The Programme de l'experience quebecoise (Quebec Experience Class, or PEQ) is a Canadian immigration program prioritizing applicants who have studied or are working in Quebec.

The PEQ is a program that selects applicants based on their study or work experience in Quebec. The name 'Quebec Experience Class' is an English translation of Programme de l'experience quebecoise.

No. These are two separate immigration programs for applying for a Certificat de selection du Quebec (Certificate of Selection for Quebec - CSQ). Once an applicant obtains a CSQ, he or she can submit an application to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence.

No, there is no requirement to meet a minimum point score in order for an individual to be eligible for the PEQ.

Applicants can apply to the PEQ on the basis of their experience in Quebec, either as a graduate with an eligible diploma, or as a foreign worker. All applicants must prove advanced intermediate ability in oral French (speaking and listening).

The Diplome du Quebec (Quebec Graduate) category is for applicants who have obtained an eligible diploma from a recognized educational institution in Quebec, or expect to obtain such a diploma in the six months following their application.

The Travailleur etranger temporaire specialise (Skilled Temporary Foreign Worker) category is for applicants working in Quebec, who have at least 12 months skilled work experience in Quebec in the last 24 months.

Applicants in the graduate category can submit an application at any time from six months before obtaining a diploma, up to 36 months after graduation, as long as all the other eligibility criteria are met. Applicants in the foreign worker category can submit an application as soon as all the eligibility criteria are met and as long as the applicant is currently employed in a full-time skilled job in Quebec.

As the PEQ is still a paper-based program, applications must be mailed to the offices of the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) in Montreal, Quebec. It is not possible to submit an application online, as is required for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

Currently the MIDI states that applications will receive a prioritized processing time of 20 days, excluding postal delays. This estimation is applicable to complete applications when the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) does not require any further documents to support the application. Applications deemed incomplete will be returned to the applicant.

No. There is no interview required for applicants to the PEQ.

Yes, an accompanying spouse or common-law partner can be included on the application.

There are no eligibility requirements for accompanying spouses. This includes proof of language ability, which is only required for the principal applicant.

Yes, all children must be declared on the application form, whether they are accompanying the principal applicant on the application or not. Children aged 19 and under can be included in the application. However, only children born outside of Canada are included in the application for a CSQ, as children born in Canada are already citizens.

All children must be declared on the application form. However, if an applicant has a child born in Canada, the child is already a Canadian citizen. In this case the child is not declared as accompanying the applicant on the application for a CSQ, as the child does not need a CSQ. Government processing fees are not required for Canadian-born children.

Yes. Government processing fees for 2016 can be reviewed in the table below. Full payment must be supplied with the application or the application will be deemed incomplete. Applicant Fees Principal Applicant CAD $773 Spouse, de facto spouse CAD $166 Each dependant child CAD $166

The checklist of required documents is included in the required application form. The form is only available in French, but documents can be submitted in English or in French. An official translation must be provided for any document that is not in English or French. All required documents and forms must be submitted to the MIDI in the correct format, along with payment, in one single application. Incomplete applications are returned to the applicant.

The principal applicant of the application must provide proof of advanced intermediate ability in oral French. This equates to a B2 level in a valid, recognized French test (taken within the two years preceding the application). An applicant in the graduate category who completed his or her Quebec diploma in French can submit the final transcripts for that diploma as proof of French. An applicant in the foreign worker category can submit proof that he or she has satisfied the French language requirements of the professional order governing his or her occupation in Quebec. The following documents are also accepted…

If the applicant can provide sufficient proof of French language ability through eligible transcripts or other recognized documents, he or she does not have to take a French test.

French tests must be taken at a recognized test centre.