Canada-Quebec Accord

Overview:

The Canada-Quebec Accord Relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens (the Accord) came into force on April 1, 1991 following the failure of the Meech Lake Accord.

• Constitutional amendments proposed at Meech would have provided Quebec with a greater say in immigration to the province. This goal was instead accomplished via the signing of the Accord, [Redacted]

The two key objectives of the Accord:

• The preservation of Quebec’s demographic weight within Canada; and,
• The integration of immigrants in Quebec in a manner that respects the distinct identity of the Province.

As such, the Accord grants Quebec:

• authority to establish selection criteria and select immigrants to their province in most classes, as well as a say on the selection of certain temporary residents
• the right to receive a certain number of immigrants each year, with a say on the number of immigrants they would like to receive in all categories, not just those for which they have selection authority
• sole responsibility for settlement and integration services with compensation in return for the federal government’s withdrawal from these services

Quebec Authorities:

Permanent Resident Selection

• Economic Class
• Family Class: approval of the financial undertaking by the sponsor
• Resettled and Privately Sponsored Refugees (deemed as such by the federal government)

Integration and Settlement:

• Responsible for the administration, design and delivery of settlement and integration services. Must be comparable to services offered elsewhere.

Federal Authorities:

Permanent Resident Selection

• Family (i.e. spouses, partners and children, Parents and Grandparents)
• Persons determined to be a refugee in Canada

Temporary Resident Selection

• Workers under the International Mobility Program (those exempt from a labour market assessment)

Issuance Of Visas, Admissibility And Enforcement:

Canada issues the visa (admission to Canada) and may refuse a foreign national selected as a permanent resident by Quebec if they are found to be inadmissible. Canada is also responsible for enforcement under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. 

Federal Compensation:

Federal government provides a yearly grant to Quebec for the delivery of reception and integration services. Amount based on two factors:

• net federal expenditures (total federal expenditures less debt service);
• the number of non‑Francophone immigrants admitted to Quebec compared with the previous year.

Forms the baseline for the following year.

Amount cannot decrease.

Overlapping Authorities:

Temporary Resident Selection

• Quebec consents to the admission of students and workers under the Temporary Foreign worker program (those subject to a labour market assessment)

Levels

• While a federal responsibility, the Accord establishes that both governments collaborate in setting levels in all categories
• Allows Quebec to receive a percentage of all immigrants to Canada equal to its share of the Canadian population, with the right to exceed this total by 5%.
• Understood to be neither a guarantee nor an obligation