Changed recently
- CCQ competency certificate and exam fees (construction trades) is now Apprentice/student certificate registration $100; provincial qualification exam registration $100 (non-refundable, valid 12 months); certificate renewal is automatic and free for eligible apprentices. Source
- MAPAQ food safety certificate — typical cost and validity is now No government-set price — each MAPAQ-recognized trainer sets its own fee. The manipulateur d'aliments attestation is valid for life (no expiration) and stays with the worker across employers. Source
- Security guard licence (permis d'agent - gardiennage), Bureau de la sécurité privée is now Minimum 70-hour gardiennage course at a recognized school service centre or training organization, plus a valid 16-hour CNESST workplace first aid certificate; approx. $185.50 for the first-year permit, $68.50 to renew annually (BSP fees, indexed yearly). Source
- Eligibility requirements for a Quebec security guard permit is now Minimum age 18 (limited exception for supervised training placements); no relevant unpardoned criminal conviction; good moral character verified through a Sûreté du Québec background check; Canadian citizenship, permanent residence, or a valid work permit. Source
- MIFI Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec — fee and processing time is now $141 (effective January 1, 2026, adjusted yearly). Source
- CCQ recognition of construction trade experience/training gained outside Quebec is now An immigrant (or First Nations/Inuit or ethnic/visible-minority worker) identified with the CCQ can get an occupation certificate via experience recognition after demonstrating at least 750 hours of relevant construction work, without needing an employer guarantee. Source
| Fact | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCQ recognition of construction trade experience/training gained outside Quebec | An immigrant (or First Nations/Inuit or ethnic/visible-minority worker) identified with the CCQ can get an occupation certificate via experience recognition after demonstrating at least 750 hours of relevant construction work, without needing an employer guarantee | 2026-09-08 | CCQ, Personnes immigrantes ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Qualifications Québec (Q2) — single-window skills recognition service | Free single point of entry for information on recognition procedures for any profession/trade; guides both regulated and non-regulated occupations, including RCMO (skills recognition of the workforce) certificates for voluntary-qualification trades | 2026-09-01 | Qualifications Québec ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Security guard licence (permis d'agent - gardiennage), Bureau de la sécurité privée | Minimum 70-hour gardiennage course at a recognized school service centre or training organization, plus a valid 16-hour CNESST workplace first aid certificate; approx. $185.50 for the first-year permit, $68.50 to renew annually (BSP fees, indexed yearly) | 2026-09-08 | Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Permis régulier ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Accelerated PAB training (AEP), introduced 2020 | Attestation d'études professionnelles (AEP), typically 375 hours over 12 weeks, or a 705-hour/5-month version for broader settings (CHSLD, maisons des aînés, home care) | 2026-09-01 | CIUSSS / CISSS accelerated PAB training program pages ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Quebec new apprenticeship registrations, latest year (StatCan RAIS) | Down 4.3% year over year in 2024; 8.4% below pre-pandemic 2019 level | 2024-01-01 | Statistics Canada, The Daily — New registrations, certifications and pathway indicators of registered apprentices in Canada, 2024 ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Which body runs apprenticeship in Quebec, by trade type | Construction trades: CCQ (Commission de la construction du Québec). Other/non-construction trades: Emploi-Québec via the PAMT (Programme d'apprentissage en milieu de travail) | 2026-09-01 | Gouvernement du Québec / CCQ, Programme d'apprentissage en milieu de travail and CCQ qualification pages ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| CCQ competency certificate and exam fees (construction trades) | Apprentice/student certificate registration $100; provincial qualification exam registration $100 (non-refundable, valid 12 months); certificate renewal is automatic and free for eligible apprentices | 2026-09-08 | CCQ, Certificat de compétence — Apprenti ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Eligibility requirements for a Quebec security guard permit | Minimum age 18 (limited exception for supervised training placements); no relevant unpardoned criminal conviction; good moral character verified through a Sûreté du Québec background check; Canadian citizenship, permanent residence, or a valid work permit | 2026-09-08 | Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Obtenir un permis temporaire d'agent ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| French-language requirement for Quebec's regulated professional orders (ordres professionnels) | Each professional order requires demonstrated French proficiency for admission (e.g. Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec requires sufficient mastery of French, tested during the admission application) | 2026-09-01 | Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), Diplômés hors Canada ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| MAPAQ food safety certificate — typical cost and validity | No government-set price — each MAPAQ-recognized trainer sets its own fee. The manipulateur d'aliments attestation is valid for life (no expiration) and stays with the worker across employers | 2026-09-08 | Gouvernement du Québec (MAPAQ), Formation de manipulateur d'aliments ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| MIFI Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec — fee and processing time | $141 (effective January 1, 2026, adjusted yearly) | 2026-01-01 | Gouvernement du Québec (MIFI), Preparing your comparative evaluation application ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| PRIIME wage subsidy for immigrants and visible minorities | Wage subsidy of up to 50-70% of gross salary for an initial job placement, up to about 30-52 weeks depending on the source; plus up to $5,000 for skills-upgrading training and possible funding for workplace mentoring/accompaniment | 2026-09-01 | Gouvernement du Québec, Aide financière pour l'embauche des personnes immigrantes et issues de minorités visibles (PRIIME) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Préposé aux bénéficiaires (PAB) — DEP "Assistance à la personne en établissement et à domicile" | 870 hours; tuition-free for Quebec residents at public vocational centres, materials fees apply | 2026-09-01 | Quebec Métiers d'avenir / centres de formation professionnelle, DEP 5358 ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Quebec occupations eligible for simplified/facilitated hiring of temporary foreign workers (liste des professions admissibles au traitement simplifié) | 60 occupations, effective 2026-02-24 to 2027-02-23 (down from 76 the prior year) | 2026-02-24 | Gouvernement du Québec, Liste des professions admissibles au traitement simplifié ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Where to get the Red Seal exam in Quebec | Emploi-Québec (via the Centre administratif de la qualification professionnelle) administers Red Seal for eligible trades, based on a qualification certificate already issued by Emploi-Québec or the CCQ | 2026-09-01 | Gouvernement du Québec, Facilitating Interprovincial Mobility Through the Red Seal Program ✓ 2026-09-09 |
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