Experience Class

Quebec Immigration

Launched in 2018, this stream is for those who are already in the federal Express Entry Pool

QUEBEC IMMIGRATION ENCOMPASSES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:

Although these immigration programs have their different requirements, they all have the same end result; Canadian Permanent residence. However, when you consider the fact that recipients of Canadian Permanent Residence can actually live in any part of Canada, you’ll understand why the Federal government must determine whether a person is criminally or medically inadmissible to Canada first.

Since Quebec is a French speaking region, some of the Quebec immigration programs require some intermediate French proficiency the Quebec Experience Class program is an example of this. There is no French proficiency requirement for the Quebec Skilled Worker program, although having one will be an added bonus.

WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE CONCEPT OF FIRST-COME FIRST-SERVED?

This is an English expression meaning receiving something according to your order of arrival. In immigration terms, first-come first-served means there’s no need for you to compete with others for your visa. In essence, you’re given the requirements and once you meet them, the government clears you to apply. Thereafter which you are granted a visa.

This is completely different from the Express Entry method where prospective newcomers are put in a pool and ranked according to their credentials and skills, after which the brightest candidates are selected from the pool. Only high ranking candidates in the systems are allowed to put in their application for the Canadian Permanent Residence.

WHY CHOOSE QUEBEC?

Being the largest Canadian there are lots of opportunities for potential newcomers in Quebec. The province has invested quite a lot of resources to provide new families with all the tools they’ll need to enjoy a successful life. There are lots of integration services for newcomers in Quebec. Free healthcare, access to fee public schools, free language training, heavily subsidized higher institution education, and employment counseling/training are some examples of these integration services.

Quebec is however not without its own peculiar problems with shortage of skilled labor and population decline being the major ones. Quebec is trying to balance these problems by ensuring that prospective newcomers are all integrated into every level of society.

WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY FOR QUEBEC?

You may never get another opportunity to apply under the first-come first-served system of this immigration program. While this system used to be the hallmark of the Canadian Immigration programs it is now only still operational in Quebec.

WHAT IS THE IMPLICATION OF THIS FOR YOU?

Quebec immigration is currently running on the first-come first-served system. This will continue all through 2015, but that might change in 2016. According to Kathleen Weil, Quebec’s Immigration Minister, Immigration Quebec is likely to replace the first-come first-served system of application with something akin to the Express Model in 2016. So by 2016/2017, applicants may be required to compete with each other for their visa.

WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY NOW?

If you have all the necessary qualifications, it is best to apply now. We might be approaching the exit of Canadian Immigration’s golden age and you wouldn’t want to miss out . There is a high demand for Canadian Immigration, application quotas are filling up fast, and the authorities might decide to change their selection criteria or requirements.

LIVING IN QUEBEC:

Quebec has a mix of French and Canadian culture that gives it a diverse and vibrant atmosphere. This cultural fusion is best represented in the city of Montreal.

Just hours away from Quebec City, Toronto and Ottawa, Quebec is culturally and geographically the heart of East Canada.

And if you’re interested in other Canadian provinces, you can be sure that your right to work and live in any part of the country is protected under legislation (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms).

THE QUEBEC EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (PEQ)

Quebec province operates a number of immigration programs. The Quebec Experience Program (also called programme de l’expérience québécoise – PEQ) happens to be one PEQ was designed for applicants who are proficient in the French language and have some work or educational experience in Quebec. It is one of Quebec’s major immigration programs, meaning their applications are processed faster than other programs.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE QUEBEC EXPERIENCE PROGRAM

The following requirements must be met by every PEQ applicant:

Must have resided temporarily in the Quebec province with the aim of studying or working and must have respected stay requirements
Must demonstrate an advanced knowledge of spoken French; this requirement only applies to the principal applicant, the accompanying spouse or children are not obliged to fulfill this requirement
Must undertake to be responsible for the needs of any spouse, dependent children or de facto spouse included in their certificat de sélection du Québec application for a minimum of 3 months
Must be at least 18 years old and must have a valid passport

Here are some of the acceptable qualifications for demonstrating advanced intermediate French-language proficiency:

Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada)
Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec (TEFAQ)
Test d’évaluation du français (TEF)
Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCF-Québec)
Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF)
Test de connaissance du français (TCF)
Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF)
A transcript certifying that the applicant has successfully completed at least 3 years of full-time secondary or even post-secondary study, in French
Final transcript certifying that applicant has successfully completed an advanced intermediate level course in French (candidates who choose to go with this option will be invited for an in-person interview to confirm their French proficiency)
A regular practice license from one of Quebec’s professional orders

Apart from the general requirements, applicants must also meet some additional requirements if they’re applying as temporary foreign workers or international students.

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENT STREAM

International students applying to PEQ must meet these additional requirements:

Have temporarily resided in Quebec with the aim of studying and must have fulfilled their stay requirements
Must have resided in Quebec for no less than half of their study program duration
Hold a qualified Quebec diploma or be in a study program to be completed within 6 months of the application submission date (an applicant whose study program was completed 36 months before their application is not qualified to apply as an international student under the PEQ)
If the application is submitted from Quebec, then the applicant must have been legally residing in the province when the application was submitted

Not every Quebec educational program is eligible for PEQ. This is why candidates are enjoined to verify whether their program meets the requirements of PEQ for international students. Here are some of the eligible programs for PEQ applications:

Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate
Diplôme d’études collégiales techniques (DEC – diploma of college studies, technical training);
Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP – diploma of vocational studies) with at least 1800 study hours;
Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP – diploma of vocational studies) including an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP – attestation of vocational specialization) with at least 1800 continuing education hours qualifying for a particular trade.

An international student that meets all these criteria can submit a CSQ application through PEQ. This program has no quota and applications are always welcome. PEQ applications are all paper-based, so they’ll be submitted to MIDI in hard copy for processing.

Students applying under the auspices of the Québec Skilled Worker Program must show that they intend to live in the Québec province; however your freedom to work and live wherever you want is protected under the auspices of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a Canadian Permanent Resident.

REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKER STREAM

Here are the requirements for candidates who are applying to be temporary foreign workers under the PEQ:

Legally reside in Québec either as a skilled foreign worker or as part of a youth exchange program (e.g. International Co-op Internship, Young Professionals or a working holiday)
Must have held a full-time management position, technical or professional level for not less than 12 months of the 24 months preceding their application submission as this program does not accept part-time work
Must have held a full-time management job, technical or professional level as at the application submission date