CANADA: Fast-track immigration for fracophones?

Apr 28, 2020 | Global

The Québec immigration department is closing a month-long consultation period with stakeholders on four questions intended to revamp a fast-track immigration stream leading to permanent residence in Canada for francophone foreigners living in Québec.

The topics the Québec government is consulting on are:

  1. Which eligibility criteria should the immigration department apply in their selection of workers and students intending to fast-track their permanent residence?
  2. How can immigrants be encouraged to settle outside the urban centers?
  3. Should the selection criteria prioritize experience gained in Québec, or immigrants whose profile match the labor market needs, or both?
  4. How can “overqualification” be avoided? Should graduates become eligible for fast-track permanent immigration only after 1 year of work experience, and should the work experience have been obtained in their field of study, or at a level that matches their qualification?

The Québec immigration department had been heavily criticized for having attempted to overhaul the fast-track immigration process without public consultations in the fall of 2019, and had been forced to withdraw their bill.

Details:

Related Posts:

Global Update: Belgium

A change in legislation, published in the Belgian Official Journal on January 26, 2020, and effective January 27, 2021, is having substantial consequences for EU/Schengen travel to Belgium. Between January 27, 2021, and March 1, 2021, all non-essential travel was forbidden for all those whose main place of residence is located abroad. The Belgian State Council recently extended the ban until April 1, 2021. This does not change the situation for travel from most third countries, which was already limited to non-essential travel. However, the EU/Schengen travel restriction was new. Third countries are defined as non-EU/non-Schengen countries. The definition of essential travel and the required formalities depend on the country of origin and/or citizenship: Travel from a third country, other than “safe” third countries (currently Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, and Thailand), by a third country national with main residence in the third country (e.g., United States, Canada, India): An overview of essential travels is available at the website of the Belgian federal immigration office (point 2.2., https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/EN/Pages/International%20travels.aspx). An essential travel certificate, issued by the Belgian embassy/consulate with jurisdiction, will in principle be required. Before the traveler boards, the transporter must check whether an essential travel certificate […]

SAUDI ARABIA: New Format for Work and Commercial Visit Visas [Updated 19 November 2019]

With no official announcement, Saudi consular authorities have recently begun issuing Work Visit and Commercial Visit Visas in a new format, which includes the phrase “not permitted to work” or similar wording.