What is Quebec’s immigration strategy?

Quebec has a unique immigration procedure with special programs and requirements. Due to its distinct francophone character, Quebec has more immigration authority than any other province or territory in Canada. According to the Canadian Constitution, both the federal and provincial governments are responsible for immigration, but the federal government has the most influence. Quebec established its own immigration ministry in 1968.

Quebec now has the authority to define its own immigration goals and choose immigrants based on its own standards and procedures. It is the only province with complete control over admissions under the pathway for economic admissions. The federal government is in charge of choosing candidates through economic paths throughout the remainder of the nation using its own selection criteria and ranking system. Regardless of the immigration channel, the federal government ultimately has the power to decide who gets to enter the country.

A prospective immigrant must first submit an application to the Quebec government. The province will evaluate the candidate using its own standards and criteria. The Quebec Ministry of Immigration will give the candidate with a Certificat de selection du Quebec (CSQ) if they are chosen. The candidate can only apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency after receiving a CSQ.

Immigrants as a target

The 2023 Quebec Immigration Plan, which outlines the province's immigration goals for the year, was published by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration. According to the proposal, the province expects to welcome 49,500 to 52,500 new residents in 2023. The majority of entrants will fall under the economic category, with a target of 33,900 people, or over 65% of all newcomers. Within this group, Quebec anticipates receiving up to 29,500 qualified employees and up to 4,300 business immigrants, including independent contractors, investors, and business owners.

Quebec also plans to accept between 6,900 and 7,500 refugees and individuals in comparable circumstances in 2023, in addition to between 10,200 and 10,600 entrants through family reunification. 

Immigrants who speak French 

The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), the party in power in Quebec, has made preserving the French language a top priority. The province intends to accomplish this by choosing immigrants who are coming to Quebec via programs for economic immigrants who are fluent in French. In a speech to the National Assembly of Quebec in November 2022, Quebec Premier Francois Legault stressed the value of immigrant francophones to the region. He said he wanted to mandate that all Quebec economic immigrants speak French by the year 2026.

Ways to move to Quebec

There are several ways to immigrate to Quebec, including opportunities for businessmen, family sponsorship, and avenues for skilled workers. When choosing skilled worker immigrants, Quebec lays a significant focus on fluency in French, but it is possible to qualify for the province's immigration programs without knowing the language. The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) and the Quebec Experience Program are two of Quebec's economic immigration initiatives (PEQ). The QSWP is for foreign skilled professionals who desire to settle in Quebec and become citizens of Canada. For qualified individuals with qualifying work experience in the province and for international students with a qualifying diploma from a Quebec post-secondary institution, the PEQ is a popular choice.

Arrima is the website that the Quebec government uses to manage applications for skilled workers. It was established in 2018 to speed up the processing of immigration applications and match the demands of the provinces' labor markets with immigration applicants. Candidates who want to immigrate to Quebec can make a profile; if they are qualified, they are given a score and placed in relation to other candidates in the pool. The Expression of Interest (EOI) system chooses candidates.

An individual might be qualified for immigration to Quebec under the family class sponsorship program. Those who live in Quebec who is the person's spouse or common-law partner may sponsor them to move in with them. The person may also qualify for sponsorship if they are a dependent child or grandparent of a Quebec resident. The sponsor must sign an "undertaking" that makes them legally accountable for the family member they seek to sponsor. They may also be asked to provide proof of their ability to provide the family member with the necessary financial support. In Quebec, a sponsor is required to have a different length of the undertaking and a different level of revenue than in the rest of the nation.

How to obtain a student and work permit in Quebec?

In Canada, there are two varieties of work permit programs:

- Temporary Foreign Worker Program: To be eligible for a work permit, a foreign worker must complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

- International Mobility Program: To get a work permit, a foreign employee does not need to submit an LMIA.

- An LMIA is used to show that hiring a foreign worker won't have a detrimental effect on Canada's labor market. Although the LMIA procedure is frequently used, there are numerous work licenses that are LMIA-exempt.

The province of Quebec has its own rules regarding work permits. The vocations that qualify for an accelerated LMIA in Quebec are listed separately. The foreign worker must get both an LMIA and a certificate known as a Certificat Acceptance du Quebec (CAQ) in order to receive a work permit. If the prospective student wants to study in Quebec, they must also apply for a CAQ, which is similar to the process for getting a work visa.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *