"In Quebec, women and men have the same rights and this equality is enshrined in law, true or false? "What is the official language of Quebec: English, Spanish, French, French and English?" " These are the questions that immigration candidates will have to answer, starting on 1st next January, to obtain the Quebec Selection Certificate, sesame for an installation in the province.
With twenty multiple choice questions organized around five themes (equality between women and men, Francophone society, secularism, human rights and democracy), this "Attestation of learning Quebec values" aims to "Ensure that newcomers adhere to these values", said Quebec’s immigration minister Simon Jolin-Barrette in October.
He made no secret of being inspired by the "citizenship test" already in place at the Canadian level, but considered it important that Quebec be able to introduce its own criteria. The defense of secularism and the ban on the wearing of religious symbols in the public service, at the heart of a law passed in Quebec last June, will be the subject of certain questions.
75% correct answers required
With the introduction of this questionnaire – concocted by experts for the sum of 140,000 Canadian dollars (96,000 euros) – the government Coalition Future Quebec (CAQ, center-right, moderate nationalist) of François Legault intends to show that it is keeping its commitments on immigration. Before coming to power in October 2018, the future Prime Minister had largely insisted on his desire to strengthen the selection criteria for Quebec immigrants. François Legault used the example of the burkini, this full swimsuit worn by certain Muslim women, which he considered "Problematic as to the question of the submission of women" to explain that it was necessary to make sure "Let newcomers believe in equality between women and men".
The test will be completed online by the only applicants for economic immigration (60% of immigrants to the province), those whose selection is the responsibility of the province, under an agreement between Canada and Quebec. Refugees and people arriving as part of a family reunification will not be subject to it.
For the test to be validated, 75% of correct answers are required. In case of failure, training, to be followed in Quebec, will be possible before a last attempt. The questionnaire, offered in French, English, Mandarin and Spanish, will be submitted to candidates before their arrival on Quebec soil. And not after, as initially envisaged by the government, which wanted to carry out an a posteriori test with deportation to the key in the event of failure of the immigrants already installed.
