Quebec has launched a new points system to rank the profiles of immigration candidates in the Arrima expression of interest pool.

Up to 1,320 points are available, of which 580 are for human capital factors and 740 for factors related to Quebec’s labour market needs.

The human capital criteria include French language ability, bilingual ability, age, work experience, and education.

The labour market factors include work experience in a field where there is a shortage, education in Quebec, work experience in the rest of Canada, and job opportunities inside and outside the Greater Montreal area. This last criterion carries significant weight since job offers outside the Montreal metropolitan area can be worth up to 380 points, while offers in Montreal obtain 180 points.

In addition, points can also be obtained for the spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant under many of the assessed criteria.

According to information obtained by CIC News, the Quebec immigration department is about to carry out the first round of invitations through Arrima based on this new expression of interest scoring system.

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The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) indicated in a press release that “the launch of the expression of interest system will facilitate better alignment between immigration and the needs of the Québec labour market.”

The new rating system also aims to optimize the use of the Arrima expression of interest pool by allowing “a prior classification of candidates for immigration, according to their specific profile and background,” the press release states.

Based on the information made available by the province, the number of invitations to apply for permanent selection in a given year may be issued on the basis of this new ranking system, starting with the highest-ranked candidates. In the event that two candidates have the same score, they will be ranked according to the date and time of submission of their expression of interest profile.

This new scoring system is anticipated to allow the province to issue Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) within six months of receiving complete applications. Individuals who receive a CSQ can then apply for permanent residence with the federal government.

How do you apply for permanent selection in Quebec?

Candidates who are 18 years of age and older and are interested in immigrating to Quebec through the Regular Skilled Worker Program must first create an Expression of Interest (EI) profile in the Arrima pool, a point-based application management system. Candidates will receive a score based on factors related to human capital and the Quebec labour market, as identified in the newly introduced point system.  The MIFI will hold invitation rounds and the most qualified and highest-scoring candidates will be invited to apply for permanent selection.

Those invited to apply for permanent selection generally have a limited amount of time to submit a complete immigration application, pay the required fees and present all other required documents. Eligible candidates will receive their CSQ, which is a required document in Quebec to certify that a candidate has been approved for permanent selection by the province.

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

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