On November 1, 2023, Quebec Immigration Plan 2024-2025 was declared, in which it revealed its newcomer target for the years 2024 and 2025. 

Prime Minister François Legault, Christine Fréchette, the Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI), and Jean-Francois Robergethe, the Minister of the French Language, declared the details of the province’s Immigration Plan for 2024 and 2025. In addition, they also highlighted the guidelines for the Immigration Plan in Quebec for 2024 and 2025. 

In 2024 and 2025, the Quebec government intends to raise the number of French-speaking immigrants to the province as well as expand the French language abilities among the newcomers by implementing “Francisation Quebec.” 

These strategies include choosing candidates with high French proficiency, attracting younger newcomers to move to the province in order to mitigate the consequences of the province’s aging population, and supporting the acceptance, integration, and retention of newcomers throughout the province. 

Year-wise breakdown of Quebec Immigration Plan 2024-2025 

As per the immigration plan of Quebec for 2024-2025, the government of Quebec intends to admit an additional 12,000 newcomers each year than the previously stated target by the Legault. This brings the total number of newcomers to over 60,000. 

Through “regular admission,” Quebec expects to welcome approximately 50,000 new immigrants to the province. This comprises skilled workers, refugees, and individuals via family reunification. 

In addition to this, Quebec will accept around 6,500 graduates from the French-language university programs as well as roughly 6,000 individuals who applied via a stream for entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, and investors. 

As per the guidelines, the province’s majority of immigration will be from the economic immigration category. Under this category, Quebec aims to admit 31,950 immigrants in 2024 and 2025. 

The economic immigration will be centered around the Skilled workers. In 2024, the economic immigration target is to accept 30,650 skilled workers, which will rise slightly in 2025 to 31,500 skilled workers. 

Under the business category, the immigration admissions in 2024 is 1,250 immigrants, which will slightly increase to 1,450 in 2025. 

Under the family class, Quebec’s immigration target is to admit 10,400 newcomers yearly in both 2024 and 2025. 

The Requirement for French Language Proficiency 

The Quebec government also approved the implementation of the regulatory modifications that made the knowledge of the French language mandatory for all candidates of economic Programs. 

The government proposes to require level 4 French-speaking abilities for workers of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). 

However, the agricultural workers are exempt from this French language requirement. Workers who have lived and worked in Quebec for more than three years and want to renew their Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) are eligible for this exception. 

Quebec’s government has also decided to publish the Immigration Plan for the following two years instead of a four-year plan for the purpose of monitoring the conditions and analyzing the results of newly implemented strategies while also preserving the vitality of the French language. 

The newly released immigration plan also represents the objective of the Quebec Government to leverage immigration to meet the labor market needs and encourage economic development while also acknowledging the ability of the province to accept and integrate newcomers with French language abilities.