Recently, the results of the Quebec provincial election were released. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) was elected to form a majority government, and their leader, François Legault, will serve as the new Premier of Quebec. This marks the first time in over 50 years that a party other than the Liberal Party or the Parti Québécois has come to power in Quebec.
The CAQ is a relatively young party, and its current leader, Legault, is also its founder. He was formerly a cabinet minister for the Parti Québécois (PQ) before he "set out on his own" to establish the CAQ in 2011.
For many Chinese nationals, their primary concern right now may not be the CAQ’s policies regarding Quebec’s economic development or social security, but rather their immigration policy, as this directly affects whether they can immigrate to Quebec in the future.
In fact, as early as May of this year, the CAQ proposed its own modifications to Quebec's immigration policy. Based on the overall situation, they advocate for tightening immigration policies compared to the current status. Their core reform concept is to reduce the number of immigrants accepted annually from 50,000 to 40,000 and to raise the selection standards for skilled workers.
They believe that skilled immigrants accepted into Quebec must meet three requirements:
1. Proficiency in French. Those with insufficient French skills must take French courses upon arrival.
2. Passing a test to demonstrate an understanding and acceptance of the values enshrined in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms of Quebec, such as gender equality, respect for sexual orientation, and the secular nature of the state.
3. Providing proof of the intent to settle in Quebec, and that they are currently seeking or have already secured employment.
In addition to these three strict requirements, a three-year "new immigrant transition period" would be added. During this time, applicants would only hold a "provisional accompaniment certificate." Those who still fail to meet the above three requirements after three years would be eligible for a one-year extension of their provisional certificate. Those who fail to meet the requirements after the extension would not receive a "Quebec Selection Certificate" (CSQ), thereby disqualifying them from applying for permanent residence in Canada through the federal government. In such a scenario, the provincial government would inform the federal government that the individual has not met immigration standards.
For Chinese nationals planning to immigrate to Quebec, the policies mentioned above mean that immigration will become more difficult. However, it seems that implementing these new policies will not be easy, as many aspects of these procedures involve federal government policy, over which the Quebec government has no jurisdiction.
Although the Quebec government has the authority to set its own selection standards for skilled and investment-based immigration, citizenship matters regarding applicants fall entirely under federal jurisdiction. Implementing these CAQ policies would mean that there would be a separate set of naturalization standards for immigrants coming to Quebec, and the federal government would have to decide whether to deport an immigration applicant based on the Quebec government's standards.
