Quebec needs 1.4 million workers
To balance the labour market, the province will attract more immigrants and help them adjust.
Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration has taken another step towards supporting regional immigration and helping new residents of the province. According to official estimates, Quebec will need to fill 1.4 million jobs by 2026. One way to do that is through effective immigration policies and integrating new immigrants into Quebec society. Earlier, a similar initiative was announced by the federal government of Canada.
Quebec's Ministry of Immigration proposes to develop support for immigrants separately in each locality in the province. To this end, a network of regional offices has been created to do this. Integration assistance agents and local immigration counsellors are also involved.
In the program "Support in Quebec" (Accompaniment Québec), integration assistance agents will assess the needs of the individual immigrant, help create an individualized adaptation plan and provide support throughout the integration process. Immigration consultants will work with businesses and organizations in Quebec.
"Support in Quebec" is a free service. The support for newcomers includes help with immigration and adaptation processes, the possibility of learning French free of charge, assistance in finding a job and more. Candidates who have received an invitation from the provincial selection board can take advantage of the program, even if they have not yet arrived in Canada.
The Department of Immigration foresees that supporting immigrants will help them succeed in their new country, as well as provide Quebec with a solution to its economic problems.
The Ministry also plans to develop regional immigration within Quebec. For 2019, an estimated two-thirds of the openings were outside Montreal. Earlier, changes to the Arrima system were announced. Candidates are now awarded points for various factors. In particular, applicants who plan to live outside of Montreal receive more points in the assessment system. Following the changes, the province held the largest immigration screening of 2021.
