Federal vs. Québec Immigration program for skilled workers

As a specialist in Canadian Immigration Law, I regularly receive questions about the best course of action for a prospective skilled immigrant. I always assess my client’s profile against the eligibility criteria of both the Québec and the federal skilled workers programs and elect the one that serves best the client’s interests.

The biggest and most significant difference between the two programs is the processing time. The average time it takes to process a Québec skilled worker’s application for candidates in the Maghreb region is 3 years while the federal process can usually be completed in about 12 months only.

Although the short processing time makes the federal program more attractive, the Québec program stays more popular among candidates because it is more lenient in terms of the level of education and work experience requirements. An average young person with as little as high school diploma, few years of work experience and a good knowledge of the French language can qualify.

The federal program is pretty much confined to highly educated persons with several years of work experience in specific skilled occupations. Furthermore, since the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued his instructions in November 2008, only candidates with a work experience in one of 38 occupations deemed under pressure in Canada can qualify for processing under the federal skilled workers program. The list contains mainly skilled occupations in the fields of health, finance and accounting, information technology and some trades. For a complete list of the qualifying occupations, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

The federal program remains better suited for people that can meet the ministerial instructions requirements and the high standards of the program. However, the Québec program stays an alternative for people with less skills and qualifications or persons with work experience that does not fall under the ministerial list of occupations. Also, the Québec program is advantageous for candidates residing legally in Europe and the United States in terms of processing time versus if they were still residing in their country of origin in the Maghreb.


Fatima-Zahra Fahmi
for more information please write to : info@immig.ca or go to http://www.immig.ca
This article can also be found on moroccopost.com
Disclaimer: This information is intended to be of a general nature and do not constitute legal advice.