Most immigrants to Quebec come from French-speaking countries
"If you compare our exam to the test on Canadian history that already exists, it is not very different," said Quebec Premier Francois Legault. But Quebec, being a "distinct society," has its own values and charter, the premier added.
The Quebec test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions where the correct answer must be selected from several options. For example, who is allowed to enter into a legal marriage in the province? Check the options: M/F, F/F, M/M. Or this: indicate situations in which discriminatory practices may occur in hiring – a pregnant woman, a person lacking the necessary qualifications, or a non-white candidate.
Other questions ask to choose the correct statement from two options: "Since March 27, 2019, Bill 21 on secularism states that a police officer cannot wear religious symbols at work. True or false?" Or this: "Men and women in Quebec have equal rights. True or false?"
According to Russianweek.ca, potential immigrants are given 90 minutes to complete the test. Those who answer 75 percent of the questions correctly will pass.
According to the latest statistics, Quebec is fulfilling its promise to reduce the share of immigrants in 2019, but the province has also significantly reduced the category of skilled workers, contradicting the goals stated by the government. In the first six months of this year, the number of immigrants to Quebec in the economic category fell by 32% compared to the same period in 2018. In this category, the province has so far accepted 41% fewer skilled workers than in the first six months of last year. This statistics was prepared by Jack Jedwab, president of the Canadian Institute for Identities and Migration, using data from the federal immigration department.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault, when elected in October last year, promised to cut immigration in 2019 by 20% from the 2018 level. He said too many newcomers failed to find work within the first five years after moving to the province, and too few spoke French.
Meanwhile, Quebec is suffering from labor shortages in all regions of the province, and business circles are asking the government to increase immigration to 60,000 people per year. According to federal data, the number of immigrants to Canada from French-speaking countries such as Haiti, Tunisia, and France, most of whom settled in Quebec, also dropped significantly in the first half of 2019. Arrivals from Haiti fell by 43%, from France by 34%, and from Tunisia by 23%.
Immigration to Canada is mainly divided into three categories: economic, family sponsorship, and refugees. Quebec, according to statistics, reduced the number of sponsored immigrants by 10% in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2018. The figures also show a 20% reduction in the number of refugees accepted by the province in the first half of this year.
Quebec now plans to reduce the number of immigrants in each category by about 20% – to 40,000 people. The province says that over the next few years, the number will gradually increase, reaching about 52,500 people by 2022.