By admin (October 15, 2024)
Quebec Applies Country-Specific Caps for Regular Skilled Worker Program
Quebec’s new policy restricts the amount of foreign nationals invited under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ). Under it, no more than 25% of all issued invitations in any draw will be made to people belonging to the same country. According to Quebec’s immigration minister, Jean François Roberge, this is a move aimed at diversifying more economic immigrants and sparring them from settling in the province.
According to Roberge, the number of applicants seeking admission through the Regular Skilled Worker Program has dramatically reduced in 2024, and this is what led the government to make such decisions. In essence, the policy aims at ensuring representation of a greater variety of nationalities of the admitted immigrants into Quebec.
It has yet to prove effective for the Regular Skilled Worker Program, but this rule was hinted by the Quebec administration to be extended to include the PSTQ, which will replace this very program in the near future. Isn’t it interesting that this new rule will not lower the number of invitations to apply for the French-speaking program?
Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program Overview
Quebec’s skilled immigration process is different from the rest of the country. A candidate who wishes to immigrate to the province first undergoes an expression of interest (EOI) in the Arrima pool. The applicants are then evaluated on several grounds, as mentioned below:
- Age
- Education
- Language proficiency
- Work experience
- Composition of the family
- Job offer
- Family connection in Quebec
In this system, this is dominated by the possession of French language skills. The points given to those possessing French language skills are higher than the English language skills of the candidate.
Among these candidates, the top-ranking ones qualify to apply for a Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) on the using the Mon Project Quebec portal before requesting permanent residence with the federal government.
Quebec’s government has claimed that despite its claim to uphold diversity, the program still observes its aim of selecting applicants according to the needs of the province with specific preferences towards French-speaking applicants.