The Expression of Interest (EOI) system was put in place by the government in 2018 to manage applications for permanent selection in Quebec.

The introduction of Quebec’s EOI system is part of a modernization effort, similar to that of the Express Entry system, which was also introduced with the same goal in 2015. Like Canada with the Express Entry system, Quebec has implemented an online portal called Arrima with the goal of streamlining the immigrant selection process and significantly speeding up the processing of immigration applications and better aligning immigration with labour market needs.

The use of the EOI system allows the government of Quebec to build a pool of foreign nationals who wish to immigrate permanently to the province under the Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). 

Foreign national who wish to apply for permanent selection under the QSWP must initiate this process by creating a profile through the Arrima portal and filling out an EOI. The EOI provides information on the socio-economic profile of the individual submitting it. Typically, eligible applicants answer a series of questions online and then submit their profile to the EOI pool. Once a candidate’s profile is submitted, he or she is assigned a score based on several factors related to human capital and labor market needs.

Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) administers Arrima and conducts regular rounds of invitations to select candidates from the pool based on their ranking score, target occupations or location of employment, among other factors. The frequency and the number of invitations issued to candidates are determined based on Quebec’s labour market needs, annual immigration targets as well as the processing capacity of the MIFI. 

EOIs are completed online, are free of charge, and no supporting documentation is required at this stage. There is also no limit to the number of interested individuals who can submit an EOI into the Arrima pool and there is no deadline for submission.

EOIs are valid for one year from the date of submission and can be updated at any time, even once submitted.