Immigration to Quebec follows a different pathway than for the rest of Canada in many cases. Although there are many similar immigration programs to the rest of the country, the processes are handled by different authorities.
Persons seeking Permanent Residency in Quebec must go through that province’s government.
Quebec is a Canadian province located in the Northeastern part of Canada and is one of the oldest regions in Canada.
Legislation that took place around 50 years ago in the federal government dictated that even though Quebec is a part of Canada it is still sovereign.
This means that the province has some special considerations such as:
- The right to have French as an official national language
- The right to make its own laws and judiciary (the court system in Quebec is somewhat different from that of the rest of Canada)
- The right to dictate its own immigration policy.
Immigrants who intend to immigrate to Canada have to apply with the Quebec government for what is called a Certificat de selection du Quebec, often abbreviated to CSQ.
The CSQ is effectively a document which says that the government of Quebec will allow a person to immigrate to their province. This is quite a bit different from the other provinces in Canada.
Provinces and territories of Canada have provincial nominations where governments can suggest certain people for immigration through the federal immigration system, but Quebec requires all immigrants (not just one class) to obtain permission.
Immigrants to Quebec are also required to be relatively skilled in the French language.
The thinking behind this requirement is that immigrants who know French will be able to adjust better once in the province.
Proceedings for becoming a Canadian citizen for permanent residents already in Quebec are the same as they would be in any other province.
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