Assessment of Qualifications
The first step towards Permanent Residency under the Quebec Self-Employed Category is the completion of the RSS Assessment form.

The expert and experienced staff at RSS will provide you with a quick and accurate assessment of your qualifications under the present regulations and criteria. The applicant will be notified whether he/she qualifies for Canadian Immigration under the Quebec Self-Employed Category. If qualified, the applicant should proceed to the Contract provided by RSS Immigration and submit the completed contract online.

If an applicant does not qualify for Canadian Immigration under the Quebec Self-Employed category, RSS will advise the applicant and will not submit an application. RSS may advise of what to work towards and obtain in order to qualify at a future date or verify if you qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

In order to facilitate the assessment of cases, the Quebec and Canadian Immigration authorities have divided the responsibilities of each department. The Quebec Immigration Officials assess the applicant’s qualifications to come to Canada, while the Canadian Immigration officials assess any medical and security concerns.


2. Submission Process

Accumulating supporting documents
Prior to submission of an application for Canadian Permanent Residency to a Canadian Immigration Centre there is a stage in the process considered by RSS Immigration to be the Submission Stage.

This stage includes the collection and submission of supporting documents in order to facilitate the immigration process as well as the completion of the application forms in draft form.

Work Experience and Evidence of Funds are key to a Permanent Residency Application.

RSS Immigration will provide their clients with a detailed list of the supporting documents created by our expert and experienced team of immigration professionals. On average, the necessary documents and forms can be accumulated within a month’s time. Upon the receipt of the supporting documents, a review of the information contained within will be verified to match the information provided by the applicant within the application forms.

While there is a standardized list of required documents, certain processing posts require the submission of additional documentation in order for the application to be considered complete. RSS will cooperate and acknowledge the request of the individual processing posts in order to facilitate the processing of our clients’ applications and maintain our high standard of service.

RSS Immigration will also advise each principal applicant of the options of processing centre prior to the submission of an application and indicate the estimated the current processing period to visa issuance.

3. Application Process

Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)

Preliminary Review (Paper Screening)

Application Decision

Submission of Application to the Federal Processing Post

Medical Clearance

Security clearance

Visa issuance

a. Passport Request
b. Validity
c. Visa and COPR form
d. Conditions on visa

Acknowledgement of Receipt

The first communication issued by the Quebec delegation is the Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR). The AOR provides the file number assigned to the application as well as the official receipt for the government processing fees paid to the processing post. The issuance of the AOR clearly indicates that the application was received at the immigration processing post and that a file has been created and opened. The AOR does NOT contain the assessment decision for the case.

All future correspondences to and from the immigration post should contain the file number assigned to the case.

RSS Immigration will receive all communication on behalf of the Applicant. RSS Immigration’s policy is that the applicant will be notified via email within 72 hours of the receipt of the correspondence at their offices.

Preliminary Review (Determining eligibility)

The Quebec Immigration authorities will conduct an initial review of your documents (paper-screening). All documents submitted to support the application will be reviewed at this time. It is therefore imperative that a completed application and supporting documentation be submitted, as only the documents submitted will be reviewed. Upon the conclusion of the paper screening of the application the immigration officer will make one of the following decisions:

• Interview Requirement
• Refusal of the Application

For a Personal Selection Interview, the application will be placed in queue to await an interview date. Your interview will NOT be scheduled at this time. The exact date of interview will be provided by the processing post later and this process could take several months after the paper screening section is completed.

Application Decision

Upon the completion of the initial review of the application or upon the completion of the Interview the immigration officer will decide if the applicant qualifies for Quebec immigration.

If the applicant qualifies for Immigration to Canada the Quebec Delegation will issue a Quebec Certificate of Selection – Certificate du Selection du Quebec (CSQ). This document confirms the acceptance of the applicant under the Quebec Self-Employed Category. A CSQ will be issued to all members in the applicants family indicated on the application.

The immigration officer may also decide that the documents submitted on behalf of the application do not establish the level of qualifications required by Quebec Immigration Authorities. The officer will then refuse the application for Permanent Residency.

Submission of Application to the Federal Processing Post

If the applicant has successfully completed the first portion of the application and obtained the CSQ, he/she will be required to submit a secondary application to the Federal Processing Post. However, do not be alarmed, only two other additional documents will be required for the Federal Submission. The remainder of the documents is usually returned by the Quebec Immigration office.

As indicated above, due to the division of responsibility by the two Immigration authorities (Quebec & Canada), the Canadian Immigration Authorities only have the right to refuse the application, if the applicant fails the Medical or Security sections of the Immigration processes. As such the Canadian Immigration will NOT re-assess the applicant’s qualification.

Medical Clearance

All Applicants as well as all dependents (accompanying or not) will be required to pass the medical requirement. The medical examination requirement is mandatory and serves the following purposes:

• to protect the health of Canadians;
• to protect the safety of Canadians;
• to reduce and prevent excessive demand on Canada's health and social services

The medical report is valid for one year from the date of completion.

The medical exam can be completed anywhere in the world. However, in order for the report to be valid, the attending physician who oversees the exam must be indicated on the Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) list and the results sent to the appropriate medical office. DMP’s are medical officers certified by the Canadian Immigration Authorities to oversee the exams. The DMP’s do not make the final decision regarding an applicant’s admissibility into Canada. Only Canadian Immigration has the right to make this decision.

Security Clearance

Each applicant over the age of 18 is also required to pass the security requirement. All applicants must prove that they are not a threat to the safety of Canadian society. Applicants provide this information through police clearances which the applicant must obtain directly and by passing the background clearances which the immigration authorities obtain on behalf of the applicant.

Visa Issuance

The last stage of the application is the issuance of the Permanent Resident Visa.

a- Passport request: Once the Immigration authorities are ready to issue the visa, applicants will be required to submit their original passport for visa stamping. Original passports must be submitted for the principal applicant as well as each accompanying family member. For security reasons, the visa is now lasered directly into the passport. Each passport will need to be valid for at least 12 months and have a minimum of 2 pages per visa

b- Validity: Each Permanent Resident visa is valid for 1 year from the date of the medical exam or until the expiration of the passport, whichever is sooner. The validity of the PR visa from the date of medical exam refers to the first exam completed (either principal applicant or dependent). The principal applicant and each accompanying dependent must make their official landing in Canada before the PR visa expires. Failure to land before the expiration of your visa will void the visa and will then result in the necessity of a new application. The validity date of the visa CANNOT be extended.

c- Visa and COPR form: The visa will contain the applicants file number, and Identification information (name, date of birth est.) The visa will also contain the EXPIRY date. The actual visa is only one third (1/3) the landing document required. The applicant and accompanying family member will also be issued a Confirmation of Permanent Resident Form (COPR). The COPR form contains the same information as the visa as well indicating the name of all accompanying dependents and any conditions to landing that have been imposed. Both documents, as well as the CSQ must be shown to the immigration officer at the port of entry for each person landing. All information entered on these forms must be CORRECT. Applicants must verify the documents upon their issuance and inform the immigration processing post, without delay if any clerical errors are found. Additionally, any changes to your civil status and/or passport will invalidate the visa. All information entered on the visa must be accurate and valid at the time of landing. As any changes can invalidate your visa we strongly recommend that no changes be made prior to your landing.

d- Conditions on Visas: Depending on the type of Self-Employed application (Investor, Entrepreneur, Self-Employed) submitted, there will be conditions on the visa. Failure to confirm to the conditions on the visa will result in the visa being voided and your Permanent Residence status annulled. This is possible even if you have already landed and reside in Canada. Under the Self-Employed category, the Canadian & Quebec government has the right to contact you after you land to verify that you have adhered to the conditions of your visa.

Refusal of Application:
Applicants can be refused at anytime during the process of the application, for any of the following reasons:

Responsibility of the Quebec Authorities:

• financial reasons
• misrepresentation (failure to be truthful during the application or the omitting of information)
• non-compliance (failure to respond to the immigration officers requests and/or failure to provide the information within the deadline specified
• inadmissible of family members (family members must also comply with these requirements)

Responsibilities of the Federal Authorities
• Criminal Issues
• Medical Issues