If you have studied or worked in the province of Quebec, you may be eligible to immigrate under this fast-track Canadian immigration program.

Under the Quebec Experience Class (Programme de l’expérience Québécoise, or PEQ), there are two categories: one for foreign students, and another for Temporary Foreign Workers.

Applying to immigrate to Quebec under any category is a two-step process in which an applicant first applies for Certificat de Sélection du Quebec (Quebec Selection Certificate, a document that allows the holder to immigrate to Quebec, commonly known as a CSQ). Once the applicant obtains a CSQ, he or she must then submit their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for federal approval before their Canadian Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa can be issued. Federal immigration authorities are responsible for processing criminal and medical checks.

Foreign students will be eligible to apply under this program if they:

• - Have obtained a degree or diploma from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education;

• - Have studied in Quebec for at least 1,800 hours (two years); and

• - Show that have successfully completed an intermediate level French course at a Quebec educational institution, if their studies were not completed in French.

Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec will be eligible to apply under this program if they:

- Have 12 months of Quebec work experience in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in the 24 months prior to their application:

- Are employed and show legal status in Quebec at the time of their application; and

- Show that have successfully completed an intermediate level French course at a Quebec educational institution, or provide results of a standardized French proficiency test. Alternatively, they can show that they have satisfied the French language requirements of the professional order governing their occupation in Quebec.

Quebec immigration authorities expect the assessment of applications under the PEQ to be completed on a fast-track basis.
It is important to note that all applications from individuals who have obtained a CSQ are processed in their own priority queue at the federal level.