National Assembly of Quebec considers tightening temporary foreign worker admissions criteria
Rapid increases in temporary immigrant population lead to calls for tightened admissions criteria
Source articles: La Presse, Montreal Gazette, Global News
Following Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) caucus meetings in Sherbrooke, Premier François Legault revealed the Quebec National Assembly is considering restricting the number of temporary workers in Quebec. “We’re not ruling it out. We’re looking into it,” he stated at a press conference. This announcement comes as Quebec’s population surpassed 9 million, including half a million temporary immigrants, a category which comprises temporary workers, international students, and asylum seekers. Recent increases in Quebec’s population are largely due to immigration. According to Statistics Canada data, the number of temporary workers in Quebec has seen a 61% year-over-year increase with numbers rising from approximately 140,000 in 2023 to 225,000 presently.
According to Legault, temporary worker numbers limits would be implemented through tightening of admission criteria for those seeking temporary work visas in Quebec. Jurisdiction over immigration is shared between the federal government and the Quebec National Assembly, and the selection of temporary workers is done through programs run by both the National Assembly and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Legault is seeking expanded powers in immigration from the federal government: “we would like to have more powers in immigration.” He claims talks involving federal immigration minister Marc Miller “are going well,” stating “I am confident that we will succeed in finding compromises with the federal government.”
The new stance on temporary workers comes following polls showing falling support for the CAQ government in Quebec. An Angus Reid poll conducted in late 2023 ranked Legault as the country’s least popular premier, with only 31% support in the province. Polling shows the Parti Québécois (PQ), currently with only four seats in the National Assembly, as the frontrunner in the province if an election was held today. PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has been critical of CAQ immigration policy, which he claims does not address temporary workers and has enabled temporary immigration to get “out of control.” The Quebec Liberal Party holds a position opposed to further restricting immigration, with interim leader Marc Tanguay arguing, “the 500,000 [temporary workers] are working. This morning, we need it.”
Immigration continues to develop as a key issue in the Quebec political sphere as vastly different outlooks on immigration policy divide the National Assembly and parties propose varied policies. As the province approaches its next election in October 2026, immigration may remain a key issue as the impacts of immigration policy are seen in the province’s economy and public sphere.