Quebec releases information on latest Arrima draw

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Quebec’s immigration ministry has issued 23 invitations in the latest selection round for candidates who have submitted applications under Quebec’s Regular Skilled Worker Program.

The Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI) held the draw through its Arrima portal on January 16, 2020.

Candidates selected in the latest invitation round were among the cohort of 16,000 pending applications that were cancelled in the Quebec immigration reforms of June 2019, also known as Bill 9.

An earlier statement by the Government of Quebec stated that rounds of invitations for prioritized candidates were to take place until January 16, 2020, which means that this is probably the last round of invitations for those who have been affected by Bill 9.

In order to be invited, candidates needed to have filed an expression of interest with MIFI before December 17, 2019. They also needed to be either a temporary resident of Quebec when they applied, or hold a work or study permit in the province at the time.

In order to immigrate to Quebec under the Regular Skilled Worker Program, candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through Arrima. MIFI will then review the bank of profiles and issue invitations to those who meet specific criteria based on the labour market needs of Quebec.

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What is Arrima?

In 2018, Arrima was introduced to manage the bank of candidates for the Regular Skilled Worker Program. The program was previously based on the "first come, first served" approach, but has since become an electronic system for receiving applications.

Quebec’s EOI system manages the profiles of candidates applying for the Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ). A CSQ is required in order for people to apply for permanent residence through Quebec’s Regular Skilled Worker Program.

Candidates create their EOI profile in Arrima, and are then placed in a pool of candidates and ranked.

MIFI issues invitations to apply for a CSQ based on a candidate’s score or other factors such as the province’s labour market needs.

These invitations allow selected candidates to apply for a CSQ within an average period of six months, starting on the date when all the forms and documents needed to process the application have been received and added to the file.

Those who receive a CSQ can then apply for permanent residence with the Canadian federal government. From there, they will undergo a medical examination and a criminal admissibility check.

Candidates who receive a CSQ can apply for permanent residence with Canada’s federal immigration ministry, which verifies medical and criminal admissibility.