Quebec Holds First Arrima Draw Of 2021 Inviting 95 Candidates
Quebec immigration sent out invitations to apply for selection under the Regular Skilled Worker Program to 95 candidates on January 26.
Invitations were sent out to the 95 candidates who had an Expression of Interest (EOI) in Quebec’s online registration portal, Arima.
Two categories of candidates were invited in the previous draw. Candidates in the first category needed to have a validated job offer. The second category included people who were in Quebec province as a consular officer, diplomat, representative of any intergovernmental organization or United Nations with operations in Quebec.
The draw could also include people who are members of the staff of any such official, as these occupations are covered under Section 26 of the Quebec Immigration laws.
To move to Quebec under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP), candidates must first lodge an expression of interest through Arima. The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) review the bank of profiles and issue invitations to those who meet specific criteria based on labor market needs in Quebec.
Quebec’s immigration programs are processed and managed by the province based on certain criteria and processes that are different from Canada’s immigration programs.
About Arrima
Arrima was launched in 2018 to manage the pool of candidates for the RSWP and to simplify an application intake system that was previously based on a “first-come, first-served” approach.
Candidates eighteen (18) years of age and older interested in migrating to Quebec through the RSWP must first create an Expression of interest profile in Arima, after which they are placed in a pool of candidates.
MIFI then invites the most qualified candidates based on, among other criteria, current provincial market labor needs and the person’s strong potential to integrate into Quebec society.
Those invited to apply for permanent residence generally have a short amount of time to lodge a complete immigration application, pay the required fees, and provides all other required documents.
Once the file is complete and submitted, Quebec’s immigration ministry assesses the application and assigns it a score using the RSWP selection grid considers criteria such as level of education, language skills, age, and work experience.
Those who got a passing score on the selection grid will receive their Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), which is a required document in Quebec that validates that a candidate has been approved for permanent residence by the province.
Those who obtain a CSQ can then apply for permanent residence with the federal government of Canada. From there, they will have to undergo criminal admissibility and a medical examination screening.
Planned Immigration Levels
In recent months, both Canada and the Province of Quebec announced an increase in immigration targets for the coming years. In 2021, Quebec province aims to welcome up to 47,500 new immigrants. Meanwhile, Canada aims to welcome more than 400,000 permanent residents under its various immigration programs over the next three year.
