Quebec will fast-track in-demand skilled workers as part of the province’s new immigration policy which came into effect yesterday.
Applicants interested in moving to Quebec will now need to fill out a declaration of intent online and if they meet current economic needs, they’ll be invited to apply for selection certificates.
The new system means that if there is a need for a particular occupation in a particular area, those candidates could be found in a matter of months, instead of two or three years as it stands right now.
“We will now have a new system which will now allow us to pre-screen people who want to come and will evaluate these people based on what their work experience is, and what they bring to the table in terms of work experience and the system will allow us to match these people with our needs,” explained Quebec’s Immigration Minister David Heurtel.
The province is currently in the midst of a severe job shortage, with around 100,000 jobs that need to be filled.
The Canadian Federation of Small businesses says that the new policy is a step in the right direction, but states that more needs to be done.
Applicants will still need to meet a series of set criteria to stand a chance of being nominated for a visa, including a good standard of French and their education.
It is the education criteria which the Canadian Federation of Small businesses sees as the main problem. Applicants still need to hold a post-high school level of education; although many of the jobs that need to be filled require a high school level. This means many people who could adequately fill jobs in Quebec are unable to move there as they can’t score enough points.”
“We were consulted all the way in that process and we hammered all the way that we needed to change the scoring matrix,” said Bruno Leblanc, the director of Quebec affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “Still, we are at the end of the process and the matrix has not changed. I think it’s the next step that we have to take and that’s an urgent matter.”
Article published 3rd August 2018