Quebec’s Major Immigration Reform: What Impacts for Your Foreign Workers?

The Quebec government has just announced a major immigration reform in Quebec that could complicate access to permanent residence in Quebec.

This reform targets the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) - the main route to permanent residence in Quebec. The following changes to the PEQ should take effect in the coming weeks:

• Temporary foreign workers will now have to accumulate 36 months of full-time work experience instead of 12 months;
• 2 or 24 months of full-time work experience will now be required for foreign graduate students wishing to submit a permanent selection request under the PEQ - Quebec Graduate component;
• One year after the entry into force of this reform, the spouses of the principal applicants will also need to demonstrate a knowledge of oral French;
• Processing times will increase from 20 days to 6 months.

This reform could  complicate the long-term retention of foreign talent in Quebec by making it more difficult to gain permanent residence in Quebec. It is therefore important for companies to effectively manage the immigration path of their workers in order to ensure their retention.

For 25 years, BCF's mission has been to support Canadian businesses. We know the issues you face and our team is available to help you use the resources at your disposal. We invite you to contact our international mobility team to plan your response to these changes.