Canada immigration: Quebec cap reached

The intake cap of the Quebec Skilled Worker’s Programme (QSWP) has been reached and applications will no longer be accepted until April 2015, at least.

The QSWP is the most popular immigration stream of the French-speaking Canadian province, which annually attracts thousands of immigrants through its several programmes.
However, this year the maximum number of applications accepted was reached sooner than usual.

On April 1 this year, the province announced that it would extend its skilled worker’s programme with another year, accepting 65,000 applications till March 31, 2015.

Although the extension was welcomed with gratitude, the intake cap was a shocking reduction from the 20,000 applications accepted in the previous years.

But, considering the actual 10,000 applications in the year that had passed the 65,000 seemed a more appropriate intake cap.
The intake cap was filled within 5 months, and eager applicants will have to wait and see whether the popular programme will be extended in April next year.

The QSWP is a popular alternative of the Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSWP), due to its relatively lenient selection criteria for the intake of skilled workers.

Quebec applies a point-based system, in which considerable emphasis is placed on language. An applicant can receive a maximum of 22 points for language, of which Up to 16 points can be awarded for French proficiency, and up to 6 for English.

Furthermore, the applicant must have qualifications in one of the 114 professions on the Areas of Training List, which was last updated in August 2013. On this list 146 occupations are mentioned, which emphasis on occupations in the field of nursing and engineering.

When the province highly requires work force in one field, more points will be awarded for relating qualifications. Area of training can be allocated 6-16 points.

The province of Quebec is likely to adopt the anticipated Express Entry system, which indicates a major shift in the selection approach of applicants on the federal level.

Applicants interested in immigration to Canada will express their interest by adding their name on a list. Accordingly, the government and provinces can select candidates on the list, replacing the traditional immigration streams. Although the system will replace the immigration policy on the federal level, provinces are offered the choice to replace some of their streams, while keeping in place other channels.

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