Private companies in the Montreal area are boasting online about helping immigrants who don't speak a word of French settle in Quebec, an “unacceptable” practice, the government says.
• Also read: French Language Commissioner Report: Temporary immigration sets French back
• Also read: Draft law on the French language: half measures
“Our position is clear: the French language is the foundation of our common culture and it must remain that way. The facts reported are worrying and unacceptable. “This type of behavior on the part of these private agencies is deplorable,” condemns Jean-François Roberge, Minister of French Language.
The Minister of French Language, Mr. Roberge, strongly condemned the videos of these immigration consultants. PHOTO: MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTR�AL
He was responding to several videos published on TikTok that were reported to him by Le Journal. These sequences were all created by at least three immigration consultants based in metropolitan Quebec who advertise their controversial services on the Internet. They claim their goal is to help foreigners settle in the province.
Rohit Sikka applauds an immigrant in his office who doesn't speak French and received a CSQ. The man in question was also greeted with confetti. “Screenshot of a video posted to myedustation’s TikTok account”
“Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) approved in 2 months! Congratulations, no French. To know more… Visit us,” says Rohit Sikka, owner of Education Station, smiling in one of the videos and shaking his customer’s hand.
Note that this certificate proves that an immigrant is eligible to settle in the province. This document is necessary in order to then be able to submit an application for permanent residence.
Praised with confetti
In another online sequence, the same counselor greets an immigrant who has received a CSQ with confetti and music. Once again, Mr. Sikka praises the young woman who managed to move to Montreal even if she does not speak Molière's language.
“Our goal is to help talented people come and live in Quebec, that's all.” […] “Our videos were filmed at the end of 2023, we know that the laws will change in the future,” defends Rohit Sikka on the phone, who admits that he does not speak French despite moving to Montreal in 2018.
Mr. Singh explains how to get a CSQ in the province without speaking French in this video published at the end of 2023. “Screenshot of a video posted on GP Singh Immigration Inc.’s TikTok account”
According to our research, two other companies engage in this type of advertising on TikTok: GP Singh Immigration Inc. and CanWorldVisa Immigration. Our requests for an interview with her owner went unanswered. Each time they were noticed by receptionists who only spoke English.
“Don’t speak French, please speak English,” says an employee of Jaswinder Kaur Bajwa, owner of CanWorldVisa Immigration.
The director of CanWorldVisa Immigration explains how to get a CSQ without speaking French in a video on social networks. “Screenshot from a TikTok video posted on the canworldvisa account”
Soon banned
Jean-François Roberge assures that her government is the one that “does the most for the French language”.
“Especially given the increasing demands on French proficiency among temporary and permanent immigrants. “With the reforms that we have carried out and that will come into force from autumn 2024, it will no longer be possible to obtain a CSQ without knowledge of French,” certifies the Minister of French Language.
Me Maxime Lapointe, a lawyer specializing in immigration law, warns immigrants against the advice in these videos.
I am Maxime Lapointe, lawyer specializing in immigration. With kind approval
“This is a misleading message because every immigrant is an individual case. In Quebec we have adapted the law to protect the French. “We have to be really careful about what these advisors say,” warns Me Lapointe.
The lawyer also recalls that the reform of the CAQ is already underway. In fact, since January 2024, businesspeople and skilled workers wishing to settle permanently in Quebec must have knowledge of French. This new regulation applies in particular to investors, entrepreneurs and the self-employed.
► Temporary immigration has caused French to decline in Quebec, according to a report from the French language commissioner released last week. The use of French in the workplace has fallen significantly by 1% in two years.
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