The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) is a Canadian Immigration Program aimed at selecting newcomers who are likely to become economically established upon their arrival in the province of Quebec. To be eligible to apply under this Program an applicant needs to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate / certificat de selection du Québec (CSQ) from the government of Quebec. Currently, the application intake has commenced from January 18, 2016 and will run up to March 31, 2016 accepting a maximum of 2800 applications.
To manage this process more efficiently, the Quebec Government has incorporated two changes namely, launched the 'Mon projet Québec' online application management system on January 5, 2016 and also made the criteria for area of training far less onerous than it was earlier w.e.f. December 31, 2015.
The QSWP is a points-based program. Applicants are awarded points on the basis of their area of training, work experience, language proficiency, age, prior relationship with Quebec, the human capital factors of the applicant's spouse or common-law partner (if applicable), and whether or not the applicant has a validated job offer from an employer in Quebec.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the QSWP as compared to other Canadian immigration programs, is that applicants have the opportunity to be awarded substantial number of points if they hold a diploma, degree or certificate in an area of training that meets Quebec labour market needs. Up to 16 points are made available for this factor, but until last week applicants who obtained their diploma, degree or certificate more than five years ago were required to show relevant work experience in the field in order to be awarded these points. However, this is no longer the case. As of December 31, 2015, applicants may receive points under the area of training factor for their diploma, degree or certificate regardless of when it was earned, provided that it was obtained before the application was submitted.
Mon projet Québec is an online immigration application management system used by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Diversité et de l'Inclusion (MIDI) in order to process applications under the QSWP. As mentioned above, this system was launched on January 5, 2016 and, while some issues were encountered over the first two days of operation, the system seems to be functioning at a much more proficient level.
Mon projet Québec allows applicants to complete their application for a CSQ, make online payment, track the status of their application, make changes to their application, and access personal electronic messaging throughout the process. As of January 2016, QSWP candidates must use the secure space Mon projet Québec in order to submit the application. Applicants have up to 90 days to submit an application from the time they start to complete the application in Mon projet Québec. Once the application has been submitted, applicants have 30 days to pay the government processing fees. If an applicant does not submit within the prescribed timeframe, the application is deleted from the system.
Quebec's Minister of Immigration has also recently proposed a bill that, if passed, could result in Quebec implementing an 'Expression of Interest system' similar to the 'Express Entry system' currently used by the government of Canada.
With the substantive changes set out above, QSWP could become an attractive option for individuals who wish to make an application to immigrate to Canada without having to be invited to apply, as well as individuals who are in the Express Entry pool and wish to increase their chances of successfully immigrating to Canada.
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