Les obstacles bureaucratiques à l’immigration au Québec: quelles sont les stratégies déployées par les personnes migrantes pour les contourner ?

Abstract

It is possible to compare the journey of Quebec’s immigrants to the ones of fighters. For example, in order to be selected by the province, candidates for the Regular Skilled 
Worker Program (RSWP) must issue a Declaration of Interest (DI), on the online portal Arrima. Subsequently, if the latter meet the social-economic needs of the province, they will be invited to apply for the Québec Selection Certificate (CSQ), which is delivered by the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI) as a proof of their selection to settle in Quebec. Under the 1991 Federal Agreement, the province has a veto right for the selection of immigrants, which means that obtaining the CSQ is a prerequisite for applying for permanent residency with the federal government. This example shows that candidates who wish to settle in Quebec engage in a multiplication of administrative procedures, which makes the migration process longer, more expensive, and emotionally exhausting. Despite the bureaucratic obstacles to immigration in Quebec, thousands of them get their permanent residency every year. This essay therefore attempts to highlight their capacity for action to overcome the administrative difficulties encountered in their immigration project.