Quebec lowers permanent immigration target to 45,000 per year, focuses on French-language integration

The Quebec government has announced it will reduce its annual target for new permanent residents to 45,000, marking a significant shift from the roughly 61,000 people expected to settle in the province this year. The revised plan outlines a more moderate approach than earlier proposals that would have lowered the figure to as few as 25,000 newcomers annually.

The government’s new immigration framework emphasizes language integration, setting a goal for nearly 80 per cent of new immigrants to achieve at least intermediate-level French by 2029. In 2019, that figure was 50 per cent. Officials say the policy is part of a broader effort to strengthen the use of French across Quebec.

In addition to the permanent resident target, the province intends to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers and international students by 13 per cent by 2029, compared to 2024 levels. The reductions will primarily affect the Montreal and Laval regions, which currently attract most of Quebec’s temporary residents.

According to Statistics Canada, Quebec is home to about 562,000 temporary immigrants, including international students and workers on short-term permits. The new plan comes amid ongoing debates over how immigration affects labour shortages, housing demand, and the province’s linguistic identity.