Immigrants With job Offers Will Jump to the Front of the Line Under Quebec’s New Immigration System

The province of Quebec is looking to combat a massive labour shortage by prioritizing skilled workers with job offers already lined up under its new immigration selection system.

Under the recently passed Bill 9, those wishing to immigrate to Quebec under the Regular Skilled Worker Program must now go through the new online portal, Arrima.

Before Arrima, Quebec’s immigration applications were approved on a first come first serve basis. But under the new rules, people with job offers, those who are already living in Quebec, and anyone willing to live and work outside major cities will be given priority to settle in the province.

How the process works is that applicants first must fill out an expression of interest form and provide information related to their work experience, credentials, education and language skills.

After reviewing the group of applicants, the government will send out invitations based on the labour market needs in different areas of Quebec. Applicants that have been selected can then submit an official immigration application and pay the required fees.

Applicants will be evaluated using a selection grid that awards points based on different factors and criteria. The process is designed to help determine a candidate’s potential for assimilating into Quebec society along with the labour market.

The selection factors and criteria include age, knowledge of French and English, employment history, education, your familial relationship with a Canadian Citizen, the number of children you have under the age of 22, capacity for financial self-sufficiency, and information about your spouse.

Once a request for permanent selection is submitted, there will be a six-month wait period before finding out if you have been accepted. Under the previous system, the wait time was as long as three years.

The new system will also allow employers to view candidates’ submissions and reach out to them directly via email with offers of employment. This feature is expected to be available by early 2020.

According to the Montreal Gazette, Quebec’s Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette explained that the new system would not only dramatically cut down the waiting period for newcomers, but also be a solution to the province’s high number of job vacancies.

Quebec is currently experiencing the worst labour shortage in all of Canada, with around 120,000 vacant positions reported at the beginning of 2019.

Premier François Legault recently announced that the province is aiming to accept between 49,500 and 52,500 immigrants by 2022.