On December 9, the province of Quebec issued 326 invitations to workers to apply for permanent residence.
These immigration candidates were invited by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) to apply for permanent residence in the province through the Quebec Skilled Workers Program (QSWP). To meet the eligibility in this Quebec immigration draw, candidates were required to score a minimum of 633 points in the Arrima pool.
In addition, this recent draw targeted candidates who have a valid offer of employment outside the Montreal Metropolitan area in one of the in-demand occupations in the province of Quebec. Below is the list of 29 in-demand occupations with their NOCs (National Occupational Codes):
| NOC | Occupation |
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 2131 | Civil engineers |
| 2132 | Mechanical engineers |
| 2133 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 2141 | Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
| 2143 | Mining engineers |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers |
| 2231 | Civil engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2232 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2233 | Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians |
| 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2281 | Computer network technicians |
| 2282 | User support technicians |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3233 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 4031 | Secondary school teachers |
| 4032 | Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 4214 | Early childhood educators and assistants |
| 5131 | Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations |
| 5223 | Graphic arts technicians |
| 5241 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| 6221 | Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade |
This recent draw held on December 9 was Quebec’s 13th draw in 2021. This year, the province has invited a total of 3,546 candidates for permanent residence through Arrima.
The first draw of this year was organized by the province in January, followed by monthly draws between March and June. The province did not hold any immigration draw in the month of July. However, three draws were held in August, two in September, and then the province resumed conducting monthly Immigration draws in the following months.
Introduction to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)
Under this program, Quebec targets skilled workers who have skills to fill in an in-demand occupation in the province and can support the economy of the province. This program is one of the most preferred pathways for Immigration to Quebec among international graduates and skilled workers who are willing to settle permanently in Quebec to work.
Candidates who are issued an invitation by the provincial government are required to submit their application and pay the processing fees within 60 days. The province targets to process the immigration applications in a maximum of six months, once all the required information is received, including all documents and forms.
In case of a successful application, candidates are issued a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ or Quebec Selection Certificate), which can be used by the candidate as a document to apply with the federal government for Immigration to Canada.
Candidates who are willing to immigrate to Quebec are evaluated under a separate system than the candidates wishing to settle in any other province of Canada. The immigration programs in Quebec are independently managed by the provincial government, which are distinct from the federal immigration programs of Canada (including the Express Entry system).
Quebec’s Immigration targets 2022
The Canadian province of Quebec has recently presented its immigration admission targets for the next year. The province is expecting a maximum of newcomers through its below economic immigration programs:
- Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)
- Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
The province has set an aim to welcome from 49,500 to 52,500 new immigrants across all the immigration categories in 2022. Furthermore, the plan has mentioned that an additional 18,000 admissions will be made in the coming year to meet the admission levels of the year 2020, which were not reached by the federal government in that year due to the pandemic. So, per the immigration targets plan, the province will be admitting more than 70,000 new immigrants to the province in 2022.
