Arrima 2026: How Quebec's Immigration Portal and Expression of Interest Works
As of June 9, 2026, Arrima is the online platform the Government of Quebec uses to manage most of its permanent economic immigration. You create a free Arrima account, complete an Expression of Interest, and Quebec invites the candidates it wants from that pool. This guide explains what Arrima is, how to open an account, how to submit your declaration, what the 30-day acceptance window means, and what happens at the federal level after Quebec selects you. For the eligibility rules and the streams behind it, read our companion guide to the Quebec skilled worker program (PSTQ).
What is Arrima and when did Quebec launch it?
Arrima is the secure online service operated by Quebec's immigration ministry for permanent economic immigration. Quebec launched it on August 2, 2018, replacing the older "Mon projet Quebec" intake system. The portal hosts the Expression of Interest (EOI) bank for the Programme de selection des travailleurs qualifies (Skilled Worker Selection Program), along with several other immigration and French-language services. Quebec controls who it selects for permanent residence through its own selection power, which is separate from the federal government. That split matters: Quebec decides who it wants through Arrima, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) later decides federal admissibility. An EOI is the free declaration you file in the portal so Quebec can consider you. The system runs in both French and English, and the same account follows you through every stage.
What can you do inside the Arrima portal?
Arrima is more than a single application form. Once you have an account, you can submit and update an EOI, respond to an invitation, and file a permanent selection application when invited. Quebec also routes other online services through the same portal, including registration for French-language learning support and some temporary immigration steps. You can sign back in at any time to correct your file, track its status, and read messages from the ministry. The table below shows where each stage of the journey sits and who makes the decision at that stage.
| Stage | Platform | Who decides | Your main action |
|---|
| Expression of interest | Arrima (Quebec) | You | Create an account and submit your EOI |
| Invitation round | Arrima (Quebec) | Quebec | Quebec ranks the pool and invites candidates |
| Selection application (DSP) | Arrima (Quebec) | Quebec | Accept within 30 days and submit the DSP |
| Quebec Selection Certificate | Arrima (Quebec) | Quebec | Receive your CSQ |
| Permanent residence | IRCC (federal) | IRCC | Apply to IRCC and pass medical, security, and biometrics |
How do you create an Arrima account and submit an Expression of Interest?
You start by creating a personal account on Quebec's online immigration services page, then completing the EOI form inside it. The declaration asks about your age, education, work experience, French and English language ability, any job offer or family ties in Quebec, and other selection factors. You do not pay a fee to submit the declaration, and submitting one does not guarantee an invitation. Be accurate, because the details you enter feed the score Quebec uses to rank you against everyone else in the pool. The form generally stays valid for a set period, so keep your profile current and update it if your situation changes, for example if you finish a diploma or improve a language test result. Quebec confirms the account and declaration steps on its Arrima online immigration services page, and it details the selection factors on its expression of interest page.
How do Arrima invitations and the 30-day acceptance window work?
Quebec reviews the candidate pool and issues invitations in periodic rounds. It selects people based on its ranking and on its current immigration priorities, so an invitation is not first-come, first-served. If Quebec invites you, you have 30 days from the date on the invitation to accept it through Arrima and submit your permanent selection application. Miss that window and the invitation expires, which means waiting for a future round. The invitation does not by itself grant selection; it only gives you the right to apply. Quebec sets out the acceptance rule on its official invitation to apply for permanent selection page. We do not publish specific score cutoffs or round sizes here, because those change from round to round and only Quebec's own announcements are reliable.
What are the DSP and CSQ, and how do they connect?
Once you accept an invitation, you file a Demande de selection permanente (DSP), the permanent selection application, through Arrima. You upload supporting documents, pay Quebec's processing fees, and wait for Quebec to assess your file. If Quebec approves you, it issues a Certificat de selection du Quebec (CSQ), the Quebec Selection Certificate. The CSQ is Quebec's confirmation that it has selected you for permanent residence. It is a provincial document, not a federal visa, and it does not let you live in Quebec on its own. Think of the CSQ as the green light from Quebec that you then carry into the federal stage. To understand the program rules that decide whether your DSP is approved, see the eligibility and stream details in our PSTQ program guide.
What is the federal permanent residence step after the CSQ?
After Quebec issues your CSQ, you apply to the federal government for permanent residence as a Quebec-selected skilled worker. IRCC runs this stage and checks federal admissibility, which Quebec does not assess. IRCC confirms the process on its Quebec-selected skilled workers page, and it explains the follow-up steps on its after you apply page. At this stage you sign in to your IRCC secure account, submit the federal application, and pay your immigration application fees. Most applicants must give their biometrics and complete an immigration medical exam. IRCC also checks security and criminal admissibility, and it can ask for more documents before it approves your file. If you are already working in Quebec while you wait, IRCC has separate instructions for a bridging work permit for Quebec workers who have applied for permanent selection.
Processing times for the federal stage vary, and IRCC publishes current estimates on its website. While your file is in progress, keep your contact details and travel documents up to date, and reply quickly if IRCC asks for anything. Once IRCC approves the application, it confirms your permanent residence and you complete your landing in Canada. From that point you hold the same status as any other permanent resident, with the right to live and work anywhere in the country, including Quebec.
How does the Arrima Employer Portal work?
Arrima is not only for applicants. Quebec runs an employer side of the portal where approved Quebec employers can search candidate profiles in the EOI bank and connect with people whose skills match their hiring needs. A validated job offer from a Quebec employer can raise a candidate's profile within the selection system, so the employer portal links labour-market demand to the pool of declared candidates. If you have a genuine Quebec job offer, make sure it is reflected accurately in your declaration, because that information can influence whether Quebec invites you. Employers and candidates use the same Arrima system Quebec describes on its online immigration services page, so a real offer should match what you enter.
What are the most common Arrima mistakes?
The errors that cost applicants the most are usually avoidable. The first is letting an invitation lapse: the 30-day acceptance window is firm, and a missed deadline sends you back to the pool. The second is entering inaccurate details in your declaration, since the score that ranks you depends on what you declare, and a mismatch with your documents can sink the later selection application. The third is treating the CSQ as the finish line. Quebec selection and federal permanent residence are two different approvals, and you still have to satisfy IRCC on medical, security, and biometrics afterward. The fourth is letting a stale profile sit untouched, so a stronger language result or new credential never reaches Quebec. The fifth is paying an unlicensed "agent." Only a regulated representative can legally advise you for a fee, a point we explain in the closing section.
Arrima FAQ: what else do applicants ask?
Below are common questions people search about Arrima, answered in plain terms. Each answer reflects the Quebec and federal sources listed at the end of this article. If your situation is unusual, confirm the detail against the relevant government page or speak with a licensed representative before you act, because immigration rules and round results can change quickly.
What is arrima in Canada?
Arrima is the Government of Quebec's online immigration platform, launched on August 2, 2018. It hosts the EOI system for Quebec's permanent skilled worker selection and several other online immigration and French-learning services. Quebec uses it to receive candidate declarations, rank them, and send invitations. It is specific to Quebec and is separate from the federal Express Entry system that the rest of Canada uses.
What are the requirements for arrima?
To use Arrima you create an account and submit a declaration covering your age, education, work experience, language ability, and any Quebec job offer or ties. Submitting the form is free and open to candidates interested in Quebec's skilled worker selection, but it does not guarantee an invitation. The detailed eligibility criteria and streams belong to the program itself, which we cover in our PSTQ program guide.
What happens after I get an Arrima invitation?
After an invitation, you have 30 days from the invitation date to accept it in Arrima and submit your permanent selection application (the DSP), with documents and Quebec fees. Quebec assesses the file and, if approved, issues a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). You then apply to IRCC for federal permanent residence, where you complete biometrics, a medical exam, and security checks.
What is the minimum score for arrima Quebec?
Quebec does not publish a single fixed minimum score for Arrima. It ranks the candidate pool and sets invitation thresholds round by round, based on its priorities and the candidates available at the time. Because cutoffs move between rounds, the only reliable figures are the ones Quebec announces for each round on its official selection program pages.
How does Go Far Global help with your Arrima application?
Go Far Global is a licensed Canadian immigration firm in Toronto led by a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, #R515110), the credential issued by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Only an RCIC, a Canadian lawyer, or a Quebec notary can legally advise or represent you for a fee, so be cautious with anyone else who offers paid help. Our team can review your declaration before you submit it, flag weak points in your profile, prepare your selection application within the 30-day window, and coordinate the federal IRCC stage after your CSQ. If Quebec is on your radar, book a consultation and we will map your realistic path. You can also read our briefings on the 2026 immigration levels plan and the francophone mobility PR pathway.
Sources
Every government source below was checked live and verified on June 9, 2026, and each link includes the page title so you can confirm it yourself. The Quebec pages cover the Arrima portal, the Expression of Interest, and the selection process, while the Canada.ca pages cover the federal permanent residence steps that follow a Quebec Selection Certificate.
- Arrima - Online immigration and French learning services, Gouvernement du Quebec.
- Expression of interest, Skilled Worker Selection Program, Gouvernement du Quebec.
- Invitation to apply for permanent selection, Gouvernement du Quebec.
- Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), Gouvernement du Quebec.
- Quebec-selected skilled workers: About the process, Canada.ca.
- Quebec selected skilled workers: After you apply, Canada.ca.
- Sign in to your IRCC secure account, Canada.ca.
- Citizenship and immigration application fees, Canada.ca.
- Biometrics, Canada.ca.
- Medical exams for immigration, Canada.ca.
- Work permits for Quebec workers under the Skilled Worker Selection Program, Canada.ca.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
