Quebec seeks to attract qualified workers in many fields and is responsible for selecting immigrants who wish to settle in the province of Quebec. 

Permanent Workers:
Quebec's skilled worker immigration program has four main objectives:

• To increase the proportion of francophone immigration
  
  
• To maximize the economic benefits of selection
  
  
• To manage the volume of immigration in terms of Quebec's needs and capacity for integration
  
  
• To select skilled workers who are more adaptable to the international labor market.

Quebec Skilled Worker Program:
If you are thinking about moving to Canada to live and work and have your sights set on moving to Quebec you may want to try to immigrate under the Quebec skilled worker visa program.

The Quebec selection system is for Skilled Workers who intend to reside in the Province of Quebec and are selected based upon a different set of criteria than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada.

To qualify for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, you must meet minimum work experience requirements and show that you have the funds required to support yourself. In addition, you must earn sufficient points in the selection factors to get a pass mark. Currently, a single applicant must meet or exceed a pass mark of 60 points, whereas an applicant with a spouse or common-law partner requires at least 68 points.

Your application will be assessed on the following criteria: education, equivalent of Quebec Diploma, area of training, second specialty, work experience, proficiency in French and/or English, age, previous stays and visits to the province of Quebec, ties to Quebec, your spouse/partner profile and credentials, your children, validated offers of employment etc.

The eligibility criteria to be selected as an immigrant worker are:

• Possess at least a diploma that matches up to a Secondary School Diploma or a Diploma of Vocational Studies in accordance with the Québec education system,
  
  
• Attained training and occupational skills that will help in the job market
  
  
• Obtained adequate knowledge of French.

Quebec Selection Grid:
Skilled workers destined to Quebec are assessed against the Quebec selection grid, which differs from the Federal selection grid:

• Quebec’s point system gives more weight to labor market factors such as education, language ability and employability and occupation mobility (EMP)
  
  
• Points under the EMP factor take account of an applicant’s education, work experience, age, language ability and knowledge of Quebec
  
  
• Primary condition of concern is how well the immigrant will adapt to living within Quebec.

To qualify for a Quebec Selection Certificate, Skilled Worker / Professional applicants must score enough points under the selection system. Applicants who are successful under the Quebec Immigration selection system are issued a Quebec Selection Certificate.

Quebec immigration system is based on a "Certificate system". Applicants are required to submit an initial application and if successful, the government of Quebec will issue a Certificate of Selection.

The holder of a Quebec Certificate of Selection has to then meet Federal immigration requirements and procedures, such as a medical and security checks in order to receive a Permanent resident visa.

Distinction between the selection and admission of workers:
Immigration process is shared between the Quebec & Canadian governments. In order to immigrate to Quebec applicants and their families must meet Selection and Admission requirements.

SELECTION
Province of Quebec is responsible for the selection of workers who wish to work and settle on its territory.

When the Quebec Government selects a candidate, he/she will receive an Immigration document called Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ – Québec Selection Certificate)

Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ)
The CSQ is a document issued by the SIQ, which indicates that an applicant has been selected by the province. Before a visa can be issued by the CVS for the province of Quebec, a CSQ must be issued.

Service d'immigration du Québec (SIQ)
The SIQ is the Quebec Immigration Service where one has to file an application to this visa office and obtain a Certificat de Selection du Quebec (CSQ).
For Indian applicants the Québec Immigration Office is in Damascus, Syria.
(http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/

ADMISSION
The Canadian Visa Service (CVS) is the federal immigration service located overseas.

The Government of Canada is responsible for the admission of workers wishing to settle on its territory. It admits those workers that Quebec has selected. The selected applicant must apply for permanent residence and successfully pass a medical examination and the required security checks. Permanent residence is granted upon arrival in Quebec.

Although applicants who have obtained a permanent resident visa under Quebec skilled worker class must arrive at the province of Quebec on their first entry into Canada, they are not obligated to reside in that province permanently, once the applicant becomes a permanent resident of Canada.

BUSINESS IMMIGRATION
The Quebec Business Immigration program seeks applicants with business, management, or self-employed experience and offers the following programs:

The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program

Quebec Investor Requirements:

• Investor has three years of management experience in a lawful and profitable agricultural, industrial or commercial enterprise, in a government or international body
  
  
• Possesses a personal net worth of $800,000 CAD accumulated through lawful economic activities.
  
  
• Undertake to invest $400,000 CAD for five years, in a prescribed investment.

The Quebec program is almost the same as the Federal program with the following important distinctions:

• The investment is guaranteed by the Province of Quebec
  
  
• Professionals such as doctors, dentists, accountants and lawyers do not qualify as management experience;
  
  
• One must state an intention to settle in Quebec;
  
  
• The investment proceeds are allocated to the Province of Quebec rather than the English speaking provinces
  
  
• The five-year investment period begins following Quebec approval, even before the investor comes to Canada.
  
  
• Province of Quebec designates securities brokerage firms and investment banks to finance the investment rather than banks like the Federal program

Once approved the Quebec destined applicant will undergo Federal security and medical background checks prior to visa issuance, which generally takes place within 3-6 months following Quebec approval.

The Quebec Entrepreneur Program
Quebec Entrepreneur Requirements:

• Possess a personal net worth of $300,000 acquired legally
  
  
• Have sufficient settlement funding to cover cost of the applicant’s first 3 months of living expenses in Quebec.

The Quebec program differs substantially from the Federal program:

• An entrepreneur should have three years of management experience in a lawful and profitable agricultural, industrial or commercial enterprise
  
  
• Establish, acquire or participate in the active management of a lawful and profitable agricultural, industrial or commercial enterprise
  
  
• Employ three full-time residents of Quebec, other than the foreign national and his accompanying dependants
  
  
• Quebec entrepreneur must successfully defend a business plan during a selection interview that outlines the feasibility and relevancy of the project to Quebec.
  
  
• The selection interview is typically preceded by a preliminary market visit to the Province of Quebec by the applicant.

Once approved, the application proceeds to Federal security and medical verifications followed by visa issuance with mandatory terms and conditions imposed.

Note:
Under the Federal program, applicants who do not own and operate a business cannot qualify. Therefore, the Quebec program is the only option for applicants with high-level management experience.
Applicants who do not plan to remain in Canada on a full-time basis should not consider applying under the Entrepreneur program.

The Quebec Self Employed Program
Quebec Self Employed Requirements:

• Have two years of applicable experience
  
  
• Possess a personal net worth of $100,000
  
  
• Have sufficient settlement funding
  
  
• Come to Quebec to create employment for applicant by practicing a profession

The Quebec Self Employed Program assesses applicants under a point system.

• Unmarried applicants must obtain 40 points out of a possible 84 points on pre-selection and 50 points out of a possible 94 points on selection
  
  
• Married applicants must obtain 48 points out of a possible 101 points on pre-selection and 58 points out of a possible 111 points on selection

International Student:
Every year a number of international students study at colleges and universities in Quebec. Quebec ranks third in terms Foreign Student Flows by Destination after Ontario and British Columbia.

Québec universities offer a quality of instruction corresponding to that of other universities but at a much lower cost. A degree from a Québec university is renowned and offers international students access to employment opportunities around the world.

Since Canada has two levels of government, Federal and Provincial, all international students who wish to pursue their studies in Québec for a period of more than six months, must obtain a Québec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ), and a Canadian Study Permit before proceeding to Canada.

The Québec Certificate of Acceptance must be obtained before the Canadian Immigration Services can issue a Study Permit. In order to obtain a Study Permit, the visa application process should be started immediately upon receipt of the Letter of admission from the respective University or College.

Educational Credentials:
An applicants educational credentials must be equivalent to those required of Québec students in order to be admitted to a Québec educational institution.

Undergraduate level: Should have the equivalent of a Diploma of pre-university college studies (DCS), which recognizes two years of schooling following secondary school, i.e. 13 years in all.

College level: Should have earned the equivalent of a Diploma of Secondary Studies (DSS), which recognizes 11 years of schooling.

Language Ability: One must have sufficient language skills to be able to complete the program successfully.

Note: Other requirements may also apply. An applicant should contact the institution to find out the specific admission requirements pertaining to the program of study they are interested in.