New online Expression of Interest portal for Quebec Skilled Worker Program now expected in September

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The new online portal for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program will only be available to users in September, the province's Immigration Ministry says.

Quebec's Immigration Ministry, MIDI, said in a news release issued August 17 that the new portal, called Arrima, is undergoing final user experience tests and should be available in September.

MIDI did not provide an exact date in September when the portal will be online.

The Arrima portal will manage the profiles of immigration candidates submitted through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)'s new Expression of Interest system.

Quebec became the latest Canadian province to switch to an Expression of Interest (EOI)-based immigration system on August 2.

To find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs, fill out a free assessment form.

Under an EOI system, interested immigration candidates create a profile and answer a series of questions as a first step.

In its news release, MIDI says interested candidates will be asked to provide the following information when completing their EOI profile:

Personal information
Contact details
Family details
Status in Quebec
Education
Professional experience
Validated job offer (if applicable)
Language skills
Related information

Candidates will be ranked in Quebec's EOI bank based on the answers they provide.

Canada's federal Express Entry system is also based on an EOI approach and invites the highest-ranked candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws.

Quebec says candidates in its EOI bank will be invited to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ) based on employability factors, notably their age, area of training, work experience, education and ability in French.

Candidates who receive an invitation to apply for a CSQ and who submit an application will then need to meet the passing scores required for the program based on the QSWP Points Grid.

Calculate your Quebec Skilled Worker passing score now

New system 'rapid and efficient'

Quebec's EOI system brings an end to its first-come, first-served approach to accepting applications to the QSWP.

Under the outgoing first-come, first-served model, candidates who did not qualify for cap-exempt status under the QSWP could only submit an application at specified times of the year — and only until a fixed quota was met.

Now, anyone 18 or older can submit an EOI profile at any time, and Quebec can issue invitations to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate on a more regular basis.

"This new system for managing candidates will allow Quebec's Immigration Ministry to issue invitations continuously and in a rapid and efficient manner to skilled workers whose profile responds to the needs of businesses in regions around Quebec," MIDI said in its news release.

The new EOI system will also reduce application processing times and accelerate the time it takes for selected immigrants to arrive in Canada, MIDI says.