Quebec’s 2019 Immigration Plan Includes Reduced Number of Immigrants

 

The situation

The Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion has announced that Quebec will aim to admit approximately 40,000 new permanent residents under the 2019 Quebec Immigration Plan, down 24 percent from 2018's goal.

A closer look

The 2019 Immigration Plan is further broken down by the below categories:

• Economic immigration category: 21,700-24,300. This number includes:
  • Skilled workers: 18,000-20,100;
  • Business travelers: 3,100-3,400; and
  • Other economic migrants: 600-800.
     
• Family class category: 8,900-9,400;
   
• Refugees and persons in similar situations: 6,800-7,500.
   

Other plan highlights

• The government outlined that the proportion of immigrants admitted under a Quebec Selection Certificate – which shows that the applicant has been selected to settle in Quebec – should be in the range of 70-72 percent of total admissions, which is down from previous years. This policy shows the government’s intention to continue to integrate immigrants arriving and already in Quebec.
• Economic immigration should account for 57-59 percent of all immigration.
   

Impact

Even though there is a labour shortage in Quebec, the Quebec government may restrict the permanent residence applications of more qualified foreign workers in 2019 than in previous years.

Foreign nationals in one of the categories with projected goals should take the reduced numbers into account when applying for immigration status in Quebec as opposed to applying for immigration status based on federal rules or in other provinces that increased immigration projections for 2019, like Manitoba and Ontario.

Background

• History of Quebec’s authority to announce migrant number goals. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, implemented in 1978, Canada gave Quebec the authority to set a goal in the amount and immigration status of migrants to the province.  A further agreement signed in 1991 gave Quebec even more authority in the selection of immigrants by offering federal funds to integrate immigrants.
• Intentions of reduced migrant amount. Quebec’s new Immigration Minister, elected in October 2018, is fulfilling an election promise to reduce immigration levels and stated that the reduction is meant to improve integration into the predominantly French-speaking province.
   

Looking ahead

The governments of Canada and Quebec will have to reach an agreement on how the reduction will fit into the more liberal federal immigration numbers for Canada for 2019. It is not yet clear how the Quebec government will restrict immigration numbers based on this proposed plan.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].