Quebec faces pressure to act on promise to reopen fast-track immigration program

Jessica Prats came to quebec city from anatole france with her married man and 4 children with hopes of edifice a life in Canada, but her plan was put on hold when the provincial government scrapped a fast-track immigration program.

Premier Christine Fréchette campaigned for leadership of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) with the promise to reopen the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) and grant an exemption to immigrants who were already in Quebec when it was abolished last November.

But Prats said things aren't moving fast enough.

"The waiting and uncertainty are taking a toll on my children, my husband and myself. There are a lot of tears, and it’s physically exhausting," she said. “We must not forget that there are elections in October."

Launched in 2010, the PEQ was designed as a merit-based pathway to residency for French-speaking graduates and workers already integrated into the province. 

The CAQ abolished the PEQ to gain tighter control over immigration volumes. It was replaced by a skilled worker selection program known as the PSTQ. 

Fréchette, pivoting from the hardline policies of her predecessor François Legault, aims to honour the original promise made to 45,000 integrated residents. However, the clock is ticking. 

Quebec's premier promised to reinstate the PEQ program. Some say the clock is ticking

Critics are warning that, without a clear start date, many will be forced to leave before they can even apply. 

Yves Martineau, an immigration lawyer, said many of his own clients have already left for another province or are packing their bags.

“If the best option, if perhaps the only option for them, is to go to Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver or Yellowknife with a job offer that will give them access to residency in another way, then that is the advice that will be given,” he said.

Immigration procedures are always long, said Sol Zanetti, an MNA and co-spokesperson for the opposition party Québec Solidaire.

"You need to at least know if you can start them now, and if they will be successful," said Zanetti, calling on the government to reopen the program by Tuesday as promised.

In a letter addressed to the new immigration minister François Bonnardel, one advocacy group says that after a year of being "forgotten," an immediate dialogue is essential to ensuring a fair solution for those who uprooted their lives to fill the province's labor needs. 

Le Québec, c’est nous aussi (LQCNA), which advocates for immigrants in Quebec, is calling for a direct meeting to establish a "constructive solution" for the families and students who uprooted their lives to respond to Quebec’s recruitment needs, only to lose the clear path to residency they were promised.

"I want to make sure people know that we’re not giving up  — we will see this through to the end," said Nadir Belaid, a spokesperson for LQCNA.

Tiffany Corti, a pastry chef who arrived from France in 2023, said the waiting is creating a lot of anxiety.

“We don’t know under what conditions, we don’t know when. And many of us are seeing our status expire in the coming weeks, days and months,” she said.

If Fréchette’s election as head of the governing party represents some initial relief for Corti — who said she even took part in the leadership convention in April — she believes concrete action is taking too long to materialize.

“I don’t want promises; I want action,” she said.

Aram Musco, who moved to Quebec from France in September 2022 and now speaks for the LQCNA, said the goal is not to fight the government.

“We want to work together to find solutions," he said.

“Our role is to relay the reality of people’s everyday lives — those who are integrated, speak French and have built homes here, but whose only hope is the reinstatement of the PEQ."

In a statement, Bonnardel's office said Sunday that it is actively working on various scenarios to reopen the PEQ and details will be provided shortly.

While the federal government recently granted 12-month extensions for "closed" work permits, ministry spokesperson Xavier Daffe-Bordeleau stated that Quebec is pushing Ottawa to broaden these measures.

The province is requesting that permit renewals also be extended to open work permit holders, spouses and dependents to prevent integrated families from being forced out while awaiting the program's return.

“While these measures are a step in the right direction, Quebec has indicated to the federal government that it is necessary to broaden their scope,” he said.

“Quebec wishes for this measure to also apply to open work permit holders, as well as to the spouses and dependents of principal applicants, so that they may also renew their work permits.”

On L’espace Paul Arcand on 98.5 FM Monday morning, Fréchette said the government plans to re-establish the program and that an announcement is days away.

In the meantime, she said, their work permits must be renewed, and she has spoken with the prime minister about that need for stability among immigrants who applied to the program.

According to a statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, foreign nationals with expiring work permits can apply for an extension as long as they remain eligible.

Those who submit their paperwork before their current authorization lapses are granted maintained status, enabling them to remain employed throughout the processing period.

The statement says the federal government is working with Quebec to support labour needs and help workers already in the province transition to permanent residence.

Journalist

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