4 Best Ways to Immigrate to Montreal, Quebec

 Montreal, Quebec, is a very popular place for people who are moving to Canada for the first time.

 In 2022, more than 62,000 people moved to Quebec, and many of them went to Montreal. Its success is not surprising, given how cheap it is and how many different cultures live there. Quebec also has a high rate of unfilled jobs, which means there are a lot of work possibilities.

#1: Working in Quebec through the Quebec Experience Program

If you meet the requirements, the best way for you to move to Montreal is through the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). But if you want to join PEQ, you must meet a few important requirements. First, you have to show that you know advanced to basic level French. If you don't speak French, this school is sadly not for you.

There are two paths through PEQ for people who meet the French language standard. One for people who have worked in Quebec and one for people who have gone to school in Quebec.

To be eligible for the worker stream, you have to be working in Quebec at the time you apply. A lot of people get this permission through a working holiday visa, a program for young workers, or a foreign co-op job. Also, you must have worked full-time at the manager, professional, or expert level for at least 12 months in the last two years.

If you meet these standards, you can apply through PEQ as a worker to live and work in Montreal permanently.

#2: Studying in Quebec through the Quebec Experience Program

The second part of PEQ is for people in Quebec who are going to college or university after high school. All applicants still need to be able to speak French at an advanced-intermediate level. But in the study track of PEQ, applicants must show that they have finished (or will finish within 6 months) a post-secondary school in Quebec that is qualified.

Most postsecondary studies that last two years or more are qualified. But people who are getting a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) should make sure that their program meets the basic standards.

If you finished your post-secondary education in Quebec, PEQ could be the best way for you to become a permanent resident.

#3: Getting into Canada for business

Quebec has two popular business categories for people who want to move there: traders and investors. Both of these programs need you to have a lot of money, so if your bank account isn't in the six figures (trust us, we get it! ), move on to the next choice.

If you have run a business before, the Quebec Entrepreneur Program might be a good fit for you. To apply, you must have a business idea in which you are ready to spend at least CAD $200,000 or have your business idea funded by one of Quebec's approved business startups or business incubators.

The Quebec Investor Program is for people who have a lot of money. You can apply for permanent residency through this stream if you have a net worth of at least CAD $2 million and are willing to spend at least CAD $1.2 million in Quebec.

#4: The Skilled Worker Program in Quebec

Through the Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) program, foreign workers have been able to apply to move to Quebec in the past. But QSW has gone through a lot of changes in the past year.

In August 2018, QSW switched from a first-come, first-served system to a competitive, points-based system similar to the government Express Entry system. 

The new points system gave much more weight to people who could speak French and had job offers in Quebec. This made it harder for people who spoke English and wanted to apply from outside the province.

After the October 2018 election in Quebec, a new government took over and lowered the total number of people who could move to Quebec. 

This cut had the most noticeable effect on QSW. Since this election, QSW has not sent a single round of invitations to applicants who were interested.

Even though QSW might become a good choice again in the future, especially for French speakers and workers with job offers in Quebec, the program seems to be in a holding pattern right now while the government figures out how to handle immigration policy in the best way.