Last Updated on June 3, 2020

Protestors gathered in Montreal on Monday to campaign against reforms to the Quebec Experience Program^[1] (PEQ) proposed by Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.

The demonstration took place outside Jolin-Barrette’s office on St-Laurent Boulevard in the city.

The provincial immigration minister plans to make it more difficult to qualify for the popular program, mainly by increasing work experience requirements.

The changes are Jolin-Barrette’s second attempt at reforming the PEQ after he was embarrassingly forced to reverse changes made in fall 2019.

But demonstrators are equally as unhappy with the new proposed changes to the program, which offers foreign students and temporary workers with a fast track to permanent residence.

Under the changes, temporary foreign workers will require three years of experience in the last four, while graduates will need one or two years of work experience to qualify for Quebec immigration.^[2]

The changes will also see target processing times for the PEQ increase to six months to allow “consistency and better equity” between the PEQ and the Quebec Skilled Worker Program^[3], according to a press release from the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI).

Read More

Required Work Experience To Increase Under New Quebec Experience Program Changes^[4]
Quebec Restores Pre-November 1 Criteria For Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
Quebec Backtracks on Certain Quebec Experience Program Changes After Public Outcry
Quebec Announces Significant Changes to Quebec Experience Program^[5][6][7]

Further reforms will see the completion of an advanced intermediate level French course offered in Quebec by an educational institution removed as an acceptable proof of French knowledge.

In a further change that will come into force in a year, spouses of principal applicants will be required to demonstrate oral knowledge of French at level 4.

Figures show the number of CSQs issued through the PEQ has risen dramatically since 2010.