Quebec invites 208 in new Arrima draw

Quebec’s second draw of the year was more than two times bigger than the first.

Quebec invited 208 hopeful immigration candidates to apply for a permanent selection on March 30.

The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) invited these candidates under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) who had filed an Expression of Interest (EOI) in Quebec’s online registration portal, Arrima.

There were two categories of candidates invited in the latest round:

• those who had a validated job offer; and
• those who were in Quebec as a diplomat, consular officer, United Nations representative, or a representative of any intergovernmental organization with operations in the province, and their staff.

The new draw is the second of the year from Quebec. The first occurred in January where the province issued 95 invitations.

Quebec’s immigration programs are managed by the province based on selection criteria and processes that are distinct from Canada’s immigration programs. Ultimately, it is up to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to make the final decision on immigration applications.

Find Out if You’re Eligible for Canadian Immigration

About Arrima

Arrima was introduced in 2018 to manage the pool of applicants for the RSWP and to simplify an application intake system that was formerly based on a “first-come, first-served” approach.

Candidates 18 years of age and older interested in immigrating to Quebec through the RSWP must first create an EOI profile in Arrima, after which they are placed in a pool of candidates.

MIFI then invites the most qualified candidates based on, among other criteria, current provincial market labour needs and the person’s strong potential to integrate into Quebec society.

Those invited to apply for permanent selection generally have 60 days to submit a complete immigration application, pay the required fees and present all other required documents.

Planned Immigration Levels

Both the Province of Quebec and the federal government have committed to increasing immigration targets for the coming years. In 2021, Quebec aims to welcome up to 47,500 newcomers. Meanwhile, Canada aims to welcome more than 400,000 immigrants under its various immigration programs over the next year.