Canada: New Cap On Quebec Family Sponsor Applications

Written by

Shrishti Bajpai

Fact check by

Divyansh Chaudhari

Updated on

Dec 01,2024

Canada: New Cap On Quebec Family Sponsor Applications- TerraTern

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Quebec is one of Canada's most popular provinces, and it accepts many immigration applications every year. Québec has recently introduced a new limit on the number of family sponsorship applications except every year. This cap introduces a new limit of applications and specific categories that receive different allocations for immigration. These new rules have reserved categories for different groups of people and applicants.

A large influx of temporary residents in Québec has caused a housing crisis in the province, which may have likely led to this new rule being introduced. According to these new laws, the limit on the family sponsorship applications that Québec has now imposed will be in effect till 25 June 2026.

Understanding the Different Allocations for Different Categories 

The new cap introduced by Québec has a limit of 13,000 applications only from immigrants worldwide. There are specifications made for different categories under this new scheme.

Out of the 13,000 applications that Québec will accept, 10,400 applications have been reserved for:

  • Spouses

  • Common law partners

  • Children who are dependent on the sponsor and are 18 years of age or above

2600 applications are still left after these locations. These 2600 applications have been assigned for:

  • Father’s

  • Mother’s

  • Grandparents

  • Other eligible relatives

Once the limit is met, Quebec will stop accepting applications for the rest of the designated period. The first 13,000 applications will only be considered for immigration.

Who is Exempt From This Legislation?

There are certain categories of people who are exempt from this legislation. This means that this rule does not apply to them, and there is no limit on the number of applications Quebec can receive from these groups of people. These categories, which are exempt from this new cap rule, are:

  • A minor child dependent on a sponsored parent

  • A minor child that the sponsor wishes to adopt

  • An orphan minor child related to the sponsor via the sponsor, brother, sister, nephew, niece, granddaughter, or grandson

  • And adult child of a sponsor who is still dependent on the parent due to some disability

If an individual meets these categories and wishes to qualify for exemption from the 13,000 limit, the individual should not be married or have a common law partner. If the individual is married or has a common-law partner, they will not qualify for the exemption from the 13,000 rule and will have difficulties immigrating to Québec.

More Information on The Cap

Once the cap of 13,000 has been reached, Québec will announce a formula and close their applications. If, in any case, the ministry receives any applications which are not exempt from the limit after the cap has been reached, these applications will be returned immediately. They will not be processed, and the application fee will not be charged.

The Cause: Quebec’s Housing Crisis

Québec has been facing a major housing crisis in the last few years. Due to the large number of temporary residents that have moved to Québec and the province's inability to meet the demand, the crisis has occurred. Moreover, the residential units are empty or still not a solution as the rent is quite high and is out of budget for most people living in Québec. Inflation increased by about 17% in the same period, adding to the housing crisis that Québec has been facing.

A survey by Statistics Canada demonstrated that 3% of Canadians had been affected by households last year. According to estimates, 45,000 of those were from Québec, demonstrating the need for more affordable housing for the residents of Québec.

Since 2018, the provincial government of Québec has funded 23,000 affordable and social housing units. The housing ministry also states that building more affordable and sustainable housing is the only solution. Additionally, limiting the influx of international residents will give Qube a temporary respite from this persistent problem.

Read More: Understanding the Letter of Introduction in Canada

Conclusion

The limit imposed by Québec of 13,000 immigrants is a significant change in Québec’s immigration policies. It also impacts the number of immigrants Canada can receive internationally every year. We can expect more of these changes as Québec aims to regulate the number of international temporary residents to manage their housing crisis.

With TerraTern you can get more information about the latest family sponsor applications and the immigration services they curated. With an expert team and wide experience, TerraTern will help you easily move to your preferred country!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many immigrants are in Quebec right now?

Quebec has around 52,800 permanent immigrants living in the province right now. Moreover, a record-breaking number of 174,200 temporary immigrants joined Québec’s population in 2023, exceeding Québec’s carrying capacity, especially in terms of housing. The total number of temporary immigrants living in Québec reached almost 600,000 by the end of last year.

How much is the Family Sponsorship Fee in Quebec?

The family fee for each person that you will be sponsoring is $319. Over that, each additional person that you will sponsor will require you to pay $128.

How much income do I need to sponsor my spouse in Canada?

There is no minimum income requirement that you need to meet for spouse sponsorship in Québec. However, you must have enough funds to support all the family members. You are willing to sponsor in Canada. You will also be required to sign an undertaking agreement, which will indicate that you will fulfill all the financial needs of your partner, and the immigration officer will have the right to assess whether you have the financial resources to fulfill this commitment.

What is the success rate of spousal sponsorship in Canada?

The success rate of spouses sponsorship in Canada is about 75% at the moment. This assertion was made in September 2023. There has been a 20% increase in the success rate of spouse sponsorship.in 2022, the success rate 55% and has grown to 75% in a year.

What is the backlog of family sponsorships in Quebec?

Québec currently has quite a huge backlog of family sponsorship applications. There are about 38,000 applications pending in the backlog which are yet to be processed by Quebec. This backlog fuelled by the pandemic, indicates that there are 30,000 people who are yet to be reunited with their family members living in Canada.