Quebec holds biggest immigration draw in over a year

Quebec held its biggest draw of the year, inviting 365 immigration candidates to apply for permanent selection on September 24.

Invitations went to people who had filed an expression of interest through the Arrima portal, which manages applications for Quebec's Regular Skilled Worker Program.

There were three categories of candidates invited by Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI). The first group needed a validated offer of employment in the province to receive an invitation.

The second category included people who were staying in Quebec as a diplomat, consular officer, a representative for the United Nations or any intergovernmental organization that carries out operations in Quebec. The draw could have also included people who are members of the staff of any such official, as these occupations are also covered under Section 26 of the Quebec Immigration Regulation.

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Finally, MIFI also invited Arrima candidates who did not meet the invitation criteria but who, in the Minister's opinion, would be able to contribute to Quebec's prosperity. This is the first time MIFI has ever invited candidates under this category.

The province did not specify how many of the invitations were issued to candidates in each of these categories.

Quebec's immigration process

Quebec has more power over its own immigration system than any other province.

The Government of Quebec is responsible for selecting economic-class immigrants such as skilled workers and entrepreneurs. The immigration process is managed by Quebec's immigration ministry, MIFI.

The Quebec Selection Certificate, or Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) is a document issued by MIFI that confirms an applicant can immigrate to Quebec. Immigration candidates who are issued a CSQ can then apply for permanent resident status with Canada’s federal government.

The CSQ is available to people who are applying for immigration through the Regular Skilled Worker Program, the Quebec Experience Program, Quebec Entrepreneur Program, or the Quebec Self-Employed Person Program. It is also available to the Quebec Investor Program, but this program has been suspended until April 21, 2021.

How Arrima works

People applying for Quebec immigration through the Regular Skilled Worker Program use the online Arrima portal to submit an expression of interest to MIFI.

Creating an expression of interest profile in Arrima is free and it is available to anyone 18 years of age or older. It is open year-round so people can submit their profiles at any time.

The first step is to create an Arrima account and complete the profile within 90 days. Once their expression of interest is created it remains valid for a year. Candidates can always update their profile during this time.

If candidates are invited to apply for the CSQ, they will have to satisfy certain cut-off scores based on a points grid.

After the invitations are issued, candidates have 90 days to apply for the CSQ. These applications are processed using the Mon Projet Québec application management system. The ministry will assess the application, and issue a complete list of the required documents.

The application review process begins once MIFI receives all the requested documents. Some applicants may be invited to attend an interview to verify the information provided in their application.

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