PEQ : the third time would be good

The new Immigration minister, Nadine Girault

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July 9, 2020

Updated July 10, 2020 at 5h33

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PEQ : the third time would be good

Olivier Bossé

The Sun

The third version of the Program of the quebec experience (PEQ) produced by the government Legault in eight months will be the right one, provides the new Immigration minister, Nadine Girault. “We are light years ahead of what was presented in the fall of 2019.”

Way become very popular to immigrate to Quebec for a few years, the PEQ is undergoing new changes concerning the duration of work experience required, now reduced and on a transitional clause added for the benefit of students who will be graduating by the end of the year 2020.

For his first press conference as the quebec minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, which also continues to hold the position of minister of international Relations and la Francophonie, has presented what it considers to be the grind of the final PEQ, Thursday morning, on parliament hill in Quebec.

“Yeah, that one, it’s going to be the final version,” said Ms. Girault, by presenting the changes to the version announced on 28 may by his predecessor, Simon Jolin-Barrette, since become minister of Justice. The series of amendments proposed by Mr. Jolin-Barrette was a result of a major outcry occurred in early November in response to its first overhaul.

“Since the first presentation of this regulation, giant steps have been made. We are light years ahead of what was presented in the fall of 2019”, is now Mrs Girault.

“The reason for which my predecessor, Simon Jolin-Barrette, was published in the official Gazette [end of may], it was precisely for the comments. Comments that we received, that it was considered, and the comments have led us to make the adjustments that are made today. And I would tell you that we have had to date of good comments on the adjustments.”

The goal of “simplify it”

“Me first, as minister of another department, I didn’t understand everything that deals with immigration,” acknowledged the minister, saying they have been surprised by “the complexity of all these programs” where you will meet competencies of both federal and provincial, to his arrival in post there is a little more than two weeks.

“There’s a lot of teaching to do, especially to secure what is really the program PEQ, what really are our requirements to the level of immigration, with the population or what the different groups have understood any of it”,

“I’m going to explain it further, and then I’m going to position it even more. I see my role as being a bit of a role trying to simplify it all. My purpose, moreover, in the medium and long term, it’s going to be simplify all of this. I don’t know how I’ll manage it, but it’s going to be trying to simplify all of these immigration programs,” says Ms. Girault.

She is said to have received a positive reception on the part of groups and organizations involved with immigrants as the new minister of Immigration, being herself the daughter of an immigrant couple.

“But it remains the same, that their complaints are there and the events are there. They have causes they want to defend, and it is quite normal”, grants-t-it.

Rebalance the entrance doors

The new PEQ enter into force on the 22 July. Everything that happens before is done under the old regime.

Except for students who will graduate by December 31. These evolve under the current rules for 2020.

Otherwise, the duration of the work experience required for temporary workers is reduced from 36 to 24 months, that is to say, from three years to two.

The requirements related to work experience will also be modified for students. Thus, the core rotations will count in the calculation up to a maximum of three months. And for holders of a diploma of vocational studies, the duration is lowered from 24 to 18 months, that is to say two years to a year and a half.

The aim of the government is to rebalance the input stream of immigrants. Inaugurated in 2010 as a fast track to immigrate to Quebec, the PEQ is spent to provide 5 % of the certificates of selection of economic immigration, so around 1600 people per year, to 86 % in 2019, representing more than 15 000 people.

No incentives for the regions

Spokesperson for the Parti québécois in the area of immigration, Méganne Perry-Mélançon applauds the introduction of a transitional provision for the current students that lead up to the end of the year, but denounces always the absence of incentives to attract students and workers in our region”, stressed the member of parliament for Gaspé.

On the side of Québec solidaire, the mp for montreal’s Andrés Fontecilla said he “was shocked that the government betrays its promise to the students and the students who are recruited abroad and who will not, finally, acquired rights as promised by the prime minister in November 2019.

“I am shocked for the workers and temporary workers, low-skilled, such as orderlies, who are yet an essential work for the company, but are maintained in a situation of vulnerability and precariousness, preventing them from obtaining permanent residency via the PEQ”, adds the solidarity Fontecilla.

About Gaétan Barrette, the liberal Party, he also denounces that the clause vested right is established for a limited time. “The announcement of the minister is a step in the right direction, but wanting to correct manifest injustice, it commits a new one, providing a measure downright discriminatory. The injustice affected all students and workers in connection with the PEQ, the proposed action does not touch that part. […] The worst news is that the minister already expressed his refusal to any subsequent modification of this program,” said Barrette.

Le Soleil