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Quebec labour market

Quebec pledges $55 million towards recruiting temporary foreign workers

The Government of Quebec has recently announced that they will be putting nearly $55 million towards recruiting foreign workers and integrating them into the province.

According to Jean Boulet, Quebec’s labour minister, $20.9 million will be used to assist businesses in their international recruitment efforts.

Quebec has had a labour shortage for the past two years. As a result, Quebec employers have outsourced to temporary foreign workers.

The Government will assist both employers and workers in this new project. Around 2,000 businesses will be partially subsidized for efforts in worker recruitment. Also, temporary foreign workers will be assisted, with up to $1,000 in relocation expenses covered by the government.

In addition, the Quebec government will be applying $33.9 million to two programs . These programs will help integrate temporary foreign workers into the labour market. These programs are:

  • Programme d’intégration en emploi de personnes formées à l’étranger référées par un ordre professionnel (IPOP)
  • Programme d’aide à l’intégration des immigrants et des minorités visibles (PRIIME)

Boulet insisted in short that integration will ensure that temporary foreign workers’ have “positive and durable” experiences in Quebec.

Relief for Quebec Labour Shortage

The assistance of temporary foreign workers will bring some much-needed relief to the otherwise struggling Quebec labour market.

Labour shortages have increased since the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government temporarily reduced the yearly immigration admittance by 20 per cent in October 2018. As a result, the government has received some criticism for inciting this reduction during such a large labour shortage.  

Therefore province hopes to ease labour shortages and to encourage economic growth through the introduction of skilled foreign workers. I Quebec’s chamber of commerce says that to make significant changes to the economy the province would need an average of 60,000 immigrants per year. However, the government currently only plans to accept 40,000 immigrants in 2019.

Anyone interested in joining the province’s skilled foreign worker recruitment should therefore apply through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

Quebec labour market

Quebec Skilled Worker Programs

Quebec opens Skilled Worker Program’s Arrima portal

The first step to immigrating to Quebec will now be to create a profile on Quebec’s new Arrima portal. The portal which has now come in effect has a wait time after candidates enter the virtual room. After their turn they have 90 minutes to complete the profile.

 

The Expression of Interest system is new to the Government of Quebec which before August this year was accepting applicants through the first come first serve basis. The EOI system requires all interested candidates to create a profile and provide the requested information on their education, area of training, proficiency in French and other languages and work experience, among other details.

 

Only those who meet certain criteria which focuses mainly on the Quebec labour market will be invited under the new system according to MIDI, Quebec’s Immigration Ministry. All those who are invited to apply will get the CSQ, Quebec Selection Certificate.

 

After being granted the CSQ, individuals can submit a complete Canadian permanent residence application to Canada’s federal government. There is no restriction on the no of applications that can be received under the new Expression of interest system. The only requirement for eligibility is being 18 years of age.

 

However, in order to be eligible for selection, candidates will have to meet passing scores for employ ability and selection factors on the QSWP points grid.

 

The only flip side is that MIDI has provided very limited information on how individuals will be ranked in the QSWP bank of candidates. Though there will be a ranking system, but it is not known if it will be similar to the federal Express Entry system based on the comprehensive ranking system (CRS).

 

After registering on Arrima, Registrants have 30 days to complete their profile, which will remain valid for one year. Candidates in the EOI pool can update their profile with new information or revise information at any time during the 12-month validity period.Those invited by Quebec to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate have 90 days to submit a complete application.