On March 3, 2021, Québec announced the launch of three new immigration pilots over the coming weeks. The later will focus on several pathways one of which is for workers in artificial intelligence, information technology and visual effects.
This pilot program is intended to attract highly skilled tech workers to launch their careers in Quebec. It will also facilitate the retention of international students who received a specialized graduate degree from Quebec universities.
The pilot will come into effect on April 22, 2021, and there are two streams under this pilot:
- Artificial intelligence
- Information technology and visual effects.
Under each stream there are two types of profiles:
- Francophone, and
- Francization
Francophone profiles must have an oral proficiency of 7 (B2) on the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants. If the applicant is selected under the Francization profile, he will automatically get registered with the Integration service for immigrants under Accompagnement Québec. This measure is supposed to help support your French learning.
Each year, MIFI intends to select 275 Quebec graduates and temporary workers in the artificial intelligence sector, and 275 foreign workers in the information technologies and visual effects sector.
Artificial intelligence stream conditions
The Candidate submits an application under the Artificial Intelligence stream either as a foreign worker or as a Quebec graduate.
As a foreign worker, he needs a diploma that corresponds to a Quebec bachelor’s degree and one of the following:
- two years of skilled work experience over the five years preceding your application; or
- a master’s or doctoral degree in the 12 months preceding your application.
The candidate must have a full-time job offer, or be employed in the artificial intelligence sector.
If the applicant is a Quebec graduate, in addition to a job offer, he must have graduated from a university with a higher specialized studies (DESS), master’s, or PhD during the two years preceding your application. DESS graduates need six months of work experience in the 12 months before the application date.
Information technologies and visual effects stream eligibility requirements
For this steam, the applicant needs to hold a diploma that corresponds to a Quebec diploma of college studies (technical training), or bachelor’s degree.
In addition, he must be employed or has a job offer in Quebec, and have worked in an eligible full-time occupation for at least 24 months during the five years preceding the submission of his application.
Occupations under this pathway have a National Occupation Code (NOC) as follows:
- Information systems analyst and consultant (NOC 2171);
- Graphic designer and illustrator, (NOC 5241) but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
- Computer and information systems manager (NOC 0213)
- Software engineer and designer (NOC 2173)
- Electrical and electronics engineer (NOC 2133)
- Producer, director, choreographer and related occupations, (NOC 2133) but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
- Computer programmer and interactive media developer (NOC 2174)
- Audio and video recording technician, (NOC 5225) but only if your job is in the visual effects sector;
- Computer network technician (NOC 2281); or
- Electrical and electronics engineering technologist and technician (NOC 2241).
Interested in knowing more about this program? We are here to help. You can contact us to confirm if you qualify here.
Bakouni 
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