Ottawa should respect Quebec’s immigration cap for family reunification: minister

QUEBEC — The Quebec government is telling Ottawa to show some respect and not ignore the province’s cap on immigration for family reunification. 

Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette was responding today to an initiative by federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller to speed up the process of reuniting families with their loved ones.

Miller informed the province in a letter that he plans to process more permanent resident applications in the family reunification category, even if means exceeding Quebec’s limit.

The delay to bring a spouse to Quebec is 34 months, compared with 12 months in other provinces, and for a parent the waiting period climbs to 50 months — compared with 24 months elsewhere.