As injunction takes hold, Quebec immigration applicants seek clarity

Aspiring immigrants to Quebec are expressing both optimism and resignation at a court order that forces the provincial government to continue processing their applications for a Quebec selection certificate.

Immigration Minister SimonJolin-Barrettetabled legislation earlier this month that will scrap more than 18,000 outstanding applications to settle in Quebec as skilled workers.

Without waiting for the proposed legislation, Bill 9,to be passed,Jolin-Barretteordered his ministry to immediately stop processing the applications that had already been filed.

A Superior Court judge issued a 10-day injunction Mondayordering the Ministry of Immigration to continue treating thoseapplications.

"I'm happy to see a bit of justice in this affair that has been so arbitrary," said FernandaPrez Gay Jurez, a physician who graduated recently with aPhDin neuroscience from McGillUniversity. "But we'll have to see what it means, how long it will take, how many files they'll be able to deal with.

The injunction request, filed by an association of immigration lawyers, was the first legal test for Bill 9, a sweeping set of reforms proposed by Jolin-Barrette.

On Tuesday, Quebec's opposition parties pressed Jolin-Barretteto commit to processing all18,000 outstanding skilled-worker applicationsbefore Bill 9 is adopted by the National Assembly.

"The minister must commit today to deal with the 18,000 cases affecting 50,000 people,"said DominiqueAnglade, the Liberal immigration critic and MNA forSaint-HenriSainte-Anne.

The immigration minister declined to sayhow manyfiles can be processedbefore the law comes into effect, but he did indicate the government would deal with applications until Bill 9 is passed.

Jolin-Barrette also saidthe government won't take any measures to speed up the process.

"The same resources will be allocated for this task that were allocated before," he said.

Quebec Premier Franois Legaulttold reporters Tuesday there is "an urgency to set aside the old first-come, first-served system."

Seeking certainty

Prez Gay Jurezapplied for the Quebec selection certificate, which is required by Quebec residents to get permanent residence status in Canada,13 months ago. She is on a student visa that expires at the end of Marchand plans to continue her stay on a one-year post-graduate work visa.

But as she closes in onsix years of living on temporary visas, she wantscertainty that she can stay.

"To establish yourself you need permanent residency," she said."I can extend my temporary residency,but it has been a long time."

For otheraspiring immigrants, the court order isnot enough to ease concerns about their future in the province.

Francisco Morataya, who works in information technology inMagog, said he's already given up on his application

"It's been one year and one month, andthey haven't even touched it," he said. "I'm sure they are not going to pick up my file."

Morataya said he's waiting for the government torefund his application fee, and he's going to apply insteadthrough the Quebec Experience Program, a pathway to permanent residency for people who have graduated from certain academicprograms in Quebec.

DarioGomez, a 25-year-old from Venezuela who applied for his Quebec selectioncertificate in 2017, said in a text message that the status of his application has not changed online since yesterday's injunction.

"I'm not going to set my hopes too high," Gomez texted."The CAQ seems pretty adamant to cancel the applications to impose their new law that, is not only unfair, but a bit xenophobic."