SKILLED WORKER PROGRAMME (QSWP)

There are also changes to the QSWP. Québec is the only province where the only official language is French. This means that if you are interested in any of the economic programmes, you will be expected to present proof of a minimum score of 7 in your French language examination. These examinations are available in Canada and you may be able to sit the TEF at your local Alliance Française office.

If you find the French examination to be a challenge and would still like to live in Canada, I recommend that you schedule a consultation with a Canadian immigration lawyer to find out about other options under the Express Entry System. There is no law that prevents you from becoming a permanent resident of another province and later moving to Québec, especially if you did not qualify by virtue of the provincial nominee programme.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public. Find her on Facebook, Instagram or call or WhatsApp 613-695-8777