Immigrate as a Quebec-selected skilled worker :
Quebec has a special agreement with the Government of Canada on immigration. The province has its own rules for choosing immigrants who will adapt well to living there.
To apply as a skilled worker in Quebec, you must apply to:
- the Quebec government for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to become a permanent resident of Canada (once you’re approved by Quebec)
- Find out if you’re eligible
To immigrate to Canada as a Quebec-selected skilled worker, you must apply in two stages:
- Apply to the Quebec governmentfor a certificate of selection (Certificat de sélection du Québec)
- Quebec will assess you using its own rules
- the certificate shows that Quebec has accepted you as an immigrant
- If Quebec chooses you, apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence
As part of the process, you’ll need to have a medical exam and get police certificates.
- Apply
After the province of Quebec approves you, apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
1. Get a Quebec certificate of selection
Visit the Quebec immigration website for more information on how to get a certificate of selection. You will have to send us a copy of your certificate with your permanent residence application.
2. Get the application package
After Quebec has selected you:
- get the application package, which includes:
- a guide to help you fill out the forms correctly
- the forms you need to fill out
- fill out, print and sign the forms
Answer all of your questions carefully, completely and truthfully. There are serious consequences if you misrepresent yourself or hold back information on your application.
3. Pay your application fees
You will have to pay:
a) The processing fee for you and your family members who will come to Canada
You must pay a separate fee for each family member who is included on your application and will be joining you in Canada. Check the fee list for more information.
If you’re application is complete, we’ll let you know and we’ll send your application to one of our offices for processing. Once we start processing your application, we cannot refund your processing fee. Make sure you’re eligible before you apply.
b) The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)
If we approve your application, you must pay this fee before you can become a permanent resident.
If your spouse or common law partner will be joining you in Canada they’ll need to pay a separate RPRF before coming to Canada.
We will refund this fee if:
- you cancel your application,
- your application is not approved, or
- you decide not to come to Canada.
Other fees
You may have to pay fees to third parties for:
- your medical exam, and
- a police certificate.
The instruction guide has more detailed information on fees.
4. Submit your application
Before you send us your application, make sure you:
- answer all questions
- validate the Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] (PDF, 553.83KB):
- click the “validate” button on the form
- check for any fields marked in red that you still need to fill out
- print the:
- validated application form
- barcode page(s)that show(s) up after you validate the form
- other forms
- sign your application and all forms
- include:
- your validated application
- the barcode page(s)
- your processing fee or receipt
- all supporting documents
- a copy of the Quebec certificate of selection
Use the Document Checklist (PDF, 395.04KB) to make sure that you don’t forget anything. If anything is missing:
- your application won’t be complete
- we’ll send it back to you without processing it
- you will have to fix any errors and resubmit it
- Check processing times
Find out how long it will take us to process your application.
- After you apply: next steps
Find out what you should do after you apply to come to Canada as a Quebec-selected skilled worker.
How we assess your application
After you apply, a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officer will verify that you have:
- filled out your application forms correctly and signed them,
- paid your processing fee, and
- included all required documents.
If you forget something, your application will not be processed and will be sent back to you.
The Centralized Intake Office (CIO) will contact you when it receives your complete application. An officer will let you know what you need to do and what will happen next.
Processing times
How long it takes to process applications will vary based on which visa office ends up processing your application. You can check application processing times.
You may be able to avoid delays by:
- telling the visa office about any changes to your personal information, such as your address, telephone number or email, or the birth of a child, and
- not contacting the visa office more than once about the same issue.
Your application will be delayed if:
- there are criminal or security problems or we need to do more background checks,
- your family situation is not clear—reasons could include a divorce or an adoption that is not yet complete or child custody issues that have not been resolved, or
- the visa office has to contact other CIC offices in Canada or abroad to verify the data you gave.
You can check the status of your application online after the visa office has received it from CIO and started processing.
Medical exams
You must have a medical exam before you come to Canada. Your family members must also have one, even if they are not coming with you.
We will not accept your application if your health:
- is a danger to Canada’s public health or safety, or
- would cause too much demand on health or social services in Canada.
We will send you a letter to tell you how to get the medical exam after we send your application to the visa office.
Police certificates
If you have a criminal record, you may not be allowed to enter Canada. People who pose a risk to Canada’s security are also not allowed to come to Canada.
To immigrate to Canada, you and any family members 18 years of age and older must provide police certificates to the visa office if asked to do so.
Decision on your application
The CIC officer will make a decision on your application based on:
- whether you meet the eligibility criteria for the program,
- whether you have the funds to support yourself and your family when you arrive in Canada,
- the results of your medical exam, and
- the information on your police certificate.
The office that processes your application will contact you if you need to send more documents or go to an interview.
If your application is approved, we will ask you to send your passport to the visa office so we can issue your permanent resident visa.
Confirmation of permanent residence
If we approve your application, we will issue you a permanent resident visa. This visa includes your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and your entry visa.
Your COPR will have information about who you are as well as your photograph. Please check to make sure it is correct. It should be the same as the information on your passport. If there is a mistake on your COPR, contact your visa office.
You must have your COPR and your visa with you when you arrive in Canada.
- Prepare for your arrival
Be prepared and know what to expect when you arrive in Canada.
Prepare to arrive
When you arrive in Canada, you will be greeted by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
When you arrive, you must have:
- a valid passport and/or travel documents.
- Your passport must be a regular, private passport. You cannot immigrate to Canada with a diplomatic, government service or public affairs passport.
- a valid permanent resident visa and your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
- The officer will make sure you are entering Canada before or on the expiry date shown on your visa. Please note that this document cannot be extended;
- proof that you have the funds to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada.
The officer will ask you a few questions to make sure you still meet the eligibility requirements to immigrate to Canada. These questions will be similar to the ones you answered when you applied.
You will not be allowed into Canada if you give false or incomplete information, or if you do not convince the officer that you meet the conditions to enter Canada.
If you meet the requirements, the officer will allow you to enter Canada as a permanent resident. They will also confirm your Canadian mailing address and have your permanent resident card mailed to you there.
If you change your address within 180 days of arriving in Canada, you must notify IRCC using this online tool.
Disclosure of funds
If you arrive in Canada with more than CAN$10,000, you must tell this to the CBSA officer. If you do not, you could be fined, and your funds could be seized. These funds could be in the form of:
- cash,
- securities that belong to you (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills), or
- bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers’ cheques or money orders.