Immigrate

Why Choose Québec

A unique social and cultural environment

Through our history, values, traditions, modernism and pioneering, Québec is recognized for offering an unparalleled quality of life in North America.

Find out more about all the advantages Québec affords by visiting Choose Québec.

An open society

Québec welcomes immigrants from all over the world. They all participate actively, in French, in Québec’s economic, social and cultural development.

A free and democratic society

Integrating into Québec’s social fabric means being prepared to learn about and respect its common values.

Québec is a French-speaking, democratic society based on the rule of law and enriched by its diversity. Québec and its institutions are secular.

A society that provides high-quality public services

Health, education and social security services guarantee the well-being of the entire population.

A stable and dynamic economy

Québec is future oriented and must face considerable demographic and economic challenges. Immigration is a strategic lever for addressing these challenges.

Immigrating to Québec

Immigration programs

Québec offers various immigration programs for permanent workers, business people, temporary workers, international students, sponsored immigrants, and refugees.

Click here to find out more. The procedures for immigrating to Québec are determined by the program you choose.

Find out more about employment opportunities in Québec by visiting Choose Québec.

Immigrating to Québec also means immigrating to Canada

Québec is responsible for selecting its economic immigrants whose applications are then submitted to the federal government for approval. It is up to the federal government to decide whether to grant permanent resident status and Canadian citizenship. Visit the Citizenship, Refugees and Immigration Canada website for information on immigration eligibility requirements.

Settling in Québec

Choosing where you want to live

Québec is a vast territory composed of 17 administrative regions with distinctive characteristics and attractions.

Discover the employment opportunities and the quality of life each regions afford.

Click here to find out more.

Finding housing in Québec

Considering more than one area increases your chances of finding not only a job but also housing that suits your needs and budget.

Housing is a key factor in the integration process. We strongly recommend that you explore the topic before moving to Québec so that you’ll be familiar with vocabulary the types of housing available, how to rent and tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities.

Studying in Québec

Public education is free for all residents, from kindergarten to the college level inclusively. The public education system is secular and is established on a linguistic basis (French or English), depending on the language of instruction used in schools.

Since French is the official language of Québec, children of immigrants, regardless of their mother tongue, must, in most cases, attend a French School Board institution in their community until they complete their high school education. In addition, coeducation in classes (boys and girls together) is standard for all levels of education.

Studying in Québec

Working in Québec

The right job for you

Looking for a job in Québec involves sound preparation and above all having a clear understanding of the new environment.

How to look for employment.

A dynamic job market

The Québec economy has been growing steadily and diversifying over the past 30 years. Consequently, the Québec job market offers excellent employment prospects.

Click here to find out more about the most in-demand diplomas in Québec.

Trades and professions

The practice of some trades and professions is regulated in Québec. For example, the engineering and nursing professions are governed by professional orders while the electrician and mechanic trades are governed by other types of regulatory bodies.

It is in your best interest to contact the regulatory body that pertains to your situation before your departure. It is strongly recommended that you begin this process before you arrive in Québec.

Click here to find out more.

The French Language

The language of integration

Choosing Québec means accepting French as the language of integration and agreeing to live in a rich and diversified French-speaking society. Being able to express yourself in French helps build networks of contacts that foster integration in Québec and make it easier to look for a first job.

A French-speaking society

Québec has a prominent French-speaking majority and French is the province’s only official language.

The importance of the French language in Québec

Choosing Québec means wanting to live in a French-speaking society. You will speak French in all your exchanges while living in Québec. Your ability to speak French will help you integrate and participate in Québec society more easily. Learn more about the importance of the French language in Québec by visiting the gouvernement du Québec’s website.

Taking up French in your country of origin will speed up your integration once in Québec. You can enroll in a French course in your country right now.

Learning French before moving to Québec is possible. Learn more here.

The family: a priority for our society

The array of family-oriented measures that the government is implementing demonstrates its commitment to supporting families in Québec.

Work-school-family life balance

Québec’s active population has changed dramatically! Today, the Québec workforce is composed of almost as many women as men. They are often parents of young children or caregivers. The workforce is now more skilled and individuals have higher expectations of companies and schools.

Reconciling work, school and family life is therefore an effective way to recruit and retain qualified personnel in an increasingly competitive labour market. It also means finding a balance between the demands and responsibilities of work, school and family.

• Family life refers to persons with whom a worker has a relationship of dependency. This includes the family, immediate family, extended family and friends.
• The goal is to ease or reduce some of the constraints and demands brought upon by work and school in order to achieve a more balanced approach to managing time devoted to work, school and family.

The government is playing an active role in this regard by working to implement initiatives that will enable citizens to reach their full potential on a professional, educational and personal level, including the opportunity to have children if they so desire.

Childcare

Regarding childcare, the gouvernement du Québec supports parents by:

• making reduced contribution spaces available throughout Québec;
• providing a set of measures that foster access to childcare.

Financial assistance

There are several Québec and federal programs designed to ease child-related financial burdens. Some are open to all families while other more targeted programs are based on income.

Click here to find out more.

Gender Equality in Québec

Gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination form part of Québec’s core values. In fact, Québec is internationally renowned for its expertise, policies and programs in matters of gender equality.

In Québec law, the foundations of the principle of gender equality are enshrined in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

A number of other sectors have also adopted legislation that recognizes and promotes gender equality, such as the Pay Equity Act, the Act respecting equal access to employment in public bodies and the Act respecting the governance of state-owned enterprises.

Here’s how gender equality plays out in various fields and sectors of activity

Education
Schools aim to provide equal opportunities for both sexes; this is one of the fundamental conditions for  building an egalitarian society. It cannot be repeated too often: if we want our children to grow up equal, society must place a greater value on studies and increase its efforts to combat the drop-out rate.

Couples and families
Individuals who live as a couple have the same obligations toward each other and toward their children. In fact, parental authority and family responsibilities are exercised jointly in Québec.

Work and business
Québec has established strict rules to guarantee that both female and male employees receive fair and equitable treatment. The province has also adopted various measures designed to help mothers and fathers balance their family life with professional and student responsibilities.

Health-care services
Do you have a health problem or need to consult a physician? Health-care services are accessible to all, without distinction. As soon as it has been established that you are a Québec resident (in accordance with the criteria of existing legislation), you are entitled to receive health-care services.

Safety and integrity of the person
For several decades now, public institutions have worked with a number of social groups to successfully combat all forms of violence. Special initiatives have been launched to combat violence against women and girls, specifically domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

The right to respect for one’s physical integrity is entrenched in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. However, in order to rigorously apply this right in all areas and in every circumstance—and for it to be applied to every citizen, women and men, with no distinction whatsoever—it is vital that every person get involved. Only by working together as one can Quebecers succeed in building a non-violent society.

Participation in public life
Québec society invites all its members to become involved in their community. There are many ways to do so: holding political office at the local, regional, provincial or national level, joining a community organization or support group, or becoming involved in public debate. Quebecers who wish to express their opinions have equal access to Québec’s many public places and forums.

Source : Secrétariat à la condition féminine, © Gouvernement du Québec.

For any further information consult À parts égales, à part entière.