CIMM - Quebec Immigration - Nov 25, 2020

Key messages

• The federal government remains committed to supporting the vitality and promoting the use of French in Quebec.
• Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec determines its own selection criteria for economic migrants (including language requirements) and is responsible for the settlement, integration, and francization for all newcomers to its province.
• As part of its selection authority, Quebec can include language requirements and select only those immigrants who meet a certain level of French proficiency, such as it does in its Programme de l’expérience québécoise.
• The federal government works in close collaboration to help Quebec achieve the economic and societal goals that Quebec sets for migration.
• For example, in the context of the pandemic, Quebec has asked us to prioritize the processing of applicants in specific professions, and in specific programs, such as the Programme de l’expérience québécoise. We have been pleased to accommodate this.
• The federal government provides support to Quebec for settlement and integration services, including French language services. In 2019-2020, we provided $592M.

Supplementary messages

Levels and processing times

• The pandemic has had a significant impact on the delivery of Quebec’s immigration plan for 2020, similar to the federal plan. It is expected that only 59% to 70% of planned admissions will be reached, with an estimated shortfall of 13,000 to 18,000 admissions for 2020. Like the federal plan, this shortfall will be carried over to 2021 and 2022 admissions.
• As requested by Quebec, in the context of the pandemic, the Department is prioritizing processing of specific occupations, and economic immigrants already in Canada, selected by Quebec in its Programme de l’expérience québécoise.
• Immigrants are critical to our frontlines in health care and make up one out of every four health care workers – they include our physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.
• We recognize that many of those working on the front lines, especially in long-term care centres, are asylum claimants. We truly appreciate this contribution to our fight against COVID-19.
• Efforts are also being made by the Department to reduce processing times for Quebec-destined applicants by scanning all paper applications to facilitate electronic processing. However, the number of Quebec-destined Family Class applications already exceeded Quebec’s available levels space prior to the onset of COVID-19.
• Before the pandemic (end of February 2020), processing times were nearly 17 months and rising for Quebec-destined spouses, partners and children.
  • Since COVID, inventory levels have increased due to the low level of application processing over several months, which has led to increased processing times. Processing times as of October 2020 have now reached 19 months.
• In September and October, application processing has increased significantly, and nearly all Family Class clients are now exempt from border restrictions.

Bill C-223

• Bill C-223 seeks to change how permanent residents residing in Quebec, can become Canadian citizens.
• Private Member’s Bill C-223 proposes to amend provisions of the Citizenship Act to require citizenship applicants residing in Quebec to demonstrate knowledge of the French language and pass the knowledge test on the rights, responsibilities and privileges of Canadian citizenship, in French.
• The Bill also seeks to implement nationwide changes by raising the age range for applicants who are required to demonstrate language and knowledge capabilities to “18 years of age or more but less than 65 years of age” from the current 18 to 54 age requirement.
• The age provision of the Citizenship Act was last amended by the Government in 2017 through Bill C-6, which was intended to facilitate access to citizenship to those who might face greater challenges in meeting the language and knowledge requirements.
• As part of its selection authority for certain classes of permanent residents, Quebec can include language requirements and select only those immigrants who meet a certain level of French proficiency.
• For instance, the province requires principal applicants to demonstrate French proficiency in its Programme de l’expérience québécoise and, as of July 22, 2021, this requirement will also apply to spouses/partners.
• Quebec is also fully responsible for the settlement and integration of all of its immigrants, including francization services.
• However, the granting of Canadian citizenship, including the conditions for citizenship, such as language, is wholly in federal jurisdiction and a national responsibility. This is also recognized within the Canada-Quebec Accord.
• The federal government continually seeks to reduce barriers and promote equitable access to Canadian citizenship across the country, which is key to full participation in Canada’s economy and society. Part of this is ensuring that applicants are able to demonstrate knowledge and language abilities in the official language of their choice, regardless of where in Canada they reside.

Supporting facts and figures

Quebec 2021 levels plan

• On October 29, 2020, Quebec tabled its 2021 immigration levels plan, which increases admissions to up to 47,500 in 2021 (from a range of 43,000 – 44,500 admissions in 2020). Increases are in the economic category only, with no growth in the family class and refugee category.
• Quebec 2021 immigration levels plan admission ranges in the main immigration categories are as follows:
  • Economic: 27,500 – 29,300
  • Family Class: 9,700 – 10,200
  • Refugees: 6,900 – 7,500
• By 2022, 65% of Quebec’s overall immigration levels are projected to be economic immigration.

Processing times

• Processing times for the key immigration categories for the 12-month period ending October 2020 were:

  Immigration Category	Processing Times
  	Quebec	Rest of Canada
  Skilled Workers	26 months	10 months
  Family Class (spouses/partners/children)	19 months	14 months
  Refugees	30 months	24 months

Asylum seekers

• Quebec has been a key partner in managing the flow of asylum seekers, providing temporary housing, social services and education.
• From 2017 to 2019 inclusively, more than 85,000 asylum seekers made a claim in Quebec (50,000 between ports of entry, and 35,000 at official land and air ports of entry).
• In 2019, the federal government provided $250M in compensation to Quebec for costs incurred by the province to provide housing and related services to asylum claimants in 2017 and 2018. Discussions for 2019 costs are ongoing.

Language selection and acquisition

• Historically, Quebec admits a smaller percentage of allophone (no knowledge of English or French) immigrants than any other Canadian province. For example, of all adults granted permanent resident status between 2009 and 2012 who filed taxes in 2017 in Quebec, 73% had a knowledge of French or both English and French at admission; 15.9% had only a knowledge of English; and 11.1% had no knowledge of either official languages. For the same period, the Canadian allophone average was 20.9% and as high as 30.2% in British Columbia.
• Quebec has its own selection programs for skilled workers, an in-Canada selection program – the Programme de l’expérience québécoise - and the Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés. To be selected permanently as a skilled worked under the Programme de l’expérience québécoise, an individual must demonstrate an intermediate-advanced level of spoken French. As of July 22, 2021, spouses of principal applicants will also be required to demonstrate an intermediate level of spoken French. Under the Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés, applicants are awarded more points if they can demonstrate their knowledge of French.
• In general, statistics demonstrate high rates of French acquisition over time for permanent residents remaining in Quebec. Census data demonstrates that 10 years after their arrival in Quebec, 90.5% of economic immigrants, 77.1% of those who have benefited from the family reunification program and 84.3% of refugees spoke French. Prospective citizens are eligible to apply for citizenship as early as three years after becoming permanent residents.
• In 2019, Quebec invested $730M over five years to expand its settlement services, including to temporary foreign workers and international students, who now have access to full-time or part-time French language training, to help them eventually qualify for permanent residence. Quebec receives a yearly federal transfer to provide settlement and integration services, including French language training, to newcomers. In 2019-2020, this federal transfer reached $592M.

Citizenship knowledge test

• Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s administrative data demonstrates that for fiscal-year 2018-2019, out of the 19,456 citizenship tests administered by the Department in Quebec, 28% (5,438) were in English and 72% (14,018) in French. For reference, in the same year, a total of 126,690 knowledge tests were conducted across the country including 110,612 (87%) in English and 16,088 (13%) in French.

Background

Canada-Quebec Accord: Roles and responsibilities

• The Canada-Quebec Accord came into force in April 1991. The objectives of the Accord are to preserve Quebec’s demographic weight within Canada and support the integration of immigrants, while respecting its distinct identity. To this end, Quebec can receive a percentage of all immigrants coming to Canada equal to the percentage of its demographic weight in Canada (currently 23%). Quebec has never taken advantage of this potential and, for 2021, its levels plan would have it receive 12% of all planned arrivals into Canada.
• Quebec selects economic immigrants and resettled refugees destined to that province and the federal government administers other permanent resident programs (family class, protected persons). Both governments jointly administer the International Student and Temporary Foreign Worker programs.
• The federal government remains responsible for determining the admissibility (for health, security, and criminality) of all newcomers to Quebec and for issuing their visas.
• While the federal government is responsible for establishing annually the total number of immigrants for the country as a whole, it takes Quebec’s advice into consideration on the number of immigrants that it wishes to receive in all classes.
• The Accord can only be modified with the agreement of the Government of Quebec.

Citizenship Act requirements

• Under the current Citizenship Act and its regulations, citizenship applicants aged 18-54 are required to have a language proficiency at the Canadian Language Benchmark 4 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens 4 in speaking and listening, regardless of the province or territory in which they are taking the test. This means that the required level of language ability is basic comprehension and expression, where an applicant can speak in short sentences and take part in routine conversations about every day topics.
• The language requirement under the Act and its regulations can be met by providing a copy of diploma or degree of studies undertaken in English or French, completing federally and certain provincially funded language training programs, providing a second language test, or other acceptable proof. There is a full list of acceptable language evidence which is communicated to applicants.
• Also under the current Citizenship Act, adult applicants aged 18-54 are required to take a test composed of 20 multiple-choice questions to demonstrate their knowledge of Canada. This includes the knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
• Currently, all applicants required to demonstrate the knowledge requirement have the choice to take the test in either English or French. The questions for the test are based on the official citizenship study guide, Discover Canada: the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.

Bill C-223 second reading

• In the House of Commons on Thursday November 19, 2020, Private Members’ Bill C-223, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (adequate knowledge of French in Quebec), sponsored by Bloc Québécois MP Sylvie Bérubé, (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou) was debated for the first time at second reading.
• The Conservative Party of Canada expressed that they support the principle of the Bill, but would move to make amendments at committee.
• The Bloc Québécois reiterated support for the Bill and revealed that the party has obtained a legal opinion which ensures the constitutionality of the Bill.
• If adopted at Second Reading, the Bill would be referred to the Standing Committee on Immigration and Citizenship for Committee Stage.