Quebec has outlined a slew of changes to its immigration system, including the renaming and revamping of its skilled worker program and the overhaul of its immigrant investor program, in an article published in its Official Gazette on June 7.
Provincial Immigration Minister Christine Frechette previously announced some of the changes, but the Gazette publication offers more detail.
A common theme throughout the changes is the introduction of stronger French requirements, as the Coalition Avenir Quebec continues its plan for all immigrants to the province to know the language.
Other significant changes include:
- A new Skilled Worker Selection Program, replacing the current Regular Skilled Worker Program, introducing four new categories of skilled worker and abolishing the points grid.
- New language requirements for the Quebec Experience Program, including specifically for graduates to have studied in French, which will “promote the attraction and retention of French-speaking foreign students by facilitating and accelerating their permanent selection”, the Quebec government says.
- An overhaul of the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, to include a language requirement, a six-month Quebec residency requirement while on a work permit and a mandatory $200,000 non-reimbursable contribution to Investissement Québec, as well as a $1 million five-year investment.
- The creation of a three-category Quebec Entrepreneur Program, to include streams with different requirements for Innovative Enterprise, Enterprise Start-Up and Entrepreneurial Acquisition.
Quebec has now opened up the changes to 45 days of public consultation. It has not given a date for when they will be implemented.
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SKILLED WORKER SELECTION PROGRAM
Quebec’s new Skilled Worker Selection Program will have four categories: High Qualification and Specialized Skills; Intermediate and Manual Skills; Regulated Professions; Exceptional Talent.
Requirements in each category are outlined below.
1) High Qualification and Specialized Skills
- be 55 years of age or younger;
- have a TEER category 0, 1 or 2 profession;
- have work experience in the profession for a period of at least one year in the last five years;
- where the profession is a TEER category 0 or 1, be the holder of a diploma corresponding at least, in Quebec, to a diploma of college studies in a technical program or a university diploma attesting to a major, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate;
- where the profession is a TEER category 2, be the holder of a diploma corresponding at least, in Quebec, to a vocational training diploma, an attestation of vocational specialization, an attestation of college studies or a vocational training diploma with an attestation of vocational specialization;
- have an oral knowledge of French at level 7 or above and written knowledge of French at level 5 or above;
- if a spouse or de facto spouse is included in the application, he or she has an oral knowledge of French at level 4 or above.
2) Intermediate and Manual Skills
- be 55 years of age or younger;
- have a TEER category 3, 4 or 5 profession
- have work experience in the profession for a period of at least two years including at least one year in Quebec, in the last five years
- be the holder of a diploma corresponding at least, in Quebec, to a secondary school diploma, a vocational training diploma, an attestation of vocational specialization or an attestation of college studies;
- have an oral knowledge of French at level 5 or above;
- if a spouse or de facto spouse is included in the application, he or she has an oral knowledge of French at level 4 or above.
3) Regulated Professions
- be 55 years of age or younger;
- have a profession on the list of regulated professions drawn up by the Minister;
- meet one of the following requirements:
- be authorized to practise the profession in Quebec;
- have training or a diploma that are required by the regulatory body to be authorized to practise the profession in Quebec in the last five years;
- when the profession is a TEER category 0, 1 or 2, have an oral knowledge of French at level 7 or above and a written knowledge of French at level 5 or above;
- when the profession is a TEER category 3, 4 or 5, have an oral knowledge of French at level 5 or above;
- if a spouse or de facto spouse is included in the application, he or she has an oral knowledge of French at level 4 or above.
4) Exceptional Talent
- be clearly outstanding in his or her profession through exceptional expertise likely to contribute to Quebec’s prosperity;
- have recognized accomplishments connected with that expertise;
- have practised the profession as a main profession for a period of at least three years in the five years.
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QUEBEC EXPERIENCE PROGRAM
1) General Requirements
- have an oral knowledge of French at level 7 or above
- if a spouse or de facto spouse is included in the application, he or she has an oral knowledge of French at level 4 or above
- have the required settlements funds to establish in Quebec.
2) Quebec Graduate
- stay in Quebec;
- in the last three years, have obtained from a Quebec educational institution a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a doctorate, a diploma of college studies in a technical program, or a vocational diploma attesting to at least 1,800 hours;
- have stayed in Quebec for at least half the duration of the program;
- meet one of the following conditions
- have completed the program or programs in French;
- have completed at least three years of full-time studies in French at secondary or postsecondary level;
- have a written knowledge of French at level 5 or above.
3) Temporary Foreign Worker
- stay in Quebec to work or take part in a youth exchange program;
- hold employment in a TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 profession;
- have been employed in the profession for two of the last three years.
QUEBEC IMMIGRANT INVESTOR PROGRAM
- management experience for a period of at least two years in the last five years;
- has, with the spouse or de facto spouse if included in the application, legally acquired net worth of at least $2 million;
- hold a diploma corresponding to at least Quebec secondary school;
- has an oral knowledge of French at level 7 or above;
- makes a five-year term investment of $1 million and a non-refundable financial contribution of $200,000;
- has been issued a work permit;
- in the two years following the date of issue of the work permit, has stayed in Quebec for a period of at least six months and the foreign national or his or her spouse or de facto spouse included in the application has stayed in Quebec for another period of at least six months.
QUEBEC ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM
1) General Requirements
- hold a diploma corresponding to at least Quebec secondary school;
- has an oral knowledge of French at level 7 or above;
- have the required settlements funds to establish in Quebec.
2) Innovative Enterprise
- the demonstration of the intent to start up an innovative enterprise
- have a business plan showing that the foreign national, alone or with a maximum of three others, intends to start up an innovative enterprise
- hold, alone or with his or her spouse or de facto spouse, an interest in the contributed capital corresponding to at least 10%;
- obtain appropriate support services from an organization specialized in innovation.
- the demonstration of the intent to carry out an innovative project
- have been staying in Quebec for at least two years on a work or study permit;
- have started an innovative enterprise, alone or with others, including a maximum of three foreign nationals filing a selection application as entrepreneur;
- hold, alone or with his or her spouse or de facto spouse, an interest in the contributed capital corresponding to at least 10%;
- have a business plan showing the intention to carry out an innovative project;
- obtain appropriate support services from an organization specialized in innovation.
3) Enterprise Start-Up
- the demonstration of intent to start up an enterprise and its start-up
- have experience in enterprise management for a period of at least three years in the last five years;
- have, with the spouse or de facto spouse, a net worth of at least $600,000;
- have a business plan showing that the foreign national, alone or with a maximum of three others, intends to start up an enterprise
- in which the foreign national intends to hold at least 25% of the value of the capital.
- for which the foreign national intends to invest $300,000 for a business in the Montreal Metropolitan Area and $150,000 for outside that territory, and
- have been issued a work permit
- between one and two years after the issuance of the work permit:
- demonstrate having started up the enterprise
- demonstrate the investment and holding of 25%
- the demonstration of the start-up of an enterprise
- have stayed in Quebec for at least two years on a work or study permit;
- have, with the spouse or de facto spouse, a net worth of at least $300,000;
- have started up an enterprise, alone or with a maximum of three others;
- hold at least 25% of the value of the capital;
- show the effectiveness of the start-up of the enterprise at the earliest one year after its.
4) Entrepreneurial Acquisition
- the demonstration of intent to acquire an enterprise
- have, with the spouse or de facto spouse, if included in the application, a net worth of at least $600,000;
- have a business plan showing:
- intention to invest $300,000 for a business in the Montreal Metropolitan Area and $150,000 for outside that territory.
- intention to acquire control of an enterprise that has been in operation for at least five years;
- obtain appropriate support services from an organization specialized in entrepreneurial acquisition;
- make an offer to acquire the business not later than two years after the date of filing of the application.
- the demonstration of the acquisition of an enterprise
- have stayed in Quebec for at least two years on a work or study permit;
- have, with the spouse or de facto spouse, if included in the application, a net worth of at least $300,000;
- acquire and hold control of the enterprise for at least five years;
- obtain appropriate support services from an organization specialized in entrepreneurial acquisition.