Strained emotions, nervousness, and insecurity afflicting French Scholars
In 2022, French students seeking to study in Quebec faced significant delays, additional fees, and uncertainty in obtaining study permits. These issues are largely attributed to the additional provincial processing steps required in Quebec, which lengthen overall timelines and complicate the application process.
The Canada–Quebec Accord is a key factor contributing to these delays. Unlike other provinces, study permit applications for Quebec require Quebec's government to review and authorise the application alongside federal immigration authorities, resulting in separate and often longer processing times.
Quebec-specific immigration programs, such as the Quebec Skilled Worker and Business Class, have extra provincial verification steps before federal processing. Similarly, study permits processed through Quebec also face these extra steps, causing delays.
In addition, Quebec may impose its own processing fees and requirements, such as demonstrating French language skills, which can introduce additional complexity and costs for French students applying to Quebec establishments.
This combined federal and provincial review process, evolving immigration policies, and lack of streamlined processes have historically created uncertainty for applicants awaiting decisions on their study permits.
Alice Lapleigne, 22, enrolled at HEC Montreal, submitted her study permit application 11 weeks ago. However, her flight, scheduled for August 11, had to be taken without her due to delays in her study permit application. Ambre Chesnel, 21, submitted her application in June but is now waiting for her study permit from the federal government, nine weeks overdue and with no response.
Juliette Bluzat, 18, enrolled at the École Polytechnique de Montréal and has a furnished apartment waiting for her. However, her flight to Montreal, initially scheduled for July 25 and then July 30, has been postponed indefinitely due to her study permit not yet being issued.
Charlotte Baqué de Sariac, 20, arrived in Canada with a visitor visa due to delays in her study permit application. She will need to leave Canada, take an international flight, and return to physically receive her study permit from a customs officer.
McGill has given them until September 9 to present their study permit, or they fear they may have to repeat the year. The University of Montreal (UdeM) is reassuring, stating that processing times for France tend to increase towards the end of June and decrease towards the last weeks of August.
The students denounce the lack of an interlocutor and transparency in the processing of files. Ambre Chesnel regularly checks the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website and Facebook groups for updates on her application.
IRCC's delays, initially announced as five weeks, have risen to ten weeks for study permit applications. The IRCC also mentions that high global demand, especially in categories exceeding the targets, can lead to longer delays.
Despite recent updates suggesting some improvements and reductions in delays for study permits in Canada generally, Quebec processing still remains relatively slower due to these structural reasons.
Sources: 1. CBC News 2. The Globe and Mail 3. Le Devoir 4. Montreal Gazette 5. UdeM
- Delays, additional fees, and uncertainties in obtaining study permits have become prominent issues for French students seeking education in Quebec, as the Canada–Quebec Accord necessitates both provincial and federal review, causing prolonged processing times.
- The complicated application process for Quebec study permits, coupled with Quebec-specific immigration programs' extra verification steps, contribute to the personal-growth and general-news challenges faced by students pursuing education-and-self-development in Quebec.
- The combined delays in online-education permit applications, evolving immigration policies, and lack of streamlined processes have led to mindfulness and politics concerns among students and educational institutions alike, as they grapple with policy-and-legislation changes and uncertainties in the application process.
- The ongoing delays in study permits for Quebec universities, coupled with irregular updates from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), necessitate a greater emphasis on being informed and proactive, as students rely on general-news sources like CBC News, The Globe and Mail, Le Devoir, Montreal Gazette, and UdeM for the latest updates on their applications.
