{"id":108673,"date":"2022-12-25T00:08:39","date_gmt":"2022-12-25T05:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/quebec-shuts-non-francophones-out-of-entrepreneur-and-self-employed-immigration-programs\/"},"modified":"2022-12-25T00:08:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-25T05:08:39","slug":"quebec-shuts-non-francophones-out-of-entrepreneur-and-self-employed-immigration-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/immigration.ca\/fr\/quebec-shuts-non-francophones-out-of-entrepreneur-and-self-employed-immigration-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Quebec Shuts Non-Francophones Out Of Entrepreneur And Self-Employed Immigration Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quebec is going to stop accepting applications from those who don\u2019t speak French for one of the streams of its Quebec Entrepreneur Program<\/a> (QEP) and the Quebec Self-Employed Program<\/a> (QSP) as of Dec. 28.<\/p>\n

The affected stream of the QEP is for candidates receiving support from a business accelerator, a business incubator or a university entrepreneurship centre, and who wish to open and manage a business in Quebec.<\/p>\n

These programs are not being shut down or paused. The francophone province is simply shutting off applications to those who are not francophones.<\/p>\n

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Candidates who wish to apply for these immigration programs will, starting on the Wednesday of the last week of this year, have to demonstrate a Level 7 mastery of French as per the \u00c9chelle Qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise des Niveaux de Comp\u00e9tence en Fran\u00e7ais des Personnes Immigrantes Adultes, a rating system of French-language competency for adult immigrants.<\/p>\n

There will be no limit as to the number of candidates who can apply through those programs who demonstrate that mastery of French.<\/p>\n

The second stream of the QEP, the one which is for entrepreneurs who wish to operate a business they created bought with at least 25 per cent of the voting shares or at least 51 per cent of all shares of the enterprise, is already closed.<\/p>\n

With this latest announcement, Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fr\u00e9chette is effective, albeit perhaps temporarily, closing the door to the QEP for non-francophones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are taking these measures to prioritize francophone economic immigration,\u201d said Fr\u00e9chette in French in a statement. \u201cThis is why only people with a mastery of French will be able to submit their applications for these two programs for entrepreneurs and self-employed workers in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this decision, we are acting to ensure the survival and vitality of the French language while helping immigrants integrate into Quebecois society.\u201d<\/p>\n

This clampdown on non-francophone immigration to Quebec comes roughly three weeks after Quebec Premier Fran\u00e7ois\u00a0Legault\u2019s speech to open the 43rd session of the National Assembly of Quebec.<\/p>\n

In it, Legault made it clear that stopping the decline of the use of French in the province is one of his top priorities and that he sees francophone immigration as vital to achieving that goal.<\/p>\n

All Economic Immigration To Quebec Will Be Francophone By 2026, Says Legault<\/h3>\n

By 2026, all economic immigrants to Quebec will have to be francophone under Legault\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrevious Parti Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois and Liberal Party governments accepted that 50 per cent (of economic immigrants to Quebec) speak French,\u201d Legault is reported as saying in French in the Le Soleil daily newspaper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have succeeded in the economic immigration categories in increasing that to 80 per cent and we must reach 100 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Certainly, Montreal is becoming less francophone as immigration to the province has risen.<\/p>\n

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