Skilled Worker/Professional applicants intending to reside in Montreal or another city in the Province of Quebec are selected based upon a different set of criteria than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada. Successful applicants destined to Quebec are issued a Quebec Certificate of Selection. They must then successfully complete medical and security examinations conducted by the Canadian government in order to be granted a Canadian Immigrant Visa.

Quebec Skilled Workers are not assessed on the six selection factors of the Federal Skilled Workers Program.

The Quebec Government selects applicants based upon factors relating to age, education, work experience, French language ability and ties to Quebec. The selection system is, in theory, designed to indicate the likelihood of succeeding in settling in the Province of Quebec. The Quebec selection process is divided into two stages which may be summarized as follows:

In this first stage, applicants must satisfy ONE of the following three tests:

• They must have at least six months of full-time work experience in an occupation that the Quebec Government has determined is in high demand; OR

• They must have at least six months of full-time experience in any occupation, and they must also have assured employment in Quebec; OR

• They must have at least six months of full-time experience in any occupation (other than an occupation that the Quebec Government has determined is not in demand), and they must also score at least 30 points on an Employability and Professional Mobility Assessment, which is still part of this first stage.

Under each of the above three tests, applicants must satisfy all of the minimum education and work-related requirements set out in the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) for their occupations. The NOC is a compilation of all occupations and their minimum education requirements; the NOC also describes the specific duties of each occupation.

Applicants who satisfy any ONE of these three tests then proceed to the second stage of the Quebec selection process.

Applicants who succeed in the first stage of selection are then assessed based upon a second series of factors. Each factor is allotted a maximum number of points, and applicants must attain at least 65 points (70 points if they are married) in order to qualify for a Quebec Certificate of Selection.

These stage two factors may be summarized as follows:

Training:	Applicants are awarded up to 17 points under the Training Factor.
Employment:	Applicants are awarded up to 15 points under the Employment Factor.
Experience:	Applicants are awarded up to 10 points under the Experience Factor.
Adaptability:	Applicants are awarded up to 31 points under the Adaptability Factor.
Age:	Applicants are awarded up to 10 points under the Age Factor.
Knowledge Of languages:	Applicants are awarded up to 23 points under the Knowledge of Languages Factor.
Spouse's Characteristics:	Applicants are awarded up to 17 points under the Spouse's Characteristics Factor.
Children:	Applicants are awarded up to 8 points under the Children Factor.
Financial Autonomy Capability:	Applicants are awarded 1 point if they satisfy the minimum criteria under the Financial Autonomy Capability Factor.