PQ wants one in four immigrants to live in the regions

QUEBEC A Parti Québécois government would aim to attract one in four immigrants to the regions of Quebec during its first mandate, party leader Jean-François Lisée has confirmed.

Flanked by Catherine Fournier, the party ’s immigration and diversity critic, and Sylvain Gaudreault, the party’s critic for regional development and decentralization, Lisée presented the PQ’s immigration policy proposals on Tuesday.

If it forms a majority after the Oct. 1 general election, the PQ would attempt to reverse the trend that sees 90 per cent of new Quebecers settling in the Montreal region.

The party is promising to give candidates for economic immigration who want to establish themselves in the regions twice as many points as those who want to establish themselves in the Montreal region.

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La Presse Canadienne revealed on Monday that a Lisée government would give skilled workers who have a valid job offer in the regions more points under the immigration selection system, to encourage them to make that choice.

People who want to immigrate to Quebec as skilled workers must have a certain number of points under the selection system. A single individual must obtain 50 out of 99 points, while a married couple must have 59 out of 116, to immigrate. Points are awarded for higher levels of education, proficiency in English and French, experience in Quebec, and age, with younger people receiving more points.

The PQ’s objective is for 25 per cent of new arrivals to choose to move to the regions before the end of a four-year mandate.

Under the current selection criteria, eight points are given to a candidate for economic immigration who has a valid job offer in Montreal, while a job offer in the regions is worth 10 points.

“It’s a little absurd that it’s such a small difference; it’s not very attractive,” Fournier said.

The PQ would increase the “regional bonus” from 10 to 16 points, double that of Montreal, so that candidates can clearly see the difference and will be encouraged to apply for jobs in the regions, Fournier said.

The PQ would make another change to the selection criteria: even if a candidate does not have a job offer in the regions, they could obtain additional points if they demonstrate their intention to move to a rural area.

The number of points that would be given in that case has not yet been determined.