Québec’s Immigration Policy Hits a Wall

Fresh off a damaging confrontation with physicians, the Québec government now finds itself engulfed in another major controversy. This time, it centres on the abolition of the Québec Experience Program (PEQ), announced by Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge. Initially framed as a technical and administrative adjustment, the decision has quickly snowballed into both a political and symbolic crisis.

Until now, the PEQ offered a fast track to permanent residency for foreign workers already established in Québec, as well as for international students who had graduated from Québec institutions. Provided that they demonstrated a sufficient level of integration and an adequate command of French, applicants could obtain a Québec Selection Certificate, which then opened the door to permanent residency through the federal government. The program’s key strength lay in its predictability and clarity, both for candidates and for employers.

From the government’s perspective, the rationale for change was clear. Over time, the PEQ is said to have enabled abuses: the program was allegedly exploited by unscrupulous immigration consultants, dubious private colleges proliferated, cases emerged of students nominally enrolled in Québec but working elsewhere in Canada, and even allegations of falsified French-language tests.

Against the backdrop of mounting pressure on public services, the government also reasoned that it must regain tighter control over economic immigration and better align candidate selection with its prioritized industries and sectors. These factors influenced the decision to replace the PEQ with a state-managed selection program under which the government itself invites candidates based on its assessed needs.

However, this technocratic explanation obscures another crucial dimension of the issue. Over the past several years, the Québec government has invested heavily in international advertising campaigns, multiplied recruitment missions abroad, and accompanied delegations of business leaders with the explicit goal of attracting foreign workers and international students to address labour shortages in key sectors — health care, technology, education, construction, and services. The message at the time was unambiguous: Québec needed these workers, and they were welcomed with open arms.

For many foreign workers who responded to that call, the sudden abolition of the PEQ feels like a slap in the face. Workers who were recruited at considerable expense, families who have been settled in Québec for years, and professionals integrated into both the labour market and their communities now find themselves in a state of uncertainty, with the sense that the rules of the game have been changed midway. The feeling of betrayal is palpable, and it is fuelling anger far beyond just the immigration advocacy groups.

Much like during the aborted attempt at reform led several years ago by then-Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, pressure is now mounting for the introduction of a grandfather clause to protect individuals already established in Québec through the PEQ. Municipal governments, the business community, public institutions, community organizations, and opposition parties have largely converged around this demand. Minister Roberge has been steadfast in his refusal to budge.

The CAQ’s political room for manoeuvre, however, is limited. Weakened in the polls, shaken by recent setbacks, and plunged into a leadership race following the departure of François Legault, the party simply cannot afford a prolonged crisis. Bernard Drainville, one of the contenders to succeed Legault, has already pledged to grant a grandfather clause for certain categories of workers. Christine Fréchette, widely seen as the frontrunner, had initially maintained a hardline position. Last week, she committed to reestablish the PEQ for a two-year period, citing it as a fair and predictable approach to permit granting of the grandfather clause to those who were eligible.

Regardless of the outcome of the leadership contest, the next premier will inherit a politically volatile file related to the PEQ. It is difficult to imagine that he or she will want to begin an already fragile mandate beleaguered by a policy that simultaneously undermines economic stability, regional vitality, and the overall credibility of the state.