Quebec has a special agreement on immigration with the Government of Canada. The province has its own rules for choosing immigrants who will adapt well to living there. This is the application process for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents of Canada and live in Quebec. Immigration to Quebec is a two-step process in which an individual interested in immigrating to Quebec must first apply for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (also known as a Quebec Selection Certificate or “CSQ”), a document that allows the holder to immigrate to Quebec. To apply for a CSQ, it is important to satisfy the eligibility requirements of one of the many Quebec immigration programs offered by Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI). Once the applicant obtains a CSQ, he or she must then submit an application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for federal approval before the Canadian Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa can be issued. Federal immigration authorities will primarily be responsible for processing criminal and medical checks.

ARRIMA

Arrima is the portal dedicated to the Expression of Interest System (EIS). It is open to anyone 18 years of age and over who wants to immigrate to Québec under the Regular Skilled Worker Program. Following the coming into force of the new Québec Immigration Act, on August 2, 2018, the Ministère has implemented a new immigration application management system based on an expression of interest.

This system consists of two steps. As a first step, persons who want to immigrate to Québec under the Regular Skilled Worker Program must express their interest by filling out an online expression of interest form. On this form, they must, among other things, provide information regarding their area of training, educational level, language skills and work experience, as well as additional information. Based on the expression of interest bank, the Ministère invites the persons who meet certain criteria, focusing mainly on labour market needs in the different regions of Québec. Having a job offer validated by the Ministère is one of the criteria taken into consideration.