3 new programs launched for Quebec Immigration

On March 3, Quebec announced the launch of three new immigration pilot projects in the coming weeks.

The Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI) opens pilot projects to foreign nationals working in the following three sectors:

• Artificial intelligence, Information technology, and visual effects;
• Health (orderlies); and
• Food processing;

These pilot projects are expected to last a maximum of five years. The objective is to attract and retain immigrants whose skills meet the needs of the Quebec labor market.

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The MIFI will issue Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQ) to a maximum of 550 principal applicants, annually, through each pilot project. Applicants must work in eligible sectors to be selected. This figure does not include families.

What are the eligibility requirements?

You will need to demonstrate that you can support yourself and your family for at least three months.

Applicants need to be at least 18 years old to be eligible for these programs.

Most of these components require work experience in Quebec. If you are applying for any of these streams, you must have gained your work experience with legal status. You must have been paid and worked at least 30 hours per week.

Here are some of the more specific eligibility requirements for each new program.

Food Processing Workers Pilot immigration program

This pilot program is aimed at foreign workers in the food processing sector. It aims to help Quebec businesses retain their foreign workforce and remain competitive with other Canadian provinces. The pilot project will go into effect on March 24.

To receive a CSQ under this program, you must be able to communicate orally in French, have work experience in Quebec in an eligible profession, and be working in the province when you submit your application.

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Some additional eligibility requirements include:

• Hold a high school or vocational studies diploma from a program in Quebec;
• Have a full-time job for a minimum of 24 months in an eligible sector of the province during the previous three years; and
• Demonstrate knowledge of oral French at level 7, according to the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants.

Following is the list of eligible occupations in this pilot immigration program:

• Meat cutter, Industrial butcher, poultry preparer, and related workers (NOC Code 9462);
• Laborer in food and beverage processing (NOC Code 9617);
• Laborer in fish and seafood processing (NOC Code 9618);
• Specialized cleaner (NOC Code 6732);
• Machine and industrial process operator in food and beverage processing (NOC Code 9461);
• Agricultural worker, (NOC Code 8431) but only the job title chicken picker; and
• Worker in fish and seafood processing plants (NOC Code 9463);

Health (olderlies) Pilot program

This pilot project is intended for temporary foreign workers who have worked as personal attendants in Quebec for at least one year. Among other eligibility requirements, you must be proficient in spoken French and be employed as a care attendant in Quebec when submitting your application. This program will be launched on March 31.

MIFI developed this program to reduce labor shortages in this sector, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

There are two components to this program: work and study-work.

Conditions for Work Stream

You have to meet the following conditions if you are applying under workstream:

• Hold a work-related diploma as a caregiver, which you obtained following a one-year full-time study program that corresponds to a professional studies diploma from Quebec; and

• Have at least 24 months of work experience as an attendant in the three years preceding the date of your request. At least 12 of these months must have been completed in Quebec.

This program is intended specifically for people who work as nursing aides, as described in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3413 - Nurse Aide, Nursing Assistant, and Patient Services Associate.

To get your work experience in the health sector outside of Quebec counted under this pilot immigration program, it must be in basic personal care.

Conditions for Work-study

You have to meet the following eligibility criteria -

• Have obtained a professional studies diploma from Quebec leading to the profession of authorizing officer during the two years preceding the date of submission of your application; and

• Have at least 12 months of work experience as a caregiver in Quebec, acquired during the two years preceding the date of submission of your application, and after the date of the end of your study program.

You must also have completed the Institutional and Home Care Assistance Study Program and have completed a Secondary Vocational Studies Diploma.

Artificial intelligence, Information technology, and visual effects Pilot program

This pilot program aims to attract highly skilled workers in technology to launch their careers in Quebec. It will also facilitate the retention of international students who have obtained a specialized graduate degree from Quebec universities. This pilot project is expected to launch on April 22.

There are two components within the framework of this pilot project: artificial intelligence and information technologies and visual effects.

Under each component, there are two types of profiles: francophone and francization. Francophone profiles must have an oral proficiency of 7 on the Quebec scale of proficiency levels in French for adult immigrants. If you are selected under the francization profile, you will automatically be registered with the integration service for immigrants under Accompaniment Quebec. This measure is supposed to help you support your learning of French.

MIFI targets 275 foreign workers in the IT and visual effects industry and 275 Quebec graduates and temporary workers each year. These figures do not include family members.

Conditions for Artificial Intelligence stream

You can submit an application under the Artificial Intelligence component as a foreign worker or as a Quebec graduate.

As a foreign worker, you must have a diploma corresponding to a Quebec baccalaureate and one of the following:

• Two years of qualified work experience in the five years preceding your application; or
• Doctoral or master's degree in previous 12 months;

Also, you need a full-time job offer or to be employed in the artificial intelligence industry.

If you are a Quebec graduate, in addition to a job offer, you must have graduated from a university with a DESS, a master's, or a doctorate during the two years preceding your application. DESS graduates need six months of work experience in the 12 months preceding the date of application.

Conditions for Information technology and visual effects stream

For this stream, you must have a diploma that corresponds to a college diploma in Quebec (technical training) or a bachelor's degree.

You must be employed or have a job offer in Quebec and have practiced an eligible profession full-time for at least 24 months during the five years preceding the submission of your application.

To be eligible, your job must correspond to one of the following professions:

• Information systems analyst and consultant (NOC?2171);
• Illustrator and graphic designer (NOC 5241) but only if your job is in the visual effects industry;
• Computer and information systems manager (NOC?0213)
• Software engineer and designer (NOC?2173)
• Electrical and electronics engineer (NOC?2133)
• Choreographer, director, producer, and related occupations (NOC 2133) but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
• Computer programmer and interactive media developer (NOC 2174)
• Video and audio recording technician (NOC 5225) but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
• Computer network technician (NOC?2281); or
• Electrical and electronics engineering technologist and technician (NOC?2241).