According to international media reports, expatriates are massively leaving Quebec for other provinces. This is mainly due to the major delay in processing applications from Francophone immigrants despite the labour shortage in various sectors. But this situation looks like a boon for Ottawa that is also faced with a labour shortage. With its new immigration program, this province has room for at least 90,000 essential workers and international students by November 2021. This includes 20,000 health professionals, 30,000 other essential workers and 40,000 international students who have graduated in Canada.
It's worth noting that the Ottawa immigration program paves the way for permanent residence in Canada, which is perhaps why Quebec immigrants are keener on relocating. What's unique about this program is that successful applicants will be eligible for permanent residency within six months, unlike three years in Quebec. As expected, this has led to a rapid rise in demand in recent weeks. Despite the Royal Bank of Canada's doubts in a recent report that Canada would not welcome more than 275,000 immigrants this year due to travel restrictions, the country seems more determined than ever at welcoming at least 1.2 million newcomers over the next three years.
Nevertheless, the interest of French-speaking expatriates in Ottawa's immigration program is less compared to that of English-speaking immigrants, especially in healthcare and other essential sectors. Canadian immigration also points out that French-speaking international students are also less likely to apply. But it's worth noting that this program is primarily aimed at addressing the labour shortage in essential sectors, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why should you move to Quebec?
Until recently, the Quebec government took up the challenge of reducing the yearly quota of permanent immigrants from 50,000 to 40,000 in order to reduce the provincial budget. But things have evolved with the COVID-19 crisis. Today, Quebec is looking to add at least 7,000 people to its new quota. In recent weeks, many companies expressed their worries about the drop in the quota and the impact of delayed procedures on the Quebec labour market. As we indicated above, this situation led many expatriates to consider other provinces. But how is Quebec planning to respond to the urgency of the situation besides speeding up the process? Recently, the provincial government reassured that the whole system would be digitalised for fast processing.
To attract the best and more talents, Quebec is considering a review of its usual French language requirements during selections. Does this mean that anglophone candidates will henceforth stand more chances of being selected in Quebec? Most likely, if we take into account Quebec's new priorities. At the end of 2021, Quebec launched its first pilot project with a section dedicated to English-speaking candidates. This program aims to respond to the strong demand for expertise in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). Still, candidates are expected to have a knowledge of the French language or to commit to learning the language even if they do not come from French-speaking countries.
Sectors and provinces facing a labour shortage
Faced with a demographic decline and an ageing population, most Canadian provinces are facing a labour shortage in many sectors. Besides Quebec, other provinces such as Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia are also struggling to meet their labour markets' needs. Five years ago, almost half of small and medium-sized businesses were already struggling to fill their vacancies. Besides essential services and healthcare, many positions are available in fields like manufacturing, technology, mention construction and retail, etc. But the global health crisis has made matters worse over the past year, with travel restrictions but also a financial crisis that doesn't seem to improve. Immigration to Canada has almost come to a standstill.
The latest figures from Statistics Canada are pretty alarming. Unemployment has been on the rise in recent months. There was a significant drop in the employment rate in Quebec, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In contrast, figures for Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia are quite promising. In British Columbia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, there haven't been any major changes since the peak of the pandemic.
