Arrima: creating your account, filing your expression of interest and keeping it up to date

Under Québec's Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), nothing happens without an expression of interest. It is what puts your profile in the bank from which the department picks the people it invites. Here is how to start one in Arrima, what it must contain, how long it stays valid and which pitfalls are easy to avoid.

Arrima in a nutshell

Arrima is the online platform of the ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII, formerly MIFI) for its immigration and French-learning services. Candidates, employers and representatives all use it. Among other things, it handles the PSTQ, the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Tutorials and answers to technical questions come with the platform.

Opening your account and getting started

The expression of interest page on Québec.ca links to Arrima: choose "Accéder aux services en ligne", then sign in or create your account. You can then fill out and file your expression of interest.

A few things to know before you start:

• It is free. The department points out that you do not need to pay anyone. If you still hire a paid representative, that person must be authorized: a lawyer who is a member of the Barreau du Québec, a notary of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, a holder of a special authorization from one of those bodies, or a recognized consultant registered with the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration. Representation must be declared.
• Basic conditions: be 18 or older, intend to live and work in Québec in a job you can hold, for a business you do not control and outside the excluded sectors.
• The draft clock: from the day you create the expression of interest, you have 90 days to complete and file it. After that, it is deleted.

What you will need to declare

The form covers your situation, status, education, work history and intentions. For your work history, list every paid job and paid internship from the last five years, plus any mandatory internship completed as part of a diploma program, paid or not.

Your family matters too:

• you provide details on an accompanying spouse and on your children, whether or not they come with you;
• your spouse can file their own expression of interest: each of you then enters the other's expression of interest number in the "Personal information" section so the two files are linked;
• a child under 18 cannot have their own expression of interest and is listed in yours, in the "Family situation" section.

Keep these at hand: passports, French test results (no more than two years old), your validated job offer if you have one, diplomas, employment letters for the last five years and, for a regulated profession, the assessment from the regulatory body. That last document is optional at this stage.

Valid for 12 months, with no extension

Once filed, your expression of interest is valid for one year. If no invitation arrives in that time, it becomes invalid. It cannot be extended or renewed, but you can create a new one for free: your earlier answers carry over, and it is up to you to check them. You can also withdraw your expression of interest at any time.

Keeping your profile current

You can edit your expression of interest at any time, even after filing it, and it is your job to do so when your situation changes. Updating does not, however, push back the expiry date.

Why this matters: according to the department's scoring document, your age, French results, work experience and diplomas are assessed as of the date the data is extracted from the bank for a round. A new diploma, a new test or extra months of experience only count if they are in your expression of interest at that moment. When two profiles have the same score, the date and time the expression of interest was filed breaks the tie.

Pay special attention to your main occupation: it decides your stream, and if you are invited, it must stay the same in your application for permanent selection.

The employer portal

In the "Consent" section, you can make your profile visible to Québec businesses that are recruiting. They see details such as your experience, French and education, but not your name or contact details. If a business sends you a contact request, you have five business days to accept or decline it in Arrima. If you accept, your email address becomes visible to the business, with no other commitment on your part. Declining has no effect on your place in the bank or your chances of being invited.

The Arrima message centre

Every new message in your Arrima message centre triggers an email, which may land in your junk folder. The department states that checking the message centre is your responsibility. That matters all the more because an invitation must be answered within 30 days.

Common mistakes to avoid

These mistakes follow directly from the published rules:

• leaving a draft untouched for more than 90 days;
• assuming an update extends the 12-month validity;
• declaring a French test that will be more than two years old on the extraction date, which means it earns no points;
• choosing a main occupation (NOC code) that does not match the job you are aiming for;
• leaving out a job or internship from the last five years;
• not cross-entering both spouses' expression of interest numbers;
• not watching the message centre and missing the deadline to answer an invitation;
• entering inaccurate information: the department can cancel an invitation, or refuse or reject an application, when information is false or misleading.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an expression of interest cost?

Nothing. It is filled out free of charge in Arrima. Processing fees come later, when you submit an application for permanent selection.

What happens if I decline an invitation?

You can ask for your expression of interest to stay in the bank or to be withdrawn. If you do not answer within 30 days, it becomes invalid and leaves the bank.

My expression of interest expired. Is my data gone?

No. When you create a new one, your previous information carries over. Review it before filing.

Track your file with CSQ Tracker Pro

CSQ Tracker Pro is an independent app, not affiliated with the Government of Québec. Its simulator gives you an estimate of your PSTQ score while you prepare your expression of interest, and its step-by-step journey tracker helps you see where you stand. It also lists the Arrima invitation rounds taken from Québec.ca.

Official sources

• Completing an expression of interest in immigrating to Québec (PSTQ)
• Online immigration services (Arrima)
• Agreeing to be connected to an employer through the PSTQ
• Get represented in your immigration procedures
• Requirements of the Skilled Worker Selection Program
• Invitation to apply for permanent selection
• Invitation criteria and scoring (PDF, in French)

Information checked on November 5, 2026. Rules can change: always check Québec.ca before acting.