Ukrainians in Quebec struggle with French requirement for immigrants

MONTREAL — Inna Gonchukova never expected to live in Canada. But almost two years after fleeing war-torn Ukraine, she says she has mostly settled into life in Granby, Que., 65 kilometres east of Montreal, though she longs to one day return to her home country and reunite with her husband who stayed behind.

“My husband has his war and I have my own war here because I need to give to my kids the best future,” Gonchukova said.

For now, however, that future is uncertain. She is considering staying in Quebec and took French classes, but she doesn’t know if she will have time to further develop her language skills and prepare for the exam she would have to take to demonstrate French proficiency, a requirement for many of Quebec’s immigration programs.

“It’s not so easy,” she said. “You need to prepare and you need to have time. As a single mom of two kids and I work a lot, difficult to prepare.”

Gonchukova is among displaced Ukrainians in Quebec who are unsure about meeting French requirements. Like many, she came to Canada through a federal program that allows her to stay and work in the country for three years, called the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel.

Beneficiaries have until the end of March to apply to extend their status, but immigration lawyer Nataliya Dzera said even with an extension it will be difficult for some members of the community to attain French proficiency.

Dzera works with displaced Ukrainians and says many came to Quebec with some or no French skills because they never thought they would live in the province. But two years later, French has become key for some seeking a more permanent home in what was once a temporary refuge. “But it’s not going to be easy and far from everybody will be able to do that,” Dzera said of Ukrainians trying to learn French while supporting their families and meeting other work requirements.

An update to Quebec’s immigration policy last year made French skills mandatory for both of the province’s major immigration programs for skilled workers, Dzera said. The province also eliminated an avenue for some people to immigrate without passing a French exam, she said. Other immigration streams, such as humanitarian and family reunification programs, are more limited in scope and likely unavailable to many Ukrainians, Dzera said.

Gonchukova said she may seek employer sponsorship, or return to Europe and apply for permanent residence from outside Canada.