Federal government

Québec is part of the Canadian federation, which includes nine other provinces and three northern territories.

• The Canadian Parliament is principally composed of the House of Commons and the Senate. Federal Members of Parliament sit in the House of Commons and are elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. Québec is represented by 75 MPs.

• Members of the Senate are appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada on the recommendation of the provinces. Twenty-three senators come from Québec.
  
  

These institutions legislate on matters of common interest to members of the federation (national defence, border control, currency, etc.), with the exception of fields of exclusive provincial jurisdiction.

In immigration matters, the Canadian Constitution recognizes the sharing of powers between the federal government and the provinces. Québec immigration is governed by both Canadian and Québec laws.

To learn more L’immigration au Québec : Partage des responsabilités Québec-Canada (PDF, 230 Kb) (Québec immigration: Québec-Canada sharing of responsibilities).