Stream 4 of the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés – PSTQ (Skilled Worker Selection Program)
As part of stream 4: Exceptional Talents, of the Skilled Worker Selection Program (SWSP), Québec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) has given the CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) the mandate to evaluate requests for opinion for exceptional talents in the field of arts and culture.
Artists who would like to apply through stream 4: Exceptional Talents for immigration to Québec must first request an opinion from the CALQ attesting to the exceptional character of their case.
The request for an opinion will be studied by specialists in the applicant’s artistic field, based on the eligibility criteria presented below. The CALQ will make its decision based on the majority opinion of the experts consulted.
A positive opinion from the CALQ does not guarantee a person will be selected for permanent immigration to Québec. Only the MIFI has that responsibility.
Anyone who obtains a positive opinion must attach it to their expression of interest in immigrating to Québec on the Arrima platform using the Exceptional Talents stream. For more information about the SWSP and immigration procedures for Québec, visit the program page. This link will open in a new window
Process
The following information outlines the CALQ’s evaluation process to determine the exceptional character of an application from a foreign national artist who would like to immigrate permanently to Québec through stream 4 of the SWSP: Exceptional Talents.
Who can request an opinion
The request for an opinion must come from a foreign national who declares themselves to be a professional artist:
- someone whose primary occupation is to create work or practice an art independently;
- who is recognized as a professional artist by their peers;
- and whose works or performances are shown publicly, for remuneration, in a recognized context or at recognized sites.
This person may already be in Québec, or they may still be abroad.
According to the CALQ's criteria, they must have practiced their profession for at least 5 of the last 7 years in one or more of the following artistic disciplines:
- circus arts;
- multidisciplinary arts;
- digital arts;
- visual arts;
- comic books;
- songwriting;
- film and video;
- dance;
- literature and storytelling;
- arts and crafts;
- music;
- theatre.
To qualify as an exceptional talent, the applicant must have distinguished themselves for:
- the quality, volume and unique character of their artistic output;
- their contribution to their field of expertise;
- their national and international impact.
Progression of a request for an opinion
Rules
Anyone who submits a request for an opinion agrees to respect the following rules:
- All documents must be presented in French or English. Documents or portions thereof in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation signed by a professional translator.
- File components must be submitted in the format indicated on the identification and agreement form.
- The CALQ reserves the right to verify documents submitted and request confirmation of their authenticity. The applicant must cooperate in a timely manner with any verification request, or their application may be considered ineligible.
- The CALQ assumes statements are provided in good faith. However, if, during the evaluation process, it appears that the application contains false or misleading information, the application will immediately be deemed ineligible.
- Only complete applications will be evaluated. If one of the required documents is missing, the application will be considered ineligible.
- The opinion rendered by the CALQ, whether positive or negative, is valid for two years. No new application from the same artist will be accepted within two years following the date of the first submission.
- The CALQ’s decision is final and without appeal. Requests for review will not be considered.
- Under no circumstances does a positive opinion from the CALQ guarantee a person will be selected to immigrate permanently to Québec. Solely the MIFI has that responsibility
File contents
The file submitted to the CALQ must include the following elements, in French or English. Documents or parts of documents submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation signed by a professional translator.
- Identification and agreement form
The personal information contained on this form is not forwarded to the expert assessors.
The form must be signed by the applicant. Electronic signatures are accepted.
- Cover letter (2 pages maximum, in PDF format)
The cover letter describes the exceptional quality of the applicant’s artistic contribution. It showcases their main achievements, milestones in their career and how their expertise can contribute to Québec society.
The cover letter must be signed by the applicant. Electronic signatures are accepted.
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Résumé (2 pages maximum, in PDF format)
The résumé presents the academic formation and the most important aspects of the artist’s career. It highlights events and achievements that demonstrate the scope of their work and their national and international impact. -
List of achievements (5 pages maximum, in PDF format)
Complementing the résumé, the list of achievements is an enumeration of the artist’s most significant accomplishments, describing the impact and relevance of each one. It provides an overview of their contribution to the development of their discipline and the reach of their reputation. It is important that the list be up to date. - Supporting materials
Supporting materials allow for an appreciation of the quality and uniqueness of the applicant’s artistic work. Depending on the artistic discipline, materials may be images, audio or video documents, texts, web links, etc. The material must be presented and put into context in the Supporting Materials Presentation form. It is important to select strong works or excerpts of works that quickly convey the exceptional character of the artist’s output. - Press kit (20 pages maximum, in a single PDF)
The press kit contains reviews and articles that have appeared in major national and international media. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have articles and transcriptions of media reports translated to French or English.
- Bibliography (if applicable, 2 pages maximum, in a single PDF)
The bibliography is a list of documentary references by specialists about the applicant’s work or career. It may contain examples of critical works, monographs, exhibition catalogues, scientific articles, digital publications or university work.
Pages beyond the authorized number will be removed from the file submitted for evaluation.
Documents other than those required may not be submitted for evaluation.
Subject to the provisions of Québec’s Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information, the CALQ respects the confidentiality of documents and information in its possession and sent to it.
Evaluation criteria
Requests for opinions are evaluated based on the following criteria.
The exceptional character of the artistic output
- the strength and unique character of artistic works;
- the importance of the body of work and the scope of the career;
- the influence of the artist and their work on the thinking and practice in their field of expertise.
The exceptional impact of the career or body of work
- the scale of national and international presentation of works (volume of activity, size of the presentation network, reputation of partners, etc.);
- recognition of the work or the career (grants, honours and prestigious awards);
- the potential contribution of the artist to Québec’s artistic and cultural life.
Evaluation process
Peer appraisal is central to the CALQ’s evaluation process. CALQ employees and members of its board of directors do not intervene in the artistic evaluation process.
Applications deemed eligible by CALQ employees are sent to three independent evaluators, outside the organization. The three evaluators are seasoned professionals, recognized for their skills and specialized knowledge in the applicant’s artistic field.
Evaluators study the request for an opinion based on established criteria and provide the CALQ an individual written evaluation of the application and a recommendation regarding its exceptional character.
The CALQ makes its decision based on the majority point of view of the experts consulted.
The CALQ’s decisions are final and without appeal.
Ethics
Members of the CALQ’s board of directors, employees and members of juries and committees are governed by a code of ethics This link will open in a new window. They must act in good faith in exercising their duties and refrain from discussions of applications for financial aid, which could give the appearance of a conflict of interest. Furthermore, none of these individuals may use confidential or privileged information they receive for their own ends.
Submitting a request for an opinion
A request for an opinion may be submitted at any time.
Artists who would like to submit a request for an opinion to the CALQ must :
- provide a complete file that includes all the required documents;
- ensure they use every possible option to limit the size of the documents (black and white, image size, Acrobat optimization options, etc.);
- ensure PDF documents are not protected.
The file must be submitted to the CALQ via WeTransfer. Instructions for doing so can be found on the form:
To affix the required signatures to the identification form and the cover letter, the applicant must include their electronic signature (PDF format) or sign and scan the paper document (Word or PDF formats).
N.B.: Attached documents must not exceed 40 Mb.
The CALQ will email an acknowledgement of receipt.
Decision
The CALQ communicates its decision in writing.
If the opinion is positive, the applicant must attach the CALQ’s opinion to its expression of interest to immigrate to Québec through the SWSP’s Exceptional Talents stream.
If the opinion is negative, new applications will not be accepted within two years following the first submission.
The CALQ’s opinion, whether positive or negative, is valid for two years.