Relationship with Québec

March 2025

Purpose

This briefing is intended to:

• Provide an overview of roles and responsibilities between Canada and the Government of Quebec on immigration matters.
• Highlight key issues that define the current relationship.

Background: Relationship with Quebec

• IRCC’s bilateral relationship with Quebec is defined by the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord Relating to Immigration and the Temporary Admission of Aliens (the Accord), which is designed to preserve Quebec’s demographic weight and promote the integration of immigrants in the province, while respecting its distinct identity.
• The Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) is the provincial department responsible for immigration.
• Jean-François Roberge has been Quebec’s Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration since September 2024.

Canada-Quebec Accord: Key Principles

• The Accord grants Quebec:
• Authority to establish selection criteria and select permanent immigrants to Quebec in most categories, as well as a say over certain temporary residents.
• The right to receive a certain number of permanent immigrants each year, as well as a say on the number of immigrants they would like to receive in each category (not just those for which they have selection authority).
• The Accord permits Quebec to set its maximum permanent immigration levels to the equivalent of its demographic weight (currently 22%) plus 5% (for a total of 27%).
• It also commits Quebec to receiving a proportionate number of resettled refugees.
• Sole responsibility for settlement and integration services, with compensation from the federal government.
• Services offered must be comparable to the rest of Canada and are subject to regular evaluation.

Canada-Quebec Accord: Key Principles

• Under the Accord, the federal government maintains authority for:
• Selection in some permanent resident categories (e.g.: family), as well as certain temporary resident streams
• Determining the total number of immigrants to be admitted the country in a year, taking Quebec’s wishes into account
• Determining if a foreign national is admissible to Canada.
• Further, the Accord:
• Establishes that Canada and Quebec agree to consult each other before making any amendments to their statutes and regulations.
• Can only be amended provided that six months notice is given and that both parties agree to the changes.

Canada-Quebec Accord: Compensation

• Canada compensates Quebec each year for the services it provides to permanent immigrants.
• The amount is determined by a formula in the Accord and can never go down from year to year.
• In 2024-2025, Quebec will have received a total of $867.4 million.
• This figure includes the baseline payment from 2023-2024 ($775.1M) and an escalation factor (determined based on the percentage increase of net federal expenses and the number of non-Francophone immigrants who come to Quebec compared with the previous year) of $92.3M.
• The Department has completed processing its final payment to Quebec for 2024-2025 ($92.3M).

Key Issue: 2025 Quebec Levels Plan

Quebec’s Levels Plan

• Quebec tabled its 2025 annual immigration levels plan in October 2024.
• It set a target of approximately 50,000 regular permanent resident admissions per year, plus ongoing (uncapped) admissions of people selected under a “Quebec Graduates” stream, estimated at up to15,000 admissions.
• Starting next year, Quebec’s plan for 2026-2027 will include temporary resident targets, just like Canada’s national immigration levels plan. [Redacted]

Key Issue: Francization

Francization

• Since his re-election in the fall of 2022, Premier Legault has stated that he wants to prioritize Francophone immigration, eventually reaching 100% Francophone economic immigration to Quebec by 2026.
• The Quebec government launched an initiative called “Francisation Québec” that intends to facilitate access to government funded services for newcomers to learn French.
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Key Issue: Asylum Claimants

Asylum Claimants – Roxham Road

• Quebec welcomed a large number of asylum claimants during the height of irregular border crossings at Roxham Road from 2021 to 2023.
• Since policy changes were made in March 2023, the number of claimants arriving between ports of entry has significantly decreased.
• The federal government provided $750M to the Government of Quebec in recognition of the temporary housing and asylum-related challenges caused by irregular border crossings between 2021 and 2023.

Key Issue: Asylum Claimants

Asylum Claimants – Current State

• Quebec has continued to advocate that it receives a disproportionate number of asylum claimants relative to its population.
• Premier Legault has called for a reduction of asylum claimants arriving and living in the province, stating that the province has exceeded its capacity to welcome newcomers.
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Key Issue: International Students

Reform and integrity of the International Student Program

• Canada and Quebec share the same objectives to strengthen the protection of students and the integrity of the International Student Program.
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• Following the federal government’s implementation of an annual cap on the number of international student applications that will be accepted nationally, Quebec also introduced regulatory changes that give it the authority to establish a maximum number of student applications to be received, based on criteria such as region, level, language, and institution.

Key Takeaways/Next Steps

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