Permanent Residency

The availability of English-language help in the application process depends largely on what kind of permanent resident you are applying to be.
 
There are many paths you can take to obtain permanent residency in Canada and settle in Quebec. These different paths are called “classes” in Quebec immigration law. There are three pathways:
 
 

Economic Class


Permanent residents under the economic class are newcomers who can show that they are able to contribute to Quebec’s economy and society after settling in the province.

Individuals who can apply for permanent residency under the economic class include:
 
Skilled workers;
Entrepreneurs;
Investors; and
Self-employed individuals.
 
 

Family Class


Permanent residents under the family class are newcomers the Quebec government allows to be sponsored (i.e. financially and materially supported) by a family member who is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Individuals who could apply to be sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident under the family class include:
 
Spouses (including de facto spouses and conjugal partners);
Dependent children (including those to be adopted);
Parents and Grandparents; and
Underage siblings, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren.
 
 

Humanitarian Class


Permanent residents under the humanitarian class are newcomers in a situation of hardship or difficulty.

Individuals who could apply for permanent residency under the humanitarian class include:
 
Applicants who cannot meet the conditions of the Refugee Program; or
Individuals admitted on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
 

Any newcomer to Quebec who applies for permanent residency under one of these three classes must be granted a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) by the provincial Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration.
 
This important document is needed to allow you to receive public services, such as healthcare, from the province while your permanent residency application is being processed by the Canadian government.
 
Depending on the class and program of your permanent residency application, you may have to apply for the CSQ at the start or later on in the process (more information below).

Once the Quebec government grants you a CSQ, you must then apply for permanent residency to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
 
As a federal institution, IRCC’s services and procedures are available to newcomers in both English and French.
 

If you are a temporary resident in Quebec (with either a work or study permit) and want to apply to be a permanent resident in Canada and settle in Quebec, you must first receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) from the provincial government. Knowing enough French to function in and contribute to Quebec society is an important condition for being granted a CSQ.
 
Because of this French-language requirement, few parts of the CSQ application process as a temporary worker or Quebec school graduate are available in English.

 

Skilled Workers With Temporary Permits

 
If you wish to come to Quebec permanently to work and have experience that can contribute to Quebec’s economy, you may be considered a “skilled worker”.
 
Quebec offers two immigration programs for skilled workers applying for a CSQ under the economic class: the Quebec Experience Program and the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP).
 
For more information on the RSWP, see What Language Challenges Might I Face As An English-Speaking Skilled Worker?
 
 

The Quebec Experience Program (QEP)

 
Unlike the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP), only newcomers who are already in Quebec through a work or study permit (in other words, temporary residents who are here as workers or Quebec school graduates) can apply through the QEP to become permanent residents.
 
If you are a temporary worker in Quebec or a Quebec school graduate, you can always apply for permanent residency through the RSWP.

However, the QEP was designed for Quebec-based temporary students and workers as a sort of shortcut to settle permanently in the province. 
 
Also different from the RSWP, the QEP does not:
 
Have a limit of the number of applications it can accept; or
Use a selection grid or system of points to award a CSQ.
 
Visit the Quebec government website for the complete list of conditions that Quebec temporary workers and Quebec school graduates must meet before applying to the QEP.
 
To apply for a CSQ under the QEP, visit the Quebec government’s webpage for a complete step-by-step guide.



French-Language Challenges for the QEP
 
As you prepare your QEP application, you may come across the following challenges, depending on the level of your French-language skills:

 
1. Completing Parts 1 and 2 of the Permanent Selection Application Form (PDF files, only available in French)
 
If you are a Quebec school graduate, you must download, fill in, date and sign the Quebec Graduate Stream Permanent Selection Application Form.

If you are a Quebec temporary worker, you must download, fill in, date and sign the Quebec Worker Stream Permanent Selection Application Form.
 

 
2. Gathering all Supporting Documents needed for your QEP Application
 
All documents are listed in Part 2 of the Permanent Selection Application Form (only indicated in French).

Some of the supporting documents needed include (depending whether you are a worker or graduate):
 
A valid passport (showing name, issue date and expiry date);
Your diploma;
Final transcript of grades;
Proof of job offer in Quebec; and
All temporary study permits and Quebec Acceptance Certificates (CAQs) covering the duration of your schooling in Quebec.
 
You will also need to include in your QEP application a document proving your French-language skills, such as:
 
A final transcript showing you completed at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary schooling entirely in French;
A written confirmation that you meet the language requirements of a professional order in Quebec;
A written confirmation that you passed a French class in a school in Quebec recognized by the MIFI (click here for a list of recognized French classes and schools, only available in French); or
Language tests results accepted by the MIFI.

The language tests accepted by the MIFI are the:
 
Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCF-Québec), France Éducation international;
Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF-Canada), France Éducation international;
Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec (TEFAQ), Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP-IDF);
Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada), CCIP-IDF;
Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF); France Éducation international; or
Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF), France Éducation international.
 
Your test results are valid for two years following the delivery date of the results.

QEP applicants must show that their knowledge of French is equal to Level 7 (intermediate-advanced) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes (Échelle)(only in French).
 
This means that if you submit any of these test results with your QEP application, you will need a minimum grade of B2 for the test results to be accepted by the Quebec government.
 
For the DALF and DELF, the following grades are needed for the QEP:
 
DELF B2: 16/25 or higher for the two oral exams
DALF C1: 8/25 or higher for the two oral exams
DALF C2: 16/50 or higher for the oral exam
 

If your spouse or de facto spouse is coming with you to Quebec, they too must prove that their knowledge of French is equal to Level 4 on the Échelle.
 
Visit the Quebec government’s webpage under Knowledge of French for the Spouse to see the different ways in which your spouse or de facto spouse can prove their French-language skills to the MIFI.
 
NOTE: The TEF Canada and TCF-Canada tests are recognized and accepted by both the MIFI and IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). These two tests are also useful for newcomers who need to prove their French-language skills, but wish to settle outside of Quebec.


 
3. Creating an Arrima account (application portal of Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration – MIFI)
 
Once you create and log into your Arrima account, click Créer un compte and follow the instructions (available only in French).

If you already have an Arrima account, then login to it and continue from there.
 

 
4. Sending all Required and Supporting Documents to the MIFI
 
Submitted documents can be accepted in either English or French.

All submitted documents written in a language that is not English or French must include an official translation (into English or French) done by a recognized translator, bearing their name and seal.
 
For more information on how to get official translations of supporting documents, visit the MIFI website.




5. Obtaining Quebec’s Democratic Values Learning Attestation
 
Introduced in January 2020, applicants to the QEP are required to obtain what the MIFI calls an “attestation of learning” about the democratic values expressed in Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
 
There are two options you can choose from to obtain this “attestation of learning”:
 
A. Complete the Online Assessment
 
An electronic weblink will be sent to you by the MIFI after submitting your CSQ application.
The assessment is timed. Once you begin the assessment, you will have three hours to answer 20 questions, after which your results will be automatically sent to the MIFI.

The online assessment is only available in French. For more information, visit the MIFI website.
 
B. Complete the Objectif Intégration Information Session
 
The session consists of classes spead over many days, all of which together last a total of 24 hours.
You must attend the entire session.
At the end of the information session, your attestation will be automatically sent to the MIFI.
 
The sessions are given only in French, but instructors are allowed to answer questions and clarify information in another language if they are able to do so.

You can register online for the Objectif Intégration on the MIFI website (you will have to create a consultation file and make an appointment).
 
The material covered in the online assessment and the Objectif Intégration can be found in English in the MIFI’s Practical Guide (also available in French, Spanish, and Mandarin).
 
 
For more information on how to obtain the Democratic Values Learning Attestation, visit the MIFI website.


 
6. MIFI Decision on your QEP Application
 
If your CSQ application is rejected through the QEP, you will receive a letter from MIFI explaining its reasons for that decision.
 
You may send evidence to convince the MIFI that it was wrong to reject your application.

Following your response to the rejection with evidence, the MIFI will review your application and may call you in for an interview.

Although the interview is conducted in French, you can request an interpreter, sometimes paid for by the MIFI depending on the specific details of your application.
 
After this review process is completed, you will then receive a final decision of acceptance or rejection.
 
Visit the MIFI website for more information on how to request a review if your CSQ application was rejected.
 

If your QEP application is accepted and you receive a CSQ, you must then apply for permanent residency with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. As a federal institution, IRCC’s services and procedures are available to newcomers in both English and French.
 
Visit IRCC’s website to learn about the process and how to apply for permanent residency as a skilled worker.

If your permanent residency application is rejected, you can file an appeal with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Click here for more information.
 

If you are applying to be a permanent resident in Canada and settle in Quebec as a skilled worker, you must first receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) from the provincial government. Knowing enough French to function in and contribute to Quebec society is an important condition for being granted a CSQ.
 
Because of this French-language requirement, very few parts of the CSQ application process for skilled workers are available in English.

 

Skilled Workers

 
If you wish to come to Quebec permanently to work and have experience that can contribute to Quebec’s economy, you may be considered a skilled worker.
 
Quebec offers two immigration programs for skilled workers applying for a CSQ under the economic class: the Regular Skilled Worker Program and the Quebec Experience Program (QEP).
 
For more information on the QEP, see What Language Challenges Might I Face As An English-Speaking Temporary Permit Holder?

 

The Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP)

 
To apply for a CSQ under the RSWP, visit the Quebec government’s webpage for a complete step-by-step guide.

 
French-Language Requirements for the RSWP
 
As you prepare your RSWP application, you may come across the following challenges, depending on the level of your French-language skills:

 
1. Creating an Arrima account (application portal of the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration – MIFI)
 
The Arrima web portal is only available in French. This includes the process and instructions to create an account (Créer un compte).

 
2. Submitting an Expression of Interest through your Arrima account
 
According to the MIFI, while the questionnaire is only available in French, applicants are free to submit their responses in English.
 
In your Expression of Interest, you must provide information about your English- and French-language skills.
 
Language tests results accepted by the MIFI can be helpful to prove your French-language skills. These tests include:
 
Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCF-Québec), France Éducation international;
Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF-Canada), France Éducation international;
Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec (TEFAQ), Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP-IDF); and
Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada), CCIP-IDF.
 
Your test results are valid for two years following the delivery date of the results.

RSWP applicants must show that their knowledge of French is equal to Level 7 (intermediate-advanced) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes (PDF file only available in French).

This means that if you submit any of these test results with your RSWP application, you will need a minimum grade of B2 to receive points on the CSQ points grid (see 5. MIFI Review Of Your RSWP Application below).
 
NOTE: The TEF Canada and TCF-Canada tests are recognized and accepted by both the MIFI and IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). These two tests are also useful for newcomers who need to prove their French-language skills, but wish to settle outside of Quebec.

 
3. Sending all Required and Supporting Documents to the MIFI
 
Submitted documents can be accepted in either English or French.
 
All submitted documents written in a language that is not English or French must include an official translation (into English or French) done by a recognized translator, bearing their name and seal.
 
For more information on how to get official translations of supporting documents, visit the MIFI website.

 
4. Obtaining Quebec’s Democratic Values Learning Attestation
 
Introduced in January 2020, applicants to the RSWP are required to obtain what the MIFI calls an “attestation of learning” about the democratic values expressed in Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
 
There are two ways to obtain this “attestation of learning”:
 
A. Complete the Online Assessment
 
An electronic weblink will be sent to you by the MIFI after submitting your CSQ application.
The assessment is timed. Once you begin the assessment, you will have three hours to answer 20 questions, after which your results will be automatically sent to the MIFI.

The online assessment is only available in French. For more information, visit the MIFI website.
 
B. Complete the Objectif Intégration Information Session
 
The session consists of classes spread over many days, all of which together last a total of 24 hours.
You must attend the entire session.
At the end of the information session, your attestation will be automatically sent to the MIFI.
 
The sessions are given only in French, but instructors are allowed to answer questions and clarify information in another language if they are able to do so.

You can register online for the Objectif Intégration on the MIFI website (you will have to create a consultation file and make an appointment).
 
The material covered in the online assessment and the Objectif Intégration can be found in English in the MIFI’s Practical Guide (also available in French, Spanish and Mandarin).

 
For more information on how to obtain the Democratic Values Learning Attestation, visit the MIFI website.
 
 
5. MIFI Review of your RSWP Application
 
After you have completed these four steps, MIFI will decide within 6 months whether to grant you a CSQ on a points-based system.
 
You need a total of 50 points (or 59 if you plan on coming to Quebec with a spouse or de facto spouse).
 
A maximum of 16 points can be awarded to you based on your French-language skills (a maximum of 2 points for how well you read and write in French, and a maximum of 14 points for how well you speak and understand spoken French).
 
You can use the self-assessment tool (available only in French) to estimate how many points you will receive.
 
A complete grid of how these points are awarded is available in English on the Quebec government website.

 
6. MIFI Decision on your RSWP Application
 
If your CSQ application is rejected through the RSWP, you will receive a letter from MIFI explaining its reasons for that decision.
 
You may send evidence to convince the MIFI that it was wrong to reject your application.

Following your response to the rejection with evidence, the MIFI will review your application and may call you in for an interview.

Although the interview is conducted in French, you can request an interpreter, sometimes paid for by the MIFI depending on the specific details of your application.
 
You will then receive a final decision of acceptance or rejection.
 
Visit the MIFI website for more information on how to request a review if your CSQ application was rejected.

 
If your RSWP application is accepted and you receive a CSQ, you must then apply for permanent residency with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. As a federal institution, IRCC’s services and procedures are available to newcomers in both English and French.
 
Visit IRCC’s website to learn about the process and how to apply for permanent residency as a skilled worker.

If your permanent residency application is rejected, you can file an appeal with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Click here for more information.
 

If you are applying to be a permanent resident in Canada and settle in Quebec through the economic class, you must first receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) from the provincial government. Knowing enough French to function in and contribute to Quebec's economy is an important condition for being granted a CSQ through the businessperson program (i.e. as an entrepreneur, investor, or self-employed individual).
 
Even with this language requirement, lots of information on the CSQ application process as a businessperson is available in English.

 

Entrepreneurs

 
If you are coming to settle in Quebec to create or operate a business in the province, then you may be considered an entrepreneur.
 
The Quebec government offers newcomers two pathways, or “streams”, to obtain a CSQ as an entrepreneur.
 
For more detailed information, visit the MIFI’s webpage explaining how to become eligible for their Entrepreneur Program.

To access the forms you will need to fill out, click here.
 
NOTE: Applications under Stream 2 of the Entrepreneur Program have been temporarily closed. For more information, click here. 

 

Investors

 
If you are coming to settle in Quebec to make a large investment in its economic development, then you may be considered an investor.

For more detailed information about the size of investment needed, visit the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (“MIFI”) webpage explaining how to become eligible for their Investor Program.

To access the forms you will need to fill out, click here.
 
NOTE: The Investor Program is currently under review and will remain closed until April 1, 2023. For more information, click here. 

 

Self-Employed Individuals

 
If you are coming to settle in Quebec to practice a profession or trade , then you may be considered a self-employed person.
 
For more detailed information, visit the MIFI’s webpage explaining how to become eligible for their Self-Employed Worker Program.
To access the forms you will need to fill out, click here.
 
To find out if the maximum number of applications accepted has been reached for the latest application period, click here. 

 

French-Language Requirements for MIFI Businessperson Programs

 
Like the RSWP (for skilled workers) and QEP (for temporary workers and Quebec school graduates), CSQ applicants through a Businessperson Program will need to complete a standardized French-language test approved and accepted by the MIFI. These tests are listed on the MIFI website.
 
Your test results are valid for two years following the delivery date of the results.

Businessperson program applicants must show that their knowledge of French is equal to Level 7 (intermediate-advanced) on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes (PDF file available only in French).

This means that if you submit any of these test results with your QEP application, you will need a minimum grade of B2 for the test results to be accepted by the Quebec government.

 

English-Language Requirements for MIFI Businessperson Programs

 
CSQ applicants through a Businessperson Program can also choose to strengthen their application by proving their English-language skills.
 
More information on how and where to book an English-language test is available on the MIFI website.

Though never given the same importance as proof of French-language skills, showing knowledge of English will still benefit a Businessperson Program application.

 

MIFI Decision on your Businessperson Program Application

 
If your CSQ application is rejected through the Businessperson Program, you will receive a letter from the MIFI explaining its reasons for that decision.
 
You may send evidence to convince the MIFI that it was wrong to reject your application.

Following your response to the rejection with evidence, the MIFI will review your application and may call you in for an interview.

Although the interview is conducted in French, you can request an interpreter, sometimes paid for by the MIFI depending on the specific details of your application.
 
You will then receive a final decision of acceptance or rejection.
 
Visit the MIFI website for more information on how to request a review if your CSQ application was rejected.
 

If your Businessperson Program application is accepted and you receive a CSQ, you must then apply for permanent residency with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As a federal institution, IRCC’s services and procedures are available to newcomers in both English and French.
 
Visit IRCC’s website to learn about the process and how to apply for permanent residency as a skilled worker.

If your permanent residency application is rejected, you can file an appeal with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Click here for more information.
 

If you are applying to be a permanent resident in Canada and settle in Quebec through the family class, you must be sponsored (i.e. financially and materially supported) by a family member who is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Much of the information on how to apply for permanent residency through the family class is available online in both English and French.
 
However, most of the documents that need to be filled in and sent to Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) by both the sponsor and the sponsored newcomer are only available in French.
 
Newcomers who can apply to be sponsored by a family member who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident settled in Quebec include:
 
Spouses (including de facto spouses and conjugal partners);
Dependent children (including those in the process of being adopted);
Parents and Grandparents; or
Underage siblings, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren.
 
Visit the MIFI website for:
 
Detailed information on who can sponsor a close relative for permanent residency in Quebec.

Step-by-step instructions on how to apply to sponsor a close relative for permanent residency in Quebec.
 
Consult the Sponsor’s Guide for more specific information on your sponsor’s obligations (PDF file, available only in French).

Consult the Sponsored Person’s Guide for information on your sponsor’s obligations as well as your responsibilies throughout the application process (PDF file, available only in French).
 
 

French-Language Challenges of the MIFI’s Family Sponsorship Program

 
The first step in being sponsored by a family member settled in Quebec is having your sponsorship application accepted by the MIFI. During this process, you may come across the following difficulties, depending on your and your sponsor’s French-language skills:
 
1. Completing and signing the Application for Permanent Selection – Family Reunification Class and delivering it to your sponsor (PDF file, available only in French).
 
2. Your sponsor completing the proper Undertaking Application Kit
 
Most kit documents that are needed to be filled in and signed are PDF files, available only in French.


A Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) will be granted to you once your sponsor’s undertaking application has been accepted by the MIFI.
 
Once you have obtained a CSQ, you can then apply for permanent residency through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Visit IRCC’s website to learn about the process and how to apply for permanent residency under the family sponsorship program.
 

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info@qcgn.ca
Phone: 514-868 9044
Fax: 514-868 9049

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The Access to Justice in English in Quebec project is funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Justice Canada. The QCGN is funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage.