A popular Canadian immigration program run by the province of Quebec will reopen for 5,000 new applications at some point during the next 12 months, it has been announced.
The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP, also referred to by the government of Quebec as the ‘Regular Skilled Worker Program’) gives individuals and families the opportunity to make an application to a program that still operates on a first-come, first-served basis, as opposed to the ‘Expression of Interest’ systems that have become popular throughout many other provinces, as well as at the federal level.
Applicants first apply to the government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, also known as a CSQ), before applying to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence. Quebec assesses the application based on criteria set by the province, while the federal government assesses for admissibility factors.
Recent changes to the system
On March 08,2017 ,the government of Quebec tweaked the QSWP points system. At the preliminary threshold, the minimum point score required has risen from 42 points to 43 points for a single applicant, and from 50 points to 52 points for a couple. The second and final threshold is now 50 points for a single applicant (up from 49), and 59 points for a couple (up from 57).
The number of points awarded for certain areas of training have also been altered. professions that were awarded 16 points, now receive only 12 points. The previous 12 points are now worth only 9 points.
The number of points awarded for areas of training that were previously awarded six or two points have not changed. Points may also be awarded for the area of training of the accompanying spouse or common-law partner, and the number of points awarded for this factor has not changed.
The changes will affect all applications submitted on or after March 8, 2017. Moreover, the changes are also applicable to applications that were submitted before March 8, and which have not yet entered the preliminary processing stage.
Note: Individuals in either of the following situations are not subject to the cap and may submit an application for a CSQ at any time:
• The applicant has a validated employment offer from an employer in Quebec and is eligible to submit an application for a CSQ; or • The applicant is a temporary resident in Quebec and is eligible to submit an application for a CSQ. In both the above cases, the applicant must also satisfy the points thresholds described above.
