Quebec Releases Its Immigration Policy For 2023

Quebec Releases Its Immigration Policy For 2023

Samuel Francis Gills Published:
December 17, 2022

Quebec is the only region in North America with mostly French speakers and one of the provinces in Canada where French is a constitutionally recognized official language. According to the province’s 2023 immigration policy, which was unveiled on December 8, up to 52,500 more permanent residents might be admitted. The immigration strategy for 2022 will have the same goal as it has now.

In 2023, the province’s economic immigration initiatives, such as the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) and the Québec Experience Program (PEQ), will account for the majority of new admissions. The updated strategy adheres to the goals set during the public consultation held as part of the Quebec Immigration Planning for the years 2020–2022, which took place in the summer of 2019.

With a maximum target of 33,900, the economic category represents the largest proportion of newcomers, accounting for more than 65% of planned admissions. The new plan adheres to the targets established during the public consultation held in the summer of 2019 as part of Quebec Immigration Planning for the 2020–2022 period. Up to 29,500 skilled employees and up to 4,300 business immigrants—including investors, business owners, and self-employed people —are expected to arrive to the province under this category. Through refugee, family reunification, and other immigration programs, the remaining 18,100 new permanent residents are anticipated to come.

Quebec is the only province that refreshes their immigration plan annually, it aligns the total number of permanent residents the province intends to admit during the year and also assigns the categories in which the need to be admitted in, it has been noticed that the province only releases plans for the upcoming year but in 2023 there will be a consultation held after which the province is required to create a multi-year plan which will start from the year 2024.

 

 

How is Quebec’s immigration system different from others?

Only Quebec publishes an annual plan for immigration levels in the entire country of Canada. Additionally, it is the only province with complete discretion over its admissions for economic immigration.
Quebec has more control over its immigration policies, in large part because it established its own immigration ministry in 1968. The province persisted in calling for more immigration restriction up until more than 20 years later, in 1991, when the Quebec-Canada Accord gave the province the authority to set its own admission targets.
Nevertheless, immigration is a joint duty between the federal and provincial governments, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), regardless of the category of immigration, has the last say on all admissions. Quebec chooses the skilled workers it wants to accept.

 

How can you move to Quebec?

The federal and provincial governments must jointly approve every applicant for immigration to Quebec. Candidates must immediately apply to Quebec through one of the province’s immigration programs. Quebec chooses talented immigrants in accordance with its own criteria and processes. A Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) will be given to the candidate and any accompanying family members who satisfy the program’s requirements and are chosen by Quebec. The Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration of Quebec is the organisation responsible for issuing this paper.
Once an applicant has received a CSQ, they must apply to IRCC for permanent residency and pass the required security, medical, and criminal background investigations.

 

Candidates with French language skills prioritized

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) won a second term as the country’s governing party earlier this year with a solid majority, hence the 2023 plan remains quite close to the 2022 plan.
After lowering admission objectives in 2019, the 2022 plan, developed under the direction of the current premier François Legault, sought to progressively raise the number of entrants. The CAQ implemented a 20% cutoff that year to enhance the selection and francization of newcomers to Quebec.

One of the main pillars of the CAQ party is to protect the French language in Quebec and the new plan focuses on selecting immigrants who already speak French. In 2023, 79% of economic immigrants and 66% of immigrants in general are expected to be fluent in French, according to the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration.

During this year’s provincial election in Quebec, immigration was a hotly discussed subject. Legault pledged throughout his campaign that he would only let 50,000 newcomers into Quebec every year for the duration of his mandate. He claims that this is the maximum number of immigrants that Quebec can accept since it is difficult to assimilate newcomers into Quebec society, especially those who need to learn French.

 

Contact us to know if you qualify to migrate to Quebec. Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn about finding employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.

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