Last Updated on February 6, 2020

Aug 20, 2019 – Quebec’s immigration ministry has published details of the first two draws made through its new Expression of Interest system, known as Arrima.

Draws made on July 4 and July 17, 2019 saw a total of 950 invitations issued for full applications to be submitted to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

These are the first invitations made by the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) from the Expression of Interest Bank since the Arrima system was launched in August 2018.

The two draws each had specific requirements.

In the July 4 draw, 691 invites were issued to candidate who met the following criteria:

• Their application to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program under the old system was terminated as part of the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec’s Bill 9.
• They filed an Arrima Expression of Interest before December 17, 2019.
• They were in one of the following situations:
  • Their terminated application was submitted pursuant to section 5.01 of the Regulation respecting the selection of foreign nationals, OR
  • They were staying in Quebec on June 16, 2019 while holding a study or work permit.

In the July 17 draw, 259 invites were issued to candidates who met the following criteria:

• They held a validated job offer.
• They were in Quebec as a diplomatic agent, consular officer, representative or a duly accredited official of a foreign country or of the United Nations. For more information, read section 26 of the Regulation respecting immigration to Québec (CQLR, chapter I-0.2.1, r.3).

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Quebec Expression Of Interest Draws 2019

Date of invitations	Invites Issued	Date of extraction from Arrima bank
17-Jul-19	259	July 15, 2019 at 6:30
04-Jul-19	691	July 2, 2019 at 6:30

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How Does Quebec Expression of Interest Work?

1. Candidates submit an online expression of interest profile to the MIDI.
2. Profiles enter into an Expression of Interest pool, where they are ranked against each other and are valid for 12-months.
3. Profiles will be classified in two categories: one for candidates who are living in Quebec or have a job offer and meet specific criteria, and the another for candidates living outside Quebec and meet specific criteria.
4. The highest-ranking candidates will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a Quebec Certificate of Selection under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
5. Quebec will conduct periodic draws, inviting candidates to apply for a Quebec certificate of selection (CSQ).
6. Candidates receiving an invitation have 60 days to submit a full application.
7. Approved candidates who receive a nomination certificate (CSQ) may then apply for Canadian permanent residence.

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What Are the Requirements for Quebec Expression of Interest?

Candidates are ranked under many factors including education, work experience, age, language ability and time spent in Quebec. A valid job offer is also an important factor.

The qualifications of a candidate’s spouse or partner are also considered.

According to the decision published on August 1^st, 2018, the first category refers to candidates who:

• Have a validated job offer outside the Metropolitan Community of Montreal;
• Have a validated job offer in the Metropolitan Community of Montreal;
• Are currently living in Quebec AND:
  • They have a post graduate work permit, obtained following the graduation from an eligible study program in Quebec (diploma attesting at least 900 hours of instruction, diploma of collegial studies attesting at least 12 months of full-time studies, undergraduate degree of at least 12 months of full-time studies, or graduate degrees such as masters, specialized graduate diplomas or PhDs); or
  • They have a work permit with a validity of at least 12 months and they have worked in Quebec full-time for at least 6 months.

These candidates are ranked based on the following criteria:

1. Age
2. Level of education
3. Diploma obtained in Quebec
4. Proficiency in French
5. Proficiency in other languages
6. Work experience in Canada or in the United States
7. Spouse/common-law partner’s qualifications: level of education and proficiency in the French language.
8. Transferability skills:
   1. Level of education with French proficiency (either the main applicant’s or the spouse’s, depending on which score is highest)
   2. Level of education with French proficiency and work experience in Canada or US
   3. Foreign work experience with French proficiency
   4. Foreign work experience with French proficiency and work experience in Canada or US

The second category refers to candidates who are not residing in Quebec. They are ranked on the following criteria:

1. Age
2. Level of education
3. Are of training in-demand, as published by the government
4. Diploma obtained in Quebec
5. Proficiency in French
6. Proficiency in other languages
7. Work experience in Canada or in the United States
8. Spouse/common-law partner’s qualifications: level of education and proficiency in the French language.
9. Transferability skills:
   1. Level of education with French proficiency (either the main applicant’s or the spouse’s, depending on which score is highest)
   2. Level of education with French proficiency and work experience in Canada or US
   3. Foreign work experience with French proficiency
   4. Foreign work experience with French proficiency and work experience in Canada or US

What Points Are Available Under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program?

Candidates selected to apply for a CSQ under the Quebec Skilled worker program must pass the threshold for the selection factors, which is 50 points for a single candidate and 59 points for a married candidate.

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Selection factors in the point grid

Profile factor	Max points available
Education	14
Areas of training	12
Work experience	8
Age	16
Language proficiency	22
Time spent and family in Quebec	8
Spouse/common-law partner	17
Job offer	14
Accompanying children	8
Financial self-sufficiency	1

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

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