the CanadaVisa Team - 18 July, 2018
The province of Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration provided more information Wednesday about its new Expression of Interest system, which will come into effect on August 2, 2018.
Submitting an expression of interest will be the first step to applying for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).
The QWSP is one Quebec's most popular economic immigration pathways and caters to skilled workers both outside Canada and those working in Quebec who wish to settle permanently in the province.
Based on the new Expression of Interest system, any foreign national 18 years or older interested in applying to immigrate to Quebec under the QSWP will start the process by submitting an expression of interest to the province. Anyone interested in applying for immigration under the QWSP will need to:
Old Quebec Skilled Worker system | New Quebec Skilled Worker system |
|---|---|
| First-come, first-served model | Expression of Interest model |
| Interested individuals submit their application through the Mon project Quebec online application intake portal | Interested individuals declare their interest in the program and enter the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank by completing an online profile |
| Single applicants must score at least 50 points, and applicants with a spouse/common-law partner must score at least 59 points across 10 selection factors | Candidates in the Quebec Expression of Interest Bank will be assigned a score based on selection factors and wait to be selected by the Government of Quebec |
| Candidates wait for intake periods or submit an application that remains filed in the Quebec system for an indeterminate length of time | Candidates who are successfully selected from the Quebec Expression of Interest pool are issued invitations to apply for a CSQ. |
| Limited intake thresholds for non-cap-exempt applicants | No limit on the number Expression of interest profiles submitted to the system |
| Cap-exempt applications remain under evaluation over long periods of time | Expression of Interest profiles will be valid for 12 months from the date of submission |
Based on changes to Quebec's Immigration Act, which will come into effect on the same date, additional criteria or conditions may apply when determining successful QSWP applicants.
Section 44 of the incoming act says, "criterion relating to a foreign national’s ability to successfully stay or settle in Quebec, such as training or a trade or occupation” may determine invitations. Other criteria may include “a region of destination in Québec, a country or region affected by a humanitarian crisis or the existence of an international commitment."
A candidate's Expression of Interest remains active in Quebec's Expression of Interest Bank for 12 months.
Find out if you are eligible for Quebec immigration by completing our free online assessment.
