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General NoticeCoronavirus (COVID-19)The public health state of emergency declared for the entire Québec territory on March 13, 2020, gives the Québec government the necessary powers to implement all of the measures required to protect the health of the population and curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Added to these measures are the Canadian government’s decisions regarding, in particular, closing the borders. Please visit this page regularly for updates on the situation. The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) is closely monitoring this evolving situation and will continuously update this page based on the information available. If you think you may be infected with COVID-19 or would like to obtain more information, call 1-877-644-4545. If you have questions about your state of health, contact Infosanté at 811. Many community organizations in Québec offer free, anonymous and confidential telephone listening services to help break the isolation by allowing callers to confide in someone and talk about their particular psychological situation. Information regarding the various services offered by the MIFIFrench coursesWith the COVID-19 crisis, what is happening with full-time and part-time French courses offered in educational institutions and community organizations? For all classes held remotely or in the classroom, student participation and regular attendance are required. Participation allowances will be maintained for students who are registered for courses. Allowances for childcare will be paid upon presentation of supporting documents; transportation allowances are suspended when it is a remote course. If you are unable to participate in your classes remotely or wish to cancel your course, you must contact the Centre de contacts clientèle (information service) at 514-864-9191, for the Montréal area, or 1-877-864-9191 (toll free) everywhere else in Québec. Can I register for online francization classes (FEL)? Registration receptionThe reception at the Direction du registraire de la francisation located on the 2nd floor, at 1200 Boulevard Saint-Laurent in Montréal, is closed until further notice.
Premières démarches d’installation (PDI) and Objectif intégration (OI) information sessionsThe Premières démarches d’installation (PDI) and Objectif intégration (OI) information sessions resumed on August 31, 2020 in partner organizations whose layouts comply with public health directives. Accompagnement Québec (Personalized Integration Plan)The Personalized Integration Plan is now called Accompagnement Québec. The services related to Accompagnement Québec are maintained. You can complete the steps remotely with an assistance agent over the phone or by video call. Services offered by the MIFI's partner organizationsThe vast majority of services provided by the MIFI’s partner organizations are maintained. You can obtain assistance over the phone, by email or by video call, depending on the organization’s preferred method of communication. Services for businessesThe services offered to businesses by the MIFI are maintained, and businesses can continue to formulate their application for support services using the online form (in French only). Recruitment missionsThe Québec government is taking all the necessary measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as much as possible. As a protective measure, all Journées Québec recruitment missions that had been announced have been suspended. Permanent immigrationIs the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) still processing applications for permanent selection?
Can CSQ holders who are in Québec and have lost their job renew or obtain a work permit? Temporary foreign workersWork permits What happens to temporary foreign workers whose work permit is about to expire or has already expired, and who have lost their job due to COVID-19 and cannot leave the territory? The Government Assistance Program – COVID-19 page will help you determine the type of assistance that may apply to your situation. To find out about the measures put in place by the federal government regarding access to the territory and the issuing and validity of work permits, consult the Government of Canada’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) page. What happens to temporary foreign workers who have submitted an application to prolong their work permit before the expiry of the initial work permit, and who have lost their job due to COVID-19? The Government Assistance Program – COVID-19 page will help you determine the type of assistance that may apply to your situation. To find out about the measures put in place by the federal government regarding access to the territory and the issuing and validity of work permits, consult the Government of Canada’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) page. What happens to temporary foreign workers who had an open work permit and who have lost their job due to COVID-19? A number of assistance programs are available for workers residing in Québec who have lost their income due to COVID-19. The Government Assistance Program – COVID-19 page will help you determine the type of assistance that may apply to your situation. To find out about the measures put in place by the federal government regarding access to the territory and the issuing and validity of work permits, consult the Government of Canada’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) page. Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ – Québec experience program) Can temporary foreign workers, with a valid work permit or another authorization to work in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, who have accumulated one year of full-time work experience in Québec, and who have lost their job due to COVID-19, submit a PEQ application? Can temporary foreign workers, with a valid work permit or another authorization to work in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, who had not yet accumulated 12 months of work experience when they lost their job, take into account this first work experience when applying for the Québec experience program? Temporary foreign workers who have lost their job due to COVID-19, and would have wanted to submit an application for the PEQ can therefore submit their application once they have resumed employment and have accumulated 12 months of full-time work in Québec during the 24 months preceding the date of submission of their application. Medical coverage I am a temporary foreign worker living in Québec to occupy a job and I am currently eligible for Québec’s health insurance. What will happen to my health insurance coverage if I am laid off due to the pandemic? If the permit authorizing you to work in Canada expires soon, you must contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to find out how to extend your work permit. I am a temporary foreign worker and I have still not received my health insurance card. Can I have a screening test for COVID-19? Financial assistance Does the type of work permit (open permit, closed permit, working holiday, accompanying spouse) impact the temporary worker’s eligibility for the financial assistance programs announced by the government? Québec businesses I operate a business in Québec. What are my obligations to a temporary foreign worker (TFW) who will be arriving in the next few days and will have to be in quarantine? The Québec government has prepared a protocol for newcomers (in French only), and a FAQ section for the arrival in Québec of temporary foreign workers in the biofood sector (in French only). The federal government has also provided information about this on the Temporary Foreign Workers – COVID-19 page. Have changes or adjustments been made to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)? Foreign studentsImportant note to foreign students regarding applications for post-graduation work permits Foreign students whose Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and study permit expire on December 31, 2020, and who will have completed their study program, will be able to maintain a status allowing them to work while their post-graduation work permit is being processed. They can do so even if they have not received the documents attesting to completion of their studies. They will have to submit their application for a post-graduation work permit to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before December 31, 2020, with an explanatory letter specifying:
For more information, consult the IRCC’s website. Submitting electronic documents — Application for temporary selection for studies Foreign students must submit, starting January 26, 2021, the required supporting documents electronically after having submitted an application for temporary selection for studies. This online service is available 24/7 on the Arrima platform. Consult the page Submitting documents — Application for temporary selection for studies to find out more. You must have on hand your file number for the Application for temporary selection for studies, which is either provided in the section “Access my file,” if you submitted your application online, or when you receive a response in the mail. Does the same procedure apply for renewal applications? Postponement of the start date of a study program from the summer semester to the 2020 fall semester Students who were issued a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) to start a study program in the 2020 summer semester and who have to postpone the beginning of that program until fall 2020 will not have to apply for a new CAQ for studies. With this measure, students will not have to repeat the administrative steps involved in applying for a new CAQ application now. However, this measure does not change the period of validity of CAQs. For the federal guidelines regarding the postponement of the semester, please follow the instructions of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Extending the duration of the Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) is extending, until December 31, 2020, the minister’s consent for the duration of the stay in Québec of foreign students whose Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies expires as of April 30, 2020 and before December 31, 2020. This extension is set out in a regulation applicable to CAQs for studies that had not already expired on April 30, 2020. This decision is intended to facilitate the steps that must be taken by foreign students who were in the process of completing their study program but who must extend their stay in Québec due to the current health state of emergency and the temporary interruption of their courses. These students can therefore submit an application to the federal government as soon as possible to have their study permit extended without having to include a new CAQ, which will allow them to maintain valid temporary residence status and to complete their study program when their courses resume. Will students have to pay fees for extending their CAQ? What about students who would like to continue their studies after December 31, 2020? Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ – Québec experience program) What happens to foreign students whose semester has been interrupted and who were waiting for their diploma in order to submit an application for the PEQ?
The Ministère accepts attestations of successful completion of a study program as well as final transcripts issued by the registrar of the educational institution. Since the programs admissible under the PEQ must have a minimum duration of 1800 hours, these graduates can obtain a three-year post-graduation work permit. Also, a transitional measure, following changes to the Québec Immigration Regulation, is planned for foreign students who obtain their diploma by December 31, 2020. These students can submit an application for permanent selection based on the selection conditions that were in effect before July 22, 2020. Study permits Will study permits for foreign students who are already in Québec be automatically renewed? Medical coverage I am a foreign student in Québec and I am eligible for Québec’s health insurance plan under a social security agreement. What happens to my coverage if my studies are interrupted or disrupted due to the pandemic? Communications with the MIFIAre the MIFI’s requirements regarding the format of documents to be included with the official immigration application still in effect? Is it possible to send documents by email rather than by mail? Is it possible to submit documents in person? All other documents must be mailed to us. No documents will be received in person. Should there be any change in the procedure for submitting documents, we will notify our clientele as soon as possible. I have an appointment for a language evaluation in order to register for a French course. Do I have to attend this evaluation? Will the workshops, seminars and presentations given by MIFI consultants be held? Is the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration still issuing the Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ)? If so, can I receive a copy by fax instead of in the mail? Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infographics![]()
In order to raise awareness among all Quebecers about the guidelines they must follow, the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) is inviting you to share in your networks infographics translated into several languages for the “Let's continue to protect ourselves!” campaign. |
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