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If you want to apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker program (QSW), you have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the online portal, Arrima. Based on your profile, you will be given a score out of 1,300 points using the Quebec Immigration - Expression of Interest points grid.
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Your score will be one factor used to determine whether or not you will be invited to submit an official application for permanent residence. Invitations are issued periodically. For a full history of invitations issued for the QSW program, and for basic eligibility criteria, refer to our QSW overview.
This guide is a breakdown of the 1,300 points available through the Quebec Immigration – Expression of Interest points grid.
Human Capital Factors — 580 points available
A maximum of 580 points are available for Human Capital Factors in the following areas:
a. Knowledge of French
Knowledge of French is assessed based on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes.
French: Listening
| Level of oral comprehension | Foreign national (maximum 70 points) | Spouse or de-facto spouse accompanying the foreign national (maximum 20 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 or 6 | 32 | 9 |
| 7 or 8 | 53 | 15 |
| 9 or 10 | 63 | 18 |
| 11 or 12 | 70 | 20 |
French: Speaking
| Level of oral production | Foreign national (maximum 70 points) | Spouse or de-facto spouse accompanying the foreign national (maximum 20 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 or 6 | 32 | 9 |
| 7 or 8 | 53 | 15 |
| 9 or 10 | 63 | 18 |
| 11 or 12 | 70 | 20 |
French: Reading
| Level of written comprehension | Foreign national (maximum 20 points) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0 |
| 5 or 6 | 9 |
| 7 or 8 | 15 |
| 9 or 10 | 18 |
| 11 or 12 | 20 |
French: Writing
| Level of written production | Foreign national (maximum 20 points) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 0 |
| 5 or 6 | 9 |
| 7 or 8 | 15 |
| 9 or 10 | 18 |
| 11 or 12 | 20 |
b. Knowledge of French and English
Knowledge of French is assessed based on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes. Knowledge of English is based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
French & English
| Skill Level In French | Skill Level In English | (maximum 80 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 1 to 12 | 0 |
| 5 to 8 | 5 to 8 | 25 |
| 5 to 8 | 9 to 12 | 50 |
| 9 or 10 | 5 to 8 | 50 |
| 9 or 10 | 9 to 12 | 67 |
| 11 or 12 | 5 to 8 | 67 |
| 11 or 12 | 9 to 12 | 80 |
c. Age
Age
| Age | Foreign national (maximum 130 points) | Foreign national with accompanying spouse or de-facto spouse (maximum 110 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 30 years old | 130 | 110 |
| 31 years old | 118 | 100 |
| 32 years old | 112 | 95 |
| 33 years old | 107 | 91 |
| 34 years old | 100 | 85 |
| 35 years old | 95 | 80 |
| 36 years old | 85 | 72 |
| 37 years old | 78 | 66 |
| 38 years old | 72 | 61 |
| 39 years old | 65 | 55 |
| 40 years old | 59 | 50 |
| 41 years old | 46 | 39 |
| 42 years old | 33 | 28 |
| 43 years old | 20 | 17 |
| 44 years old | 7 | 6 |
| 45 years old or more | 0 | 0 |
d. Length of professional work experience
Work experience must have been obtained within the 5 years prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Length of work experience
| Length | Foreign national (maximum 100 points) |
|---|---|
| Less than 11 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 30 |
| 24 to 35 months | 50 |
| 36 to 47 months | 80 |
| 48 months and over | 100 |
e. Level of Education
Education must have been completed prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Level of education
| Level of education | Foreign national without spouse or de-facto spouse (maximum 90 points) | Foreign national with accompanying spouse or de-facto spouse (maximum 70 points) |
|---|---|---|
| General secondary school diploma | 18 | 14 |
| Vocational secondary school diploma attesting to one year or more of full-time study | 54 | 42 |
| General post-secondary diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 36 | 28 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to one or two years of full-time study | 63 | 49 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to three years of full-time study | 81 | 63 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to one year of full-time study | 45 | 35 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 72 | 56 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to three or more years of full-time study | 83 | 65 |
| Graduate university diploma attesting to one or more years of full-time study | 86 | 68 |
| Post-graduate university diploma | 90 | 70 |
Response to Quebec’s needs — 720 points available
A maximum of 720 points are available for points responding to Quebec’s needs. These points are in the following categories:
a. Occupational demand in Quebec and work experience
Occupational demand is based on the diagnostics defined in this Quebec labour report.
Occupational demand in Quebec and work experience
| Diagnostic | Length of work experience | Foreign national (maximum 100 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Profession assessed in equilibrium or without diagnosis | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 months or more | 30 | |
| Profession assessed in slight shortage | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 60 | |
| 24 to 35 months | 70 | |
| 36 months and over | 90 | |
| Profession assessed in shortage | Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 23 months | 70 | |
| 24 to 35 months | 90 | |
| 36 months and over | 100 |
b. Field of training
Points for field of training are awarded based on Quebec’s designated Fields of Training.
Field of training
| List of field of training section | Foreign national (maximum 60 points) |
|---|---|
| E | 0 |
| D | 12 |
| C | 30 |
| B | 48 |
| A | 60 |
c. Quebec education
Education must have been completed prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Quebec education
| Québec diploma: | Foreign national (maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|
| General secondary school diploma | 10 |
| Vocational secondary school diploma attesting to one year or more of full-time study | 30 |
| General post-secondary diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 20 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to one or two years of full-time study | 35 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to three years of full-time study | 45 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to one year of full-time study | 25 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 40 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to three or more years of full-time study | 46 |
| Graduate university diploma attesting to one or more years of full-time study | 48 |
| Post-graduate university diploma | 50 |
d. Quebec work experience
Work experience must have been obtained within the 5 years prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Quebec work experience
| Length | Foreign national (maximum 100 points) |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 20 |
| 12 to 23 months | 60 |
| 24 to 35 months | 70 |
| 36 to 47 months | 80 |
| 48 months and over | 100 |
e. Canadian work experience (outside Quebec)
Work experience must have been obtained within the 5 years prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Canadian work experience (outside Quebec)
| Length | Foreign national (maximum 30 points) |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 0 |
| 6 to 11 months | 8 |
| 12 to 23 months | 15 |
| 24 to 35 months | 20 |
| 36 to 47 months | 25 |
| 48 months and over | 30 |
f. Validated job offer
The job offer must be validated by the Minister in accordance with the Québec Immigration Regulation (chapter I-0.2.1, r. 3).
Validated job offer
| Location of job | Foreign national (maximum 380 points) |
|---|---|
| Outside the territory of Greater Montréal | 380 |
| Within the territory of Greater Montréal | 180 |
Spouse/Partner factors — if applying with a spouse/partner — 20 points available
A maximum of 20 points are available based on the education of the spouse or partner of the principal applicant. These points are awarded in the following categories:
a. Spouse's level of education
Education must have been completed prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Spouse's level of education
| Level of education | Spouse or de-facto spouse accompanying the foreign national (maximum 10 points) |
|---|---|
| General secondary school diploma | 1 |
| Vocational secondary school diploma attesting to one year or more of full-time study | 6 |
| General post-secondary diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 4 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to one or two years of full-time study | 7 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to three years of full-time study | 9 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to one year of full-time study | 5 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 8 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to three or more years of full-time study | 10 |
| Graduate university diploma attesting to one or more years of full-time study | 10 |
| Post-graduate university diploma | 10 |
b. Spouse's Quebec education
Education must have been completed prior to filing the Expression of Interest.
Spouse's Quebec education
| Québec diploma: | Spouse or de-facto spouse accompanying the foreign national (maximum 10 points) |
|---|---|
| General secondary school diploma | 1 |
| Vocational secondary school diploma attesting to one year or more of full-time study | 6 |
| General post-secondary diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 4 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to one or two years of full-time study | 7 |
| Technical post-secondary diploma attesting to three years of full-time study | 9 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to one year of full-time study | 5 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to two years of full-time study | 8 |
| Undergraduate university diploma attesting to three or more years of full-time study | 10 |
| Graduate university diploma attesting to one or more years of full-time study | 10 |
| Post-graduate university diploma | 10 |
For more information about the Quebec Skilled Worker program (QSW), please refer to our general QSW overview.
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