Arrima System draw in Quebec chooses 305 skilled workers 

Quebec sent CSQ invitations to 305 skilled workers who applied through the Arrima system. The invitations were sent out over two draws, both of which took place in December. The first draw took place on December 12, and 85 candidates received invitations to apply for permanent selection (the next step to gaining permanent residence in Quebec). The most recent of the two draws were held on December 17, 2019, and saw 220 of the invitations sent to candidates from the province’s Regular Skilled Worker Program.

It should be noted that many of the candidates picked in the second draw were previous applicants who were affected by changes made to Quebec immigration this past summer. On June 16, 2019, the government of Quebec announced they were revising the skilled worker immigration system. As a result, they cancelled nearly 16,000 applications from the Regular Skilled Worker Program. The candidates from these recent draws were either residents/students in Quebec when the reforms were made on June 16, or they were exempt from the Regular Skilled Workers Program’s recent cap. 

Immigration Draws with Arrima System

The government of Quebec has used the Arrima system to manage immigration applications since July 2019. The system is paperless and does not operate as on a first-come-first-serve basis. Since Arrima’s introduction, 2062 skilled workers have been drawn in various selections. All of these candidates were invited to send applications for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec/CSQ). Notably, CSQs are required to apply for permanent residence in the province of Quebec. To receive a CSQ, candidates first have to present an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the province. To send an EOI, candidates create and submit a profile to the Arrima system. Each profile in the Arrima system is subsequently ranked and filed.

The Arrima draws choose candidates either according to highest profile scores or based on the current labour market needs. If chosen in one of the draws, candidates are invited to send an application for a CSQ. Once they receive that CSQ, they can send their applications for permanent residence to Canada’s federal immigration ministry.