Cameroonians will no longer be able to apply for permanent residence in such large numbers in the next year. Quebec on Wednesday limited the number of applications that can come from a single country after noting a “decrease in diversity of origin” in one of the two major economic immigration programs.
According to the words of the decree of the Minister of Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, it is to “reinforce the diversity” of countries of origin in the Regular Skilled Worker Program (PRTQ) that a quota of 25% is imposed. In other words, nationals of a particular country will not be able to train more than a quarter of the economic candidates in this program. The measure is currently in place for a period of one year, until October 9, 2025.
The provision published in The Official Gazette of Quebec Wednesday does not directly mention Cameroon as the targeted country of origin.
The most recent data from the program show that it is nevertheless Cameroonians who are primarily affected. During the past nine months of 2024, more than 12,000 nationals of this country have in fact been invited to submit an application for permanent residence under the PRTQ, that is to say 52% of the total ” invitations.”
Entirely managed by the provincial government, this program is competitive and works by points: points are accumulated according to the field of training, knowledge of French, age, level of education and other criteria. From one to three times a month, “invitations” to become permanent residents are made from the pool of candidates on the Arrima platform. Certain invitation exercises are also aimed only at candidates who have received a job offer outside the Montreal region or at people practicing professions considered to have a labor shortage.
By the end of 2022, Cameroon has placed itself at the top of the list of countries from which candidates stood out in this pool of files. Several recruitment missions financed or organized by the government, notably the Quebec Days, took place in this central African country where around 11.5 million people speak French.
The other major economic immigration program entirely governed by Quebec, the Quebec Experience Program, does not systematically publish the countries of origin of its accepted candidates.
Overall, France is more often the leading country of origin, but it does not represent a quarter of new permanent residents. Between 2019 and 2023, 14% of permanent residents in Quebec came from this country, compared to 9% from China, 5.9% from Cameroon and 5.6% from Algeria.
Provided for by the Quebec Immigration Act, this provision has rarely, if ever, been used to impose a limit by country of origin.
In the United States, a 7% per country limit is imposed for certain permanent immigration categories, such as extended family reunification and employment sponsorship. In return, a “lottery” for permanent residences is organized to favor countries with a low rate of emigration to the United States.
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