Quebec slashes number of family reunification applications

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A group representing Quebecers waiting to sponsor family members living abroad says the provincial government acted in bad faith by slashing the number of acceptable family reunification applications.

Laurianne Lachapelle of the Quebec Reunification Committee said the decision will cause more stress and delays for Quebec families, who already wait much longer than other Canadians to receive their relatives.

Quebec announced last week that the province will approve more than 16,500 family reunification applications in 2022, more than 10,000 applications in the first six months of 2023, and up to 13,000 family reunification applications in the next two years.

A spokesperson for Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Frechette said the government wants to ensure the number of applications approved does not exceed the province’s immigration cap.

While Ottawa has the final say on approval, applicants who want to bring a spouse or other family members to Quebec must first obtain a selection certificate from the province.

Lachapelle, who has been waiting for two years to bring her Guatemalan husband to Quebec, said she worries that the cuts will cause the federal government to deem applications incomplete and close them, forcing people to start over.

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