Online System Expanded to Include Quebec Experience Program Applications

The situation

Foreign nationals applying for permanent residence under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) can now submit all documents pertaining to their PEQ application and pay the required fees through the Arrima online platform.

A closer look

Starting January 26, 2021, all applications submitted for the PEQ and for Quebec’s Foreign Student Program (which has accepted online applications since 2020), must be submitted through the Arrima platform; paper applications will no longer be accepted.

Impact

The online platform will decrease document gathering times and allow foreign nationals in Quebec to avoid in-person contact during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

• Quebec Experience Program. The PEQ grants permanent residence and targets French speakers, who are either foreign workers in Quebec or foreign students graduating from post-secondary schools in the province.
• Arrima platform. The Arrima platform was first introduced in September 2018 and is currently used to submit applications to the Regular Skilled Worker Program and the International Student Program in Quebec.  It can also be used by employers in Quebec to recruit foreign workers.
• Digitization of Canadian immigration system. In Canada’s plan for 2021-2023 immigration levels, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the continued emphasis on the digitization of the immigration system. The digitization is expected to accelerate immigration processes by granting faster decisions, reducing in-person appearance requirements and allowing for the more seamless sharing of information across government agencies involved in immigration decisions. This is in line with the general trend in the global immigration environment toward the digital transformation in applications and processes.

 

Looking ahead

Eventually, foreign nationals in Quebec will be able to submit all immigration applications through the Arrima platform, as the Quebec government continues to transition away from paper-based applications.

Fragomen will report on related developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].