In its immigration reform project, debated this fall, the Legault government gives students of French-speaking universities advantages to which students of English-speaking universities will not be entitled.
These new measures, which seek to encourage French-speaking immigration through studies, have provoked several negative reactions.
“Can we do without these talents by putting obstacles in the way of their life plans in Quebec? “, asks Fabrice Labeau, first associate vice-principal for studies and student life at McGill University. “We work hard to help our students who do not know French learn it. »
Announced in June, this reform consists in particular of reviewing the selection conditions for the Quebec Graduates component of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). Foreigners graduating here will be able to have rapid and almost assured access to permanent residency, and there will be no limits on the number of eligible applicants per year.
These new residents will also not be included in Quebec’s annual immigration thresholds.
But there is a catch. This modified PEQ only targets students who have studied in Quebec in French or who have studied in French for at least three years full-time, i.e., in most cases, French people who study in English.
The others, that is to say students from English-speaking universities who have not studied three years in French, will not have access to this PEQ, even if they speak and master French. To obtain permanent residence, they will have to register for the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), a path with more constraints. Or, apply in another province.
Support the growth of French
With this new PEQ, the Legault government seeks to increase the retention of foreign graduate students in Quebec, favoring French speakers, to ensure that increased immigration supports the growth of French.
The progression of English in Quebec, between the 2016 census and that of 2021, is in fact largely explained by the increase in the number of temporary residents, whose first official language spoken is often English. Almost half of them are foreign students.
In addition, data from the latest census showed that studying in English at the post-secondary level is an important factor leading to the use of this language in workplaces in Quebec, particularly by allophones.
The French language commissioner, Benoît Dubreuil, also notes, in his first report submitted in June, that the use of English in public spaces and at work is closely linked to having completed post-secondary studies in that language.
” Not you ”
But this strategy could deprive English-speaking universities of an attraction for foreign candidates. “For our students who have a life plan in Quebec, it suddenly becomes more complicated,” explains Mr. Labeau, of McGill University. There is a difference for these people who saw themselves in Quebec and who suddenly were told: well no, not you. »
According to Mr. Labeau, around 20% of foreign students at McGill decide to stay in Quebec at the end of their studies.
“The retention rate of French students does not seem higher than the average of international students,” he says. So, a lot of people will find themselves with a project that will be extended. »
They are sent a message which is not very reassuring in relation to their life plan. We have to ask ourselves the question as a society: is this the message we want to send to these people?
Fabrice Labeau, first associate vice-principal for studies and student life at McGill University
Concordia University is also contesting the new PEQ rules. “The changes regarding a minimum of three years of secondary or post-secondary studies in French are restrictive, and we fear that we will be deprived of immigrants – and a qualified workforce – who have studied here, know well Quebec, are often integrated from a personal and professional point of view, and are already in the process of francization,” indicates spokesperson Vannina Maestracci.
The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM) is of the same opinion. In its brief submitted in July, for consultations, the “Chamber considers that blocking access to the PEQ for students from English-speaking universities like McGill and Concordia would have an impact not only on the attractiveness of Quebec, but also on registrations. with these institutions.
“It is imperative that the best talents – as long as they wish to pursue their studies in Quebec, learn French and settle there permanently – can continue to benefit from the same opportunities as students from French-speaking universities,” insists the body.
According to the CCMM, any candidate who demonstrates sufficient knowledge of French “should be automatically eligible if they meet the other criteria.”
“By excluding students from English-speaking educational establishments, Quebec runs the risk of depriving itself of strategic talents to the benefit of other provinces in many cutting-edge economic sectors, such as artificial intelligence, life sciences and technologies. health, or the battery sector,” notes the Chamber of Commerce.