Quebec is a Canadian territory with unique landscape, culture and economy. Quebec guarantees abundant job opportunities, harmonious blend of nature and culture, quality life and positive growth to the new immigrants aspiring to settle permanently in the province. Quebec Immigration System does not form a part of the Provincial Nominee Program. Quebec spearheads its own immigration procedures, and has a greater autonomy than other provinces in the selection and decision-making process of the immigrant applications. As a relatively autonomous center with its own social, economic and political systems, Quebec establishes its own immigration laws and provisions based on its own labor market demands and industry requirements. Quebec selects and nominates applicants on the basis of skills, education, experience, language ability, adaptability and the applicant’s potential to foster economic growth of the province. The various immigration programs authorized by Quebec are – Quebec Skilled Worker Program, Quebec Experience Class Program, Quebec Investor Program, Quebec Entrepreneur Program, Quebec Self-employed Program and Quebec Family Sponsorship.

Quebec Immigration Process – Quebec immigration programs vary in terms of regulations and requirements defined under each program. The applicant needs to carefully understand the specific requirements of the program they wish to apply under. The application is the first and the most significant step towards the immigration process and has to be filled with close attention to detail, authenticity and reliability of the claimed facts. Incomplete applications delay the process, hence, should be avoided.

Quebec Selection Certificate – Applicants must apply to the government of Quebec under any of the programs and receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC). This application contains crucial information including the applicant’s personal information, family status, contact information, education, work experience, training, language proficiency and other necessary details. The provincial authority thereby reviews the application as per its own set standards and issues the selection certificate (QSC). Applicants who meet the labor market needs of the province are given precedence in the selection process. The certificate is a proof of the applicant’s nomination by the province. Once the province sends the selection certificate, the applicant can further apply for permanent residency with the federal government. The selection certificate must be attached with the immigration application.

The applicant must have all claims validated by verifiable documents, licenses, accreditation in order to prove his/her authenticity. Before an immigration application is filed, the immigration officer will make a preliminary evaluation of the applicant’s documents and claims by first paying a visit to the applicant’s country.

Selection Interview – The next step after the preliminary evaluation is approved is the interview which is scheduled specifically to verify the details shared by the applicant like information related to education, age, language ability, and work experience. If the interview goes as intended, the applicant receives a Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC) then the applicant can apply for permanent residency. However, if the applicant fails to validate any information filled in the application form along with verifiable documents, he/she has a period of 60 days to request for a review of the decision. The applicant will have to first address all the objections raised during the interview and provide all the necessary documents. If that is done, the assessment of the application can further move ahead.

What is Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC)? – It is issued by the provincial Quebec immigration office and is essential for immigration to Quebec. It is a valid proof to the federal government that the applicant has been nominated by the Quebec provincial government. It also proves that the applicant’s claims have been fully reviewed and assessed as per the interest of both the federal and the provincial government. This certificate acts as an act of nomination where the applicant has been give support by the province he is applying into. The certificate is neither a visa nor a legal permit to immigrate to Canada.

Quebec Experience Class (PEQ)

For any foreign worker who has the appropriate qualification and work experience in Quebec, Quebec Experience Class might be the best and quickest way to get permanent residency status in Quebec province. The Quebec Experience Class program gives priority to foreign workers and students who have both studies and have work experience in Quebec and expedite their permanent residency process. PEQ is similar to other nomination-based program ran by provincial governments but it also mimics federal Canadian Experience Class program.

Similar to other Provincial Nominee Program the PEQ process is a two-step. Foreign workers with experience would first need to apply for Quebec Experience Class Program. If your application with provincial government is successful, then you will receive Quebec Selection Certificate by Quebec provincial government.  On receiving Quebec Selection Certificate, the applicant can apply for permanent residency with the federal Canadian government. The program gives priority to anyone who has experience in Quebec as well studied in Quebec, however you will need to select one criterion out of the work experience or study qualification which will be considered qualifying criteria. 

There are two streams of this program for different type of workers:

1. Temporary foreign workers
2. International students

Temporary foreign workers – You can qualify under this program if you have worked in Quebec legally for at least 12 months (of last 24 months) and must never have lived in Canada illegally. Below is the list of eligibility criteria for this stream:

• You must have gained experience in Quebec in a full-time job with minimum 30 hrs per week. Work hours below 30 hrs per week is considered part time job.
• You must be able to demonstrate French language proficiency by showing results of accepted language exam for French.
• You must be 18 years old and above.
• You must be staying legally in Canada on a temporary visa or student exchange program while applying under this program.
• You will be required to provide an attestation of learning about Quebec values and its democratic values
• You must be able to demonstrate that you intend to stay in Quebec.
• A self-employed person can also utilize the Quebec Experience class if you are working as a qualified skilled role. Also, your income as a self-employed person in Quebec must be at par with full time employed worker.

International students – If you have obtained a degree or diploma in 36 months from of the eligible university or college recognized by Quebec Ministry of Education, you can apply for permanent residency under this stream. Below is the list of eligibility criteria for this stream:

• You must have studied for diploma or degree program in Quebec for at least two years.
• You must have received your diploma or degree in last 36 months only.
• You must be able to demonstrate French language proficiency by showing results of accepted language exam for French (intermediate level).
• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be able to demonstrate that you intend to stay in Quebec.

Quebec Entrepreneur Program

The Quebec Entrepreneur Program targets business people, investors and entrepreneurs who wish to purchase, manage a business or invest in the province. With the aim to promote the economic growth of the region, the provincial authorities focus on applicants who meet the requirements of labor-market demands of Quebec and who show potential to contribute to the material and cultural growth of the province.

Quebec boasts of a diverse economy that is fast-growing because of its highly skilled labor force and dynamic society. Innovative and experienced business people are given a priority to make significant contributions to the stimulating business environment of the province. The business that the applicant proposes to establish, purchase or fund can be commercial, agricultural or industrial. The Quebec Immigration Program also permits the applicants to make an exploratory visit to the province before submitting their application to the immigration office. The exploratory visit, though not mandatory, gives an opportunity to the applicant to research and assess the market and accordingly develop a viable business plan. Applicant needs to fulfill requisites in order to qualify under Quebec Entrepreneur Program –

• Applicant (along with the spouse/common-law partner if accompanying) must have liquid assets worth $300,000 CAD in form of cash, bonds and cash derivatives through legal means.
• Applicant must have at least 3 years of experience in running and managing a commercial, agricultural or industrial business that was legitimate and profitable. The applicant must prove that he/she had at least 25% of equity investment in the business.
• The applicant must have minimum education qualification of High School but if the business proposal requires additional education qualification, the applicant must demonstrate the same.
• The applicant must prove that he/she was fully engaged in the control, management and maintenance of the business in a significant position, either a senior executive or a likewise position. Applications by apprentices, beginners and amateurs are not considered under this program.
• The applicant must demonstrate an intention to settle in Quebec permanently.
• The applicant must generate employment possibilities for other nationals and permanent residents. As required under the program, the applicant must employ a Quebec resident on a full-time permanent basis on comparable industry wages.

What is the difference between starting a new business and acquiring an existing one? – Two kinds of applicants with varied interests in the province are accommodated under this program. Applicant can either be interested in starting a new business in the province of Quebec or want to invest in an already existing business. In both cases, the applicant must make at least 25% quite investment in the business with a direct role to play in its day to day operations form within the province. You must demonstrate that you intend to live in Quebec. Applicants who want to establish a new business must make a proper market research and propose a plan based on the market demand and value. The business plan must be viable and generate employment opportunities for other locals or national residents. Therefore, the applicant must submit detailed business proposal to the Quebec provincial government along with personal resume, financial viability statements, qualification documents, experience certificates and recommendations. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of age, education, work experience, skills, language ability and adaptability, along with having a sound knowledge of the province and its business and industrial needs. Applicant’s commitment to the growth of the province is of high value in the selection process.

Quebec Family Sponsorship

Quebec Family Sponsorship Program aims at re-unifying families in Canada who can meet the requisites of the immigration norms as standardized by the provincial government of Quebec and the federal government. Quebec Family Program is very similar to the federal Family Class Sponsorship Program.

Sponsor Eligibility Criteria

• You can sponsor your family members to immigrate to Canada if you are a Canadian citizen or its permanent resident of 18 years or older.
• As a sponsor, you must prove that you can financially support the family members and dependents you are sponsoring, if need be. Under the law, as a sponsor you can be asked to give proof of income to support your claim.
• You must prove that you do not have any criminal offense, pending legal cases, or detention record against you.
• You must have not received a removal order from the Canadian authorities.
• You must not be caught in an ongoing legal dispute such as child custody legal conflict etc.
• There should not be any record of you receiving social assistance other than in cases of disability.
• You cannot sponsor if you have previously sponsored a relative and three years have yet not passed on their becoming a permanent resident, or if you sponsored another relative earlier but a decision in it is still awaited.

Eligibility Criteria for the Sponsored – Only a close relative of the sponsor can be sponsored under this program including spouse/common-law partner or a conjugal partner; a dependent child biological or adopted; parents and grandparents; orphaned siblings, niece and nephew, grandchildren under 18 and unmarried. There are certain requisites to be met with by the sponsored applicant in order to qualify under this category.

Responsibilities under this program

• The sponsor must be in a financial position to support the sponsored applicants for a specified duration of time assuming complete responsibility of their maintenance.
• The duration of time for which a sponsor is responsible for the sponsored members varies according to the relation between the members.
• The sponsored members must not require any social assistance or financial reimbursement from the government.
• The sponsored member is accountable to the sponsor for a specified period of time in which he/she will keep the sponsor informed of major financial decisions, settlement plans, changed residential address or any other such relevant information that may affect the sponsor.

Quebec Investor Program

Canada is consistently rated as one of top destination globally for starting a new business. Canada has implemented number of programs to open its borders for global investors willing to setup their business in Canada and help Canada expand its economy and generate jobs. If you are looking to settle in Canadian province of Quebec and start a new business in the province you should consider Quebec Investor Program. The program seeks to attract foreign investors with a net worth of more than CAD 2,000,000. You will be required to make an investment to the tune of C$1,200,000 from your lawfully obtained money with the provincial Quebec immigration authority known as ‘Investissement Québec – Immigrants Investisseurs Inc’ for a duration of five years. After five years you will be returned your invested amount but without any interest from the investment. The investment is guaranteed by the Government of Quebec and provincial government utilize this fund for the betterment of immigrants and minorities in Quebec community via assistance programs and initiatives. Below are some of the key eligibility criteria defined in this program:

• You (or together with your accompanying spouse) must have assets with net worth of more than $2,000,000 CAD and you will must be able to demonstrate that you obtained this money using lawful means.
• You must sign an undertaking that as an investor you are committed to invest CAD 800,000 with the Quebec government or financial body authorized under for the Quebec Investor Program.
• The amount should not include any money received as a donation during last 6 months from filing your application with Quebec government.
• You must intend to settle in Quebec.
• You must have business experience in the same field for at least two years out of the last 5 years. The experience must include responsibilities towards the planning, management, finance, human or material resources management. This duration must not include any time duration as an apprenticeship, training, specialization earned as part of educational or career program.
• You should be able to demonstrate French language proficiency by showing results of accepted language exam.
• You will be required to provide an attestation of learning about Quebec values and its democratic values
• The experience should be in a qualified field that fulfill below criteria:
  • A registered commercial, industrial or farming business establishment.
  • A professional establishment that that must have employed at least two full time employees or, a government department or an international agency.

The Quebec government will consider other factors including age, specialization and education while assessing your nomination under this program.

If your nomination is successfully approved by Queue government, you will be issued a Quebec Selection Certificate. You will be required to submit this Quebec Selection Certificate along with other documentation required for the permanent residency application with the federal government. The federal Canadian government will do a final review on your admissibility and issue Canadian permanent resident status based on its own evaluation.

The application review is done in two stage process. In the first stage, the preliminary evaluation is done to ensure the application is complete and you will be required to submit any missing documentation. If your preliminary evaluation is successful, the government will ask you to appear for a formal interview. You will be required to explain in this interview how you had obtained the mentioned funds and assets and proof the legality of acquisition of your funds and other assets. You will also be asked questions on how to want to invest and start your business in Quebec and asset the validity of your business or management experience.

Quebec Self-Employed Worker Program

Quebec’s Self-Employed Program targets people who wish to create their own enterprise in Quebec and contribute emphatically to its positive growth on a global platform. A self-employed person is an asset for the country and such people tend to give continuous support to the cultural, intellectual and social environment of the country. Their contribution in enhancing the global cannot be undermined, hence, started this program was instituted. Self-employed people are ones who are related to cultural, literal, sports and/ or any other creative or intellectual activities. The immigration program of Quebec is more comprehensive in terms of number of occupations and trades listed as eligible under this program. Self employed Program has some pre-conditions that need to be legitimately fulfilled by the candidate –

• The applicants should have appropriate experience as a self-employed person with a keenness to contribute competitively to the cultural activities or athletics of the country. The applicant must have at least two years of experience of their trade or occupation.
• The applicant must plan to live in Quebec permanently.
• The applicants must be net worth of at least $100,000 CAD obtained through legal means. The net worth can be in part of the spouse or common law partners, he/she is also accompanying the applicant.

Comprehensive Ranking System – The selection process will take a number of factors into considerations before declaring you eligible for the visa like experience, education, age, language abilities and adaptability. Apart from this you need clearance on your medical exam and police certification. A number of evaluation factors vary in their terms and conditions according to the applicants’ circumstances e.g. applicants who are not married must get a minimum score of 44 points out of a total of 81 points at the selection stage where a married applicant must score 51 points.

Eligibility Criteria –

• Applicant must have some preliminary knowledge of the province of Quebec to show his/her commitment and interest in the place of prospective residence.
• Scores are given on the basis of age of the applicant, and the spouse or the common law partner if accompanying. Maximum points for age are same the norms of federal government.
• Language proficiency in either English or French has to be established by taking the necessary eligibility test. The results have to be achieved according to the eligibility criteria and the test results need to be supported with verifiable documents.
• The chosen trade or profession of the applicants (or the partner) must be listed in the eligible occupation of Quebec’s immigration program. Every trade or occupation may have a different score.
• If the applicant is working as a self-employed person in a regulated trade, then it must be ensured that the applicant has filed for an approval from the valid regulatory body. In such cases, the applicant must be able to provide the necessary licenses and/or permit as required.

Difference between Preliminary Evaluation Stage and Selection Stage – The applicant must have all claims validated by verifiable documents, licenses, permits in order to prove his/her authenticity. Before an immigration application is filed, the immigration officer makes a preliminary evaluation of the applicant’s documents and claims on the basis of truth and authenticity. The application process can be delayed if the immigration officer finds the application to be incomplete. The application has to be filled with close attention to detail, authenticity and reliability of the claimed facts. Incomplete applications unnecessarily delay the process. After the preliminary evaluation, applicant must fulfill the requisites of the selection stage which means that the applicant must apply for Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC).

 Two-Step Selection Process – In this program, the applicant needs to apply for immigration by following 2 steps to be taken at different stages. First step is to apply for the QSC with the provincial government which is an essential certificate for immigration to Quebec. The QSC proves that the applicant has been properly reviewed by the provincial government as per the set standards for immigrants.  The next stage is to apply for the permanent resident visa which is done through the federal government by showing them the QSC as a proof of your nomination.

Quebec Skilled Worker

The Quebec Skilled Worker program is exclusively formalized to facilitate those employers to recruit the best skilled workers across the world who can contribute significantly to the economic progress of the province. Applicants with expertise are nominated as per the labor market needs of the province. There is a specific eligibility criterion to qualify for this category and the applicant with the greatest potential to establish himself/herself economically is given precedence.

Since Quebec has its own immigration laws, the program varies from the one that comes directly under the federal government’s compass. The applicant must receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC) necessary for the immigration process. The QSC proves that the applicant has been properly reviewed by the provincial government as per the set standards for immigrants. The next measure is to apply for the permanent resident visa with the federal government by showing them the QSC as a proof of your nomination.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be temporarily living in Quebec and eligible for selection certificate.
• The applicant must have a minimum of one diploma either from a recognized secondary institution or from an authentic vocational studies center. Apart from this, valid educational, training and work experience in the specified skill along with authentic license, certificates and permits are mandatory.
• If you are a foreign student living in Quebec, you must meet all the educational requirements. The applicant must have language proficiency in all the four language skills including reading, writing, speaking and listening. Validated through a required language test.
• The applicant must be financially sound to in order to support himself/herself and other accompanying members in Quebec.
• The applicant must be able to prove his/her skills and the potential to be assimilated in the professional and cultural environment of Quebec.
• You may have a permanent job offer, though not necessarily.

Selection Criteria – The applicant is assessed on the 6 Selection Factors to determine his/her eligibility for immigration. The minimum score to be eligible is 55 points.  These 6 factors that assess the applicant’s credibility and potential are –

• Education where you can score a maximum of 12 and a minimum of 2 points.
• Training where you can score a maximum of 16 points and minimum of 6 points.
• Employment offer gives you a maximum score of 10 points.
• Language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening can get you a maximum of 22 points. Since the official language is French, proficiency in French has up to 16 points and proficiency in English has up to 6 points.
• Work experience as per the specified time period where you can score a maximum of 8 points.
• Age where can be scored up to 16 points.
• Adaptability and levels of integration into Canadian culture can get you a score of maximum 6 points.
• Sufficient funds to demonstrate that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependents can get you as score of 1 point.
• Merits of spouse/common-law partners can give you an additional maximum score up to 16 points.

Processing Time and Fees – Processing time may vary according to the application processing culture of specific region. The application fee for the process is $750 CAD, and an additional $160 CAD for every accompanying member. According to recent changes, the applicant needs to meet any one of the following requirements –

1. The applicant has been temporarily living in Quebec and eligible for selection certificate. The applicant has a minimum of one diploma either from a recognized secondary institution or from an authentic vocational studies center. You must meet the eligibility criteria defined in Programme de l’expérience québécoise (Québec Graduate) (PEQ – Québec experience program for Québec graduates).
2. As a non-Canadian student, the applicant must meet all the necessary educational requirements validated by verifiable documents.
3. The applicant resides in the province of Quebec within the entire time period of his/her regulated stay under the youth exchange program. If the applicant has a full-time employment, you can apply as a skilled worker under this program.
4. The applicant or his/her accompanying spouse/common-law partner has a diploma or a vocational training certificate received from a well recognized institute in a program of at least one year of duration obtained within the last 5 years before the date of applying. Otherwise, the applicant was engaged in a full-time paid employment for at least one year within 5 years of date of applying in a training specific occupation.
5. The applicant or the accompanying partner has a diploma from Quebec in at least one-year long program acquired within the last 5 years before the date of application submission. Otherwise, the applicant must have worked in a full-time job employment for at least one year within 5 years of date of applying in a training specific occupation.
6. The applicant or the accompanying partner has an arranged employment offer from an employer in Quebec who is legitimate and approved by the provincial regulatory body.