Selection process
Be sure to consult the immigration rules and procedures. entered into effect on April 1, 2015. Before submitting your application, it is important to read the information regarding the application intake periods for a Certificat de sélection du Québec.
Modifications have been made to the selection grid for skilled workers; they entered into effect on August 5, 2015.
Preparing your application
Carefully prepare your application in order to speed up processing time. If it is complete and admissible, its assessment will be made easier.To the contrary, if the application is incomplete, it will be returned to you by regular mail without being processed. From now on, this rule will be strictly applied.
A complete application includes the following elements:
the Application for Selection Certificate – Skilled Worker – Principal applicant, spouse or de facto spouse (A-0520-AA) (Dynamic PDF 687 Kb), duly completed and signed;
the Documents to submit in support of the Application for a Certificat de sélection du Québec – Skilled Workers (regular program) (Dynamic PDF, 682 Kb), duly completed and signed. Do not forget to consult the List of authorities recognized for certifying documents;
supporting documents, in the required format, in particular to demonstrate your knowledge of French and English;
exact and complete payment of required fees.
Note: The Ministère applies rules concerning document requirements. These requirements pertain to the nature, format and, if applicable, the translation of documents to be submitted.
Evaluation of French knowledge
Candidates in the skilled worker subclass (principal applicants and spouses) who wish to obtain points for their French knowledge (principal applicant: maximum of 16 points, including 14 points for oral and 2 points for written; spouse: maximum of 6 points for oral) must demonstrate this knowledge by enclosing with their immigration application the results of a French evaluation test issued by one of the two organizations recognized by the Ministère, specifically:
the Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec (TEFAQ) of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP);
the Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCFQ) of the Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP);
the Test d’évaluation du français (TEF) of the CCIP;
the Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada) of the CCIP-IDF;
the Test de connaissance du français (TCF) of the CIEP;
the Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) of the CIEP;
the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) of the CIEP.
These tests evaluate oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral production and written production. Points on the selection grid are awarded according to the results indicated on the attestations of standardized test results or, if applicable, on the reverse side of the DELF or DALF diploma. Only supporting documentation issued by organizations that offer these tests (Centre international d’études pédagogiques, Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris-Île de France) are recognized by the Ministère. The results must date from less than two years from the date of submission of the application.
The current list of TEF, TEFAQ, TEF Canada, TCF, TCFQ, DELF and DALF accredited centres can be consulted on the the Internet sites of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France and the Centre international d'études pédagogiques (Centres d'examen DELF - DALF and Centres de passation du TCF pour le Québec).
To prove your language knowledge, you must provide the results of a standardized test, even if French or English is your mother tongue.
Evaluation of English knowledge
Candidates in the skilled worker subclass (principal applicants only) who wish to obtain points for their English knowledge must demonstrate this knowledge by enclosing with their immigration application the results of an English evaluation test recognized by the Ministère, namely the IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
An up-to-date list of centres certified by the IELTS is available on the International English Language Testing System Internet site.
Receipt of the application
The Ministère checks if you can submit an application for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (Québec selection certificate) in accordance with the rules in effect, and if all the required documents are included in your application.
An acknowledgment of receipt is sent to you to confirm receipt of your application and, where applicable, to indicate that your application will be prioritized for processing. Your file will be returned to you if your application is deemed inadmissible or if your file is incomplete.
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Review of the application
Your application is reviewed in accordance with the regulation in effect.
One of three decisions is made once your application has been reviewed:
Selection based on the file: In some cases, an interview is not necessary and the application is processed solely on the basis of the applicant’s file. If you have attained the general passing scores of the selection grid, the interview may not be required. In this case, you will receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ – Québec Selection Certificate) in the mail as well as information about Québec. You will be notified of the next steps in your immigration process.
Intent to refuse: You will receive a letter informing you that your application will be refused, unless you provide, within 60 days, documented proof to justify reviewing the decision. If the requested proof is received within the prescribed timeframe, the review of your application will continue. Failing that, your application will be refused without further notice. You then have the possibility to submit a request for an administrative review.
Notice to attend an interview: If the preliminary review of your application is positive, but a selection interview is required, you will receive a notice to attend an interview, specifying the date, time and place of the interview as well as the documents to bring with you.
During this interview, the immigration counsellor will verify all the information provided in your application for a selection certificate, particularly the information on schooling, work experience and language knowledge.
Following the interview, three results are possible:
Approval: If the assessment is positive, the counsellor will inform you of the next steps to follow in your immigration process. If possible, the counsellor will immediately issue your Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ – Québec Selection Certificate). Otherwise it will be mailed to you. You will also receive a kit containing important information which you will be asked to read carefully. Depending on your needs, the counsellor may also give you other specific documents.
Refusal: If the assessment reveals that you do not meet the selection criteria, an explanatory letter is given to you. You will then have the possibility to submit a request for an administrative review.
Intent to refuse: If supporting documentation is missing, the counsellor will give you an explanatory notice of intent to refuse the application. You will then have 60 days to provide the proof requested. If you do not provide the necessary proof within this timeframe, your application will be refused without further notice. You will then have the possibility to submit a request for an administrative review.
