Prolonged delays persist in processing immigrant cases within Quebec

Updated Data: Immigration Wait Times in Quebec

In a shocking revelation, Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge announced at a parliamentary commission last week that waitlists for numerous immigration cases have surged in 2024. Here's a rundown of the situation:

Family Reunification: A staggering 42,000 applications are waiting for processing, up from 38,500 in April 2024.
Refugees: Last year, the number of refugees awaiting permanent residence stood at 35,000, increasing to 45,600 by January 2025.
Humanitarian Immigration: The waitlist has risen from 10,100 to 12,700 over the same period.

According to the latest stats, the average wait for family reunification with a foreign spouse is a hefty 36 months in Quebec. As for refugees who have already secured their status, the Immigration Ministry states they are dealing with "an exceptional volume of requests" and are putting in "efforts to expedite the processing" of these files.

"Two Sides of the Coin"

When asked about this issue on Thursday, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, interim co-spokesperson for Quebec Solidaire, slammed the Minister's inconsistent approach towards delays for immigrants. He highlighted that while Roberge had criticized the 37-month average delay for federal asylum applications as "neglect", he hadn't addressed his own department's responsibility for burgeoning waitlists in Quebec.

Roberge had previously voiced his annoyance with the federal government's slow processing of asylum applications, calling the 37-month delay "inhumane." On the other hand, he remained silent on the average waiting times for obtaining permanent residence in Quebec.

Cliche-Rivard expressed concern for those affected by the rising delays, particularly in family reunification cases.

Public Opinion's Verdict

In a recent Léger opinion poll, 67% of Quebecers expressed support for family reunification wait times not to exceed 12 months. Moreover, 64% deemed these reunifications "a major priority" in immigration matters.

Targeting Certain Foreign Students

During the commission, Jean-François Roberge repeated his demands for the federal government to reduce the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec by half. In the meantime, he mentioned a concerning trend: immigrants who arrive as students and subsequently file asylum claims.

As of 2024, close to a quarter of all asylum applications in Quebec were filed by students with study permits – around 6,000 individuals, up from 2,800 (or 15%) in 2023. According to IMFI data, this demonstrates a growing number of immigrants using false pretexts to eventually make an asylum claim.

In response, Roberge stressed the urgency of resuming control over foreign student arrivals in Quebec. In February, the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, implemented a ministerial decree to limit the acceptance of 32,000 fewer applications from international students in 2025 compared to 2024.

A small correction: Previously, we indicated the average waiting time for family reunification with a spouse from abroad was 26 months. The updated figure is 36 months.

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Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, speaking on the immigration issue, questioned the inconsistency shown by Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge, as he criticized federal delay times for asylum applications but remained silent on the surge in waitlists in Quebec.
The opinion poll conducted by Léger revealed that an overwhelming majority of 67% of Quebecers support family reunification wait times not exceeding 12 months, with 64% considering these reunifications a major priority in immigration matters.
Jean-François Roberge continued to advocate for the reduction of temporary immigrants in Quebec by half, expressing concern over a rising trend in asylum claims filed by students arriving as temporary foreign students.
Robertge underscored the urgency of resuming control over foreign student arrivals in Quebec, following IMFI data that indicated a significant increase in asylum applications filed by students, with nearly a quarter of all applications in 2024 being from students with study permits.