Quebec to launch three new immigration programs

Quebec announced that they will launch three (3) new immigration programs in the coming weeks on March 3.

The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) will open up the programs for foreign nationals who work in the following three (3) sectors:

1. food processing;
2. health (orderlies); and
3. information technology and visual effects, artificial intelligence.

The goal for these programs is to attract and retain immigrants whose skills meet Quebec’s labour market needs. The new pilot programs are expected to least for a maximum of five (5) years.

MIFI will issue Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) up to 550 principal applicants annually, through each pilot. To be selected, applicants must have work experience in one of the eligible sectors. The 550 figure does not include families.

General eligibility requirements for all programs are as follows: must be at least eighteen (18) years old, must demonstrate that you can financially provide for yourself and your family for at least three (3) months, must have work experience in Quebec obtained through a valid and legal status, and must have worked at least thirty (30) hours per week.

The program for foreign workers in the food processing sector is to help Quebec businesses retain their foreign labour workers and to remain competitive with other provinces. The pilot program is expected to come into effect on March 24.

To receive a CSQ for this program, you must be able to speak French, have work experience in Quebec in an eligible occupation, and be working in the province when you submit an application. Candidates must have at least a high school diploma, have held a full-time job for at least 24 months in an eligible occupation in Quebec during three years prior to the application date, and demonstrate knowledge of oral French at level 7.

Eligible occupations for the food processing sector program are:

• NOC 9462 – industrial butcher, meat cutter, poultry preparer and related workers;
• NOC 9463 – worker in fish and seafood processing plants;
• NOC 9617 – labourer in food and beverage processing;
• NOC 9618 – labourer in fish and seafood processing;
• NOC 6732 – specialized cleaner;
• NOC 9461 – machine and industrial process operator in food and beverage processing; and
• NOC 8431 – agricultural worker but only the job title “chicken picker”.

The pilot program for orderlies is for temporary foreign workers who have worked as orderlies in Quebec for at least one (1) year. Candidates must be proficient in oral French and be holding a job as an orderly in Quebec at the time of submitting the application. MIFI created this program to reduce labour gaps in the sector. The pilot program is expected to launch March 31.

There are two streams under this program: Work Stream and Work-Study Stream.

When applying under the Work Stream, candidates must meet the following conditions:

• have a diploma related to working as an orderly, which was obtained following a one-year, full-time study program through a Quebec diploma of vocational studies; and
• have at least 24 months of work experience as an orderly during the three (3) years period before the application date. At least twelve (12) of these months must have been done in Quebec.

This program is for people working as orderlies, see National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3413— Nurse aide, orderly and patient service associate. If someone has worked in the health sector outside Quebec, it must be related to basic personal care to be considered eligible work experience.

When applying under the Work-Study Stream, candidates must meet the following conditions:

• have graduated with a Quebec diploma of vocational studies leading to the occupation of orderly during the two (2) years before the date of submitting an application; and
• have at least twelve (12) months of work experience as an orderly in Quebec, acquired during the two (2) years preceding the date of applying, and after the completion date of your study program.

Candidates also need to have successfully completed the Institutional and Home Care Assistance study program and graduated with a secondary diploma of vocational studies.

The pilot program for information technology and visual effects, artificial intelligence is to attract highly skilled tech workers to launch careers in Quebec. It will also facilitate the retention of international students who received a specialized graduate degree from Quebec universities. The program is expected to come into effect April 22.

There are two streams under this pilot: Artificial Intelligence Stream and Information Technology and Visual Effects Stream.

Under each stream there are two (2) types of profiles: Francophone, and Francization. Francophone profiles must have an oral proficiency of seven (7) on the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants. If you are selected under the Francization profile, candidates will automatically get registered with the Integration service for immigrants under Accompagnement Québec. This measure is supposed to help support French learning.

Candidates can apply under the Artificial Intelligence Stream as a foreign worker or as a Quebec graduate. As a foreign worker, a diploma that corresponds to a Quebec bachelor’s degree is required and one (1) of the following:

• two (2) years of skilled work experience over the five (5) years preceding the application; or
• a master’s or doctoral degree in the twelve (12) months preceding the application.

Candidates also need a full-time job offer or be employed in the artificial intelligence sector. If someone is a Quebec graduate, in addition to a job offer, they must have graduated from a university with a higher specialized studies (DESS), master’s, or PhD during the two (2) years preceding the application. DESS graduates need six (6) months of work experience in the twelve (12) months before the application date.

For the Information Technologies and Visual Effects Stream candidates need to hold a diploma that corresponds to a Quebec diploma of college studies (technical training), or bachelor’s degree.

Candidates need to be employed or have a job offer in Quebec and have worked in an eligible full-time occupation for at least 24 months during the five (5) years preceding the submission of the application.

Eligible occupations for this stream are:

• NOC 0213 – computer and information systems manager;
• NOC 2133 – electrical and electronics engineer;
• NOC 2171 – information systems analyst and consultant;
• NOC 2173 – software engineer and designer;
• NOC 2174 – computer programmer and interactive media developer;
• NOC 2241 – electrical and electronics engineering technologist and technician;
• NOC 2281 – computer network technician;
• NOC 5131 – producer, director, choreographer and related occupations, but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
• NOC 5241 – graphic designer and illustrator, but only if your job is in the visual effects sector; or
• NOC 5225 – audio and video recording technician, but only if your job is in the visual effects sector.