Grace, however, has been speaking French for an hour. The 30-year-old knows her worth: she articulates clearly and cares for seniors in a private residence in the Laurentians. Despite an increasingly assured look throughout the interview, her cry from the heart filters through a very soft voice: “I would like to tell the Government of Quebec to give us the chance to integrate, because we are already there. For example, I served Quebec for two years, in French,” she says.
More than anything, she wants to get her permanent residency. But after three attempts, she has still not managed to reach the level of French required to file her file with the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI).
The 30-year-old actually comes from an English-speaking region of Cameroon, she learned French while living in French-speaking towns in her country and in Quebec.
Arrived in 2019 with the status of temporary foreign worker in agriculture, she reoriented herself towards the field of health during the pandemic. This is how she managed to obtain four successive, but always temporary, work permits: “I need the French test to apply for my permanent residence, so that was the biggest obstacle for me. . »
To be able to settle permanently, she tries to access the Quebec experience program, which requires an intermediate level of French, also called B2 or level 7, depending on the scale used. It is believed that to achieve it, one must have the ability to hold a conversation in a predictable context about current and concrete needs.
On her first attempt, Grace was assessed as having a good beginner’s level of A2. The second and third attempts resulted in obtaining level B1, just below the required level.
What surprised her the most was the omnipresence of the French accent during the test: “I was really surprised when I realized it. And afterwards, when you see your results, it comes from Paris. […] It was annoying and weird. All the tests eligible as proof of French proficiency for Quebec are in fact designed in France and partially corrected there.
Criticized for being unrepresentative of Quebec French, the tests have several other flaws, as the experience of the Duty. Elizabeth Allyn Smith, linguist and professor at UQAM, is “not at all surprised” that one can speak French and not get the level required by Quebec, she says: “If you are reluctant, it could be read by the other as a lack of knowledge of French. In the oral expression part, you have to spend several minutes asking questions or trying to convince an examiner.
Grace admits to being an “introverted” person: “I was intimidated by the questions and my stress was higher [que mes capacités] “, she says. The ticking stopwatch, the specialized vocabulary, the rush to read and listen at the same time, as well as ambiguous answer choices could also have played in her results, according to her.
Even if she testifies in the open, Grace asked that her last name be withheld, so as not to leave an indelible mark online and traceable by future employers. Three other people told the Duty their difficulties and frustrations with this French test, but did not agree to shoot a video. “It’s humiliating, and even also for our family, who are waiting for us to have permanent residence,” said a welder who lives in Princeville.
Always handed over
Will it have better luck when the recently announced reforms are implemented? In particular, Quebec wants to lower the level of French required for less specialized jobs, such as that of beneficiary attendant. The changes will come into force at the earliest in the fall and certain aspects will wait until 2024, however, indicated the Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, last week.
The new Quebecer is discouraged from always submitting her project, and having to repay the costs. It costs between $250 and $400 to take one of the seven qualifying tests.
Last year, she decided to try her luck in another province, before returning to Quebec, where she already had a social network and support a few months later. When it was announced that she was leaving for Alberta, the seniors she cared for were appalled: “It really hurt me because even the residents, the seniors I worked with were so sad. They said to me: “We understand you well, why do you have to leave?” »
The fact of being temporary not only hinders her in her plan for the future, but prevents her from returning to see her family. Both from a financial point of view and for your papers, returning to Cameroon is perilous: “You don’t know if your employer will want to renew your license or if you will find another contract”, she says.
The region of Bamenda, where Grace comes from, located in the northwest of Cameroon, has been experiencing a violent crisis for several years. Even if it opposes the English-speaking separatists to the central government, the conflict has not tainted its relationship with French: “I like the French language. Even when I have the opportunity to speak English, I prefer to speak in French. »