Immigration bill would wipe out 18,000-applicant backlog, impose French and values conditions
Coalition Avenir Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-barrette tabled Bill 9, An Act to increase Québec’s socio-economic prosperity and adequately meet labour market needs through successful immigrant integration yesterday at the National Assembly.
Included in the bill is a provision to essentially throw away the 18,000 current immigration applications, some of which were filed up to two years ago. Their application fees, amounting to roughly $19 million would be reimbursed, and they can then reapply, along with new applicants, under the new criteria included in the proposed bill.
During a press conference held yesterday, Jolin-barrette compared the immigration bill to the Tinder dating app.
Rather than long walks on the beach or Netflix and chill, immigrants coming to Quebec should like speaking French,
aligning with ‘Quebec Values’ and be ready and willing to work in the region of the province where the labour need is greatest.
Article 9-21.1. points out “When selecting a foreign national, the Minister may impose conditions on the foreign national which affect the permanent residence granted under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Statutes of Canada, 2001, chapter 27) in order to ensure, among other things, the protection of public
health, the meeting of regional and sectoral labour needs, the regional or sectoral
creation of enterprises or the financing of such enterprises, or the foreign
national’s linguistic, social or economic integration.”
The bill also includes conditions to ensure that successful immigration applicants stay in the province, under penalty of losing permanent resident status.
“Moreover, the bill empowers the government to determine, by regulation, conditions affecting a foreign national’s permanent residence which the Minister may impose when selecting such a foreign national. It also empowers the Minister to cancel an invitation to file an application for selection made in error to a foreign national.”