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Quebec Introduces New Immigration Program for International Students and Foreign Workers

Yolande James, Minister of Quebec Immigration, has recently announced the release of a new program whose aim is to facilitate and quicken the immigration process to Quebec for skilled workers and international students. It was noted by the minister that attracting foreign workers and international students to Quebec is key for the province’s continuous economic growth.

The most significant change that will be implemented is the addition of a brand new program called le Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ). This program will allow international students and temporary workers to easily permanently immigrate to Quebec as long as they meet the given criteria:

International students must have a degree or diploma from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education as well as have completed at least two years (1800 hours) of their studies in Quebec. If their studies were completed in a language other than French, students must complete a level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution and be prepared with necessary documents to prove it.
Temporary foreign workers must have at least one year of work experience in Quebec, in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation. This experience must have been acquired within 24 months prior to the date of the application. Just like the students, temporary foreign workers must also demonstrate either adequate knowledge of the French language from experience, a standardized French proficiency test OR successfully complete the level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution.

It is expected that the fast-track PEQ will be launched in the coming months.

In addition, other changes have been made in the regulations regarding permanent and temporary residence applications that are in effect as of July 8 of this year. These changes are as follows:

Individuals who have been granted the Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) and whose family status has changed after they have received the certificate, may now add a spouse and/or child to their application without paying additional fees.
The validity period of a study permit for a foreign students looking to study at a Quebec institution has now been extended from 37 to 49 months.
Quebec Immigration is going to streamline its interview process in interest of shortening and facilitating immigration to the province. Immigration authorities will now waive interviews where possible rather than having all applicants take part in a selection interview. This new method is already in place for the Quebec Investor Program and is now going to be implemented for other programs.

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