Since November 1, a new requirement from the federal government has disrupted the path of many foreign students in Quebec. The French Knowledge Test (TCF-Canada), required to obtain a post-graduation work permit, poses a significant logistical challenge, leaving many graduates in disarray and uncertainty.
A dead end for students
In Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, students, including several graduates from the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC), are experiencing a real race against time. They try by all means to register for this test, but are faced with an almost total lack of availability.
“When you go to the UQAC platform, you see that there is no availability to carry out a test, which is really, really, really complicated, given that I finish at the end of January” , testifies a student at the end of solutions.
Even more alarming, attempts to register in Montreal, Quebec or Trois-Rivières often end in failure: places are full. This “bottleneck situation,” as one UQAC student describes it, directly threatens their jobs and their ability to stay in Canada.
Families also affected
For many, anxiety is not only about their personal future, but also about the well-being of their loved ones. “There are a lot of bills to pay since I’m already settled here. If I don’t have income, it would be really complicated for me to meet expenses for my children and all that,” shares another student, visibly concerned.
The pressure is increasing all the more as students must submit their post-graduation work permit application as soon as they finish their studies, otherwise they will lose their right to work in Canada.
Demand that exceeds supply
The UQAC foreign students association denounces an insufficient supply to meet demand. “Students go to Montreal, Quebec, Trois-Rivières to be able to take the test. But even there, the dates are almost full,” explains Régis d’Assomption, vice-president of the association.
For its part, UQAC, taken by surprise by this new requirement, is actively working to open new time slots. Guylaine Malaison, director of continuing education at UQAC, emphasizes that the current schedule, full until March, was filled in less than a week. “We are putting everything in place to open up as many time slots as possible and allow students to quickly take the TCF-Canada,” she assures.
A temporary solution at Cégep de Saint-Félicien
Faced with this impasse, the Cégep de Saint-Félicien has taken concrete measures to help its students. The establishment organized transportation so that some could take the test at UQAC or in other large cities such as Quebec and Montreal. However, some students had no choice but to take advantage of the Christmas holidays to take the exam abroad.
Nathalie Landry, assistant director responsible for international affairs at Cégep de Saint-Félicien, questions this new requirement. “It really delays their integration, and we deprive ourselves of important manpower during this time. It’s not a logical decision,” she says.
A requirement contested but defended by Ottawa
On the federal government’s side, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada maintains that this requirement is intended to facilitate the integration of students into the Canadian labor market.
“This change takes into account that many post-graduation work permit holders may wish to transition to permanent residence and that language skills have been shown to be a determining factor for successful integration into Canada,” said the organization by email.
Life projects called into question
Despite these arguments, foreign students fear for their future. “We can perhaps get through this stage, but nothing proves to us that by staying, there will not be new changes which will further disturb us,” testifies a graduate.
For some, returning home becomes a real threat. “It’s an upheaval. My family joined me not long ago. We are starting to adapt, but if we don’t find a solution, we will have no choice but to go back to square one,” says another student, visibly discouraged.
The current impasse calls for rapid and concerted solutions to prevent life projects from being compromised by requirements that are difficult to implement within the planned deadlines. For these foreign students, the future in Quebec remains, for the moment, suspended on an exam date that has not yet been found.
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