As planned since the implementation of the pilot program in spring 2020, the Québec AI, IT & VE Pilot Program has ended as of January 1, 2026.
All applications for permanent selection already submitted will continue to be reviewed.
Applications to add or remove family members, including those for dependent children and spouses, are not affected by this closure.
The Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program is an immigration pathway of the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), aimed at attracting skilled professionals to meet the growing demands in these dynamic industries. Launched on April 22, 2021, the program is set to conclude on January 1, 2026. It offers a pathway for eligible foreign workers and Québec graduates to obtain permanent residency in the province.
The guide will go through an overview of the program, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Overview
The Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program offers a targeted process for eligible experts to obtain a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), a crucial step toward becoming a permanent resident of Canada.
The program is divided into two main streams:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stream: Designed for individuals specializing in artificial intelligence, this stream caters to both foreign workers and Québec graduates.
Information Technologies and Visual Effects (IT/VE) stream: Targeted at foreign workers in the information technologies and visual effects sectors, including video games.
Each stream is further categorized into two profiles:
Francophone Profile: Applicants proficient in spoken French.
Francization Profile: Applicants who commit to learning French upon selection.
This program is not aligned with Express Entry, which means that candidates cannot take advantage of the 6-month average processing times of Express Entry.
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Eligibility
You can apply to the Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program if you satisfy to the requirements of one of the two streams.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stream – Foreign Workers Sub-Stream – Specific Requirements
Employment
At the time your application is submitted, you must hold or have accepted a full-time job in Québec in the artificial intelligence sector and for which your skills profile allows you to meet the requirements.
- The gross annual salary must be at least $75,000 if your employer is established outside the territory of the Metropolitan Montréal Community or at least $100,000 if it is established inside the Metropolitan Montréal Community.
- You employer must submit a request for an opinion from Techno-compétences on (i) if the position offered to you is in the artificial intelligence sector and (ii) if it corresponds to your skills profile. You must submit the opinion with your application.
- Your job cannot be in one of the ineligible sectors (see General Requirements below) and/or on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly.
Education & Work Experience
To be eligible, you must hold a diploma corresponding at least to a Québec bachelor’s degree.
You also must either:
- have held a full-time job in Québec, for a period of at least 24 months gained during the 60 months preceding your application, in an occupation of TEER Category 0, 1 or 2 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), OR
- have obtained a diploma that corresponds at least to a Québec master’s or PhD degree in the 12 months preceding the submission of the application.
- Your work experience cannot have been gained in one of the ineligible sectors (see General Requirements below) and/or on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stream – Québec Graduates Sub-Stream – Specific Requirements
Employment
At the time your application is submitted, you must hold or have accepted a full-time job in Québec in the artificial intelligence sector and for which your skills profile allows you to meet the requirements.
- You employer must submit a request for an opinion from Techno-compétences on (i) if the position offered to you is in the artificial intelligence sector and (ii) if it corresponds to your skills profile. You must submit the opinion with your application.
- Your job cannot be in one of the ineligible sectors (see General Requirements below) and/or on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly.
Education & Work Experience
To be eligible, you must have obtained a university degree from a Québec educational institution during the 24 months preceding submission of your application, either a:
- Higher specialized studies diploma (DESS),
- A master’s degree, or
- A doctoral degree.
You must have lived in Québec for the primary purpose of studying, for at least half of your study program.
You are not eligible if you have a bursary with a return to your country clause, unless you have already fulfilled this condition.
If your eligible university degree is a diploma of higher specialized studies (DESS), you must have held a full-time job in Québec, for a period of at least 6 months during the 12 months following the date of the end of your study program, in an occupation of TEER Category 0, 1 or 2 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
- Your work experience cannot have been gained in one of the ineligible sectors (see General Requirements below) and/or on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly.
Information Technologies and Visual Effects (IT/VE) Stream – Specific Requirements
Employment & Work Experience
To be eligible, you must:
- hold or have accepted an full-time job in Québec in an eligible occupation with an hourly wage higher than the ninth decile of the average hourly wage for the last three years available for that job, and
- have at least 24 months of full-time (minimum of 30 hours a week) work experience in an eligible occupation, gained during the 60 months preceding your application.
Below is the list of eligible occupations, as well as the minimum hourly wage for your eligible job in Québec:
- NOC 21223 – Database Analysts and Data Administrators – Hourly rate of $54.95
- NOC 21233 – Web Designers – Hourly rate of $48.08
- NOC 52120 – Graphic Designer and Illustrator, but only if you work in the visual effects sector (including video games) – Hourly rate of $46.15
- NOC 21232 – Software Developers and Programmers – Hourly rate of $60.00
- NOC 21230 – Computer Systems Developers and Programmers – Hourly rate of $52.88
- NOC 20012 – Computer Systems Manager – Hourly rate of $86.54
- NOC 21231 – Software engineers and designers – Hourly rate of $66.67
- NOC 21310 – Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Hourly rate of $67.31
- NOC 51120 – Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations, but only if you work in the visual effects sector (including video games) – Hourly rate of $55.29
- NOC 41200 – University professors and lecturers, but only if their practice is related to information technology or visual effects (including video games) – Hourly rate of $81.73
- NOC 21211 – Data Scientists – Hourly rate of $55.29
- NOC 21220 – Cybersecurity Specialists – Hourly rate of $57.69
- NOC 21222 – Computer Specialists – Hourly rate of $60.51;
- NOC 21221 – Commercial Systems Specialists – Hourly rate of $58.00
- NOC 52113 – Audio and video recording technicians, but only if your job is in the visual effects sector (including video games) – Hourly rate of $40.38
- NOC 52111 – Graphic design technicians, but only if working in the visual effects sector (including video games) – Hourly rate of $45.00
- NOC 22220 – Computer Network and Web Technicians – Hourly rate of $47.80
- NOC 22310 – Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians – Hourly rate of $48.00
The job and work experience cannot have been gained in one of the ineligible sectors (see General Requirements below) and/or on behalf of a company over which you exercise legal or de facto control, directly or indirectly.
Education
To be eligible, you must hold a diploma that minimally corresponds to a Québec diploma of college studies (DCS) – technical training, or a Québec bachelor’s degree.
Both Streams – General Requirements
Age
At the time your application is submitted, you must be at least 18 years old.
Language
Both streams (AI and IT/VE) include the following two profiles:
- Francophone Profile
- Francization Profile
Francophone Profile
You must demonstrate you have a knowledge of spoken French that corresponds to level 7 of the Québec scale of French proficiency levels.
There are three ways to demonstrate your knowledge of spoken French:
Transcripts proving successful completion of three years of full-time study, in Québec or abroad, at the secondary or post-secondary level, entirely in French. If the national language of instruction is not exclusively French, an attestation from the education institution confirming that the courses were taken in French is required.
- Document provided by a Québec professional order attesting to knowledge of spoken French, either (i) a valid or expired within the last two years regular permit to practice or (ii) an attestation proving that you have passed the Office québécois de la langue française exam for professional orders within the last two years.
- Language test results or diplomas accepted by the MIFI attesting to your knowledge of French.
Francization Profile
There is no requirement to demonstrate knowledge of French under the Francization Profile. However, you must sign a francization agreement.
If you are selected under the Francization profile, you will be automatically registered with the integration service for immigrants, Accompagnement Québec. The purpose of this measure is to support your learning of French and your integration into Québec society.
Intention to Settle in Québec
You must intend to reside in Québec and work in a job where you do not have direct or indirect control. Employment and work experience in certain ineligible sectors is not permitted:
- Payday loans, cheque cashing or pawnbroking;
- Production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products, or services related to the sex industry, such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services or erotic massages.
Financial Self-Sufficiency
You must demonstrate the ability to support yourself and your immediate family members financially for the first three months upon obtaining permanent residence.
The minimum required funds are set below and depend on your family size.
| Number of Dependent Children | Situation 1: Principal applicant only |
Situation 2: Principal applicant & Spouse/Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 years old: 0 | $3,877 | $5,686 |
| Under 18 years old: 1 | $5,221 | $6,370 |
| Under 18 years old: 2 | $5,882 | $6,875 |
| Under 18 years old: 3 | $6,552 | $7,380 |
| Under 18 years old: 4 or more | For each, ADD $671 |
For each, ADD $505 |
| 18 years old and older: 1 or more | For each, ADD $1,808 |
For each, ADD $1,808 |
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Application Process
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program. Candidates must:
- Qualify for the minimum eligibility requirements.
- Apply by submitting their application to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) through the Arrima portal (filling in forms, uploading required documents and paying fees).
- While the application is processed, a request to obtain an attestation of learning about democratic values and the Québec values will be received via Arrima. The principal applicant and members of their family included in the application (spouse aged 16 and over and dependent children aged 18 and over) will then have 60 days to obtain the attestation, either via an online test or by attending an information session if eligible.
- While the application is processed, candidates may be required to complete an interview with an immigration agent of the MIFI to verify, for example, the accuracy of the information provided.
- Apply for permanent residence to federal government (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or IRCC) after receiving the Québec Selection Certificate (after Québec processes their application). Candidates need to apply online, and include the nomination documentation received from Québec.
- Candidates might be able to get a work permit after obtaining the Québec Selection Certificate if living and working in Québec:
- If having applied for permanent residence and obtained an acknowledgment of receipt, candidates can apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit, or
- If having applied for permanent residence and not having obtained an acknowledgment of receipt, candidates can apply for an LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permit, or
- If not having yet applied for permanent residence, candidates can apply for an LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permit.
- Candidates might be able to get a work permit after obtaining the Québec Selection Certificate if living and working in Québec:
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Application Fees
Quebec application fees (to MIFI)
- For 2026, the fees for the Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program are set by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) at:
- $940 CAD for the principal applicant,
- $201 CAD for the spouse/partner, if applicable, and
- $201 CAD for each dependent child, if applicable.
Federal application fees (to IRCC)
- The fees to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are only paid after receipt of the Quebec Selection Certificate and submission of the permanent residence application to IRCC:
- Processing fee:
- $950 CAD for the principal applicant,
- $950 CAD for the spouse/partner, if applicable, and
- $260 CAD for each dependent child, if applicable.
- Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF):
- $575 CAD for the principal applicant, and
- $575 CAD for the spouse/partner, if applicable.
- Biometrics fee:
- $85 CAD for one person, or maximum $170 CAD for a family of more than two – You can find more information on Biometrics in this page.
- Processing fee:
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Processing Times
Quebec processing times (by MIFI)
- Most applications for permanent selection under the Québec Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technologies (IT) and Visual Effects (VE) Workers Pilot Program are processed by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) of Québec within 6 months.
Federal processing times (by IRCC)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of Quebec-selected skilled worker applications within 11 months.
According to the annual data published in December 2025 – From April 2024 to March 2025, IRCC processed 87% of applications within the 11-month standard. - You can check the current processing times here. You need to select “Economic immigration”, then “Skilled Workers (Quebec)”.
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – Latest News & Data
Québec AI, IT & VE Workers Pilot Program – In-Demand Occupations?
You can find out about the other provinces’ in-demand jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
