Waiting for federal approval: \u0027They have this impression that Canada is behaving like a crook\u0027
a passport-for-money scheme that profited one province and led only to higher real-estate prices in another.But lawyers for later applicants say Quebec largely fixed those problems, with both the province and Ottawa now going to considerable lengths to ensure people put down roots in Quebec.Article content
There’s even been a spike recently of Francophiles in New York City anxious to settle in Quebec specifically because it is French-speaking, he said. Under Quebec’s program, investors hand over a sum that at the time Hortua applied was $800,000. It’s invested by the province for five years, the income used to fund small and medium-sized businesses and pay for French classes and other integration services for newcomers. It’s then returned without interest. The amount rose to $1.2 million before Quebec put the program on hold.Article content
Once approved by Quebec, IRCC then is supposed to conduct security checks and a medical evaluation to ensure applicants won’t be a burden to the health-care system, before granting PR status.Hortua said he and his wife were so convinced they’d gain PR status soon after Quebec’s approval in 2018, they had their son attend an aviation program in the province, expecting to join him shortly. But not only did federal approval fail to come, the pandemic severely restricted travel.