Skilled Worker Programs are Still Open; Clock Ticking for Applicants

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program

On March 27th, 2013 the Quebec Immigration Minister announced that the government “is renewing its rules relating to the intake of applications according to the immigrant class”. These rules, which had been set to expire earlier in the year, will remain in effect until July 31st 2013. After that time, it is unknown what will happen to the QSW and other provincial immigration programs.

There are three possible paths the government may choose with regard to the QSW program. It may choose to continue the program in its current form. There is also a possibility that the program will remain open but some rules or eligibility criteria may be changed. Finally, the government can choose to close the program for a set period of time.

Because the future is unknown, many eligible applicants are preparing their files in time to submit before the end of July.

Intake caps and impending changes have applicants to Canada’s popular Federal and Quebec Skilled Worker programs working hard to ensure that their applications are submitted in a timely fashion.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canada’s biggest immigration program, has begun reporting on the numbers of applications received for the first time since its reopening in May 2013. Meanwhile, Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) applicants are under pressure to submit before July 31st, after which Quebec’s current immigration rules are set to expire.