Québec Réunifié at the National Assembly — Highlights from October 23, 2025

From 39 Months to 5–11 Years? A Defining Day for Quebec Families

oct. 25, 2025

Introduction

October 23, 2025 marked a turning point in the fight for family reunification in Quebec.
In a single day, Québec Réunifié carried the voices of thousands of families through three major moments:

Major media coverage on Radio-Canada and in Le Devoir;
A joint press conference at the National Assembly with Liberal MNA André A. Morin;
Our official presentation before the Citizens Relations Committee as part of Quebec’s 2026–2029 immigration planning consultation.

At the heart of our message was one clear and fair proposal:
👉 Process sponsorship cases that have waited 12 months or more — and already have a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) — outside the province’s immigration thresholds.
These families have already been approved by Quebec and have waited the federal standard; they should not be penalized twice.

1) The Radio-Canada Feature (Morning)

Radio-Canada reported our projections: under the government’s proposed immigration cuts, family reunification wait times could reach between 5 and 11 years by 2029.

Key facts:

⏳ 39 months of waiting in Quebec vs 15 months or less in the rest of Canada;
👥 42,200 people currently waiting;
📉 A ceiling of 10,600 admissions per year, which could drop to 5,800 under “Scenario A.”

We also revealed that the government’s notion of “reception capacity” has no empirical foundation:

“It’s needless suffering justified by a concept that isn’t measured scientifically.” — Marie-Gervaise Pilon

📄 Read the full article:
👉 Radio-Canada — Family reunification in Quebec could soon exceed five years

2) Le Devoir Article (Afternoon)

In Le Devoir, we formally presented our key recommendation:

Remove family sponsorship cases from Quebec’s immigration thresholds once they have waited 12 months with a CSQ.

This simple, lawful measure would reduce backlogs without burdening public services.
Liberal MNA André A. Morin supported the call:

“Thirty-nine months is inhumane. If the government adopts Scenario A with 5,800 admissions, the delays will explode to over six years.”

📄 Read the article:
👉 Le Devoir — Some family reunification cases should be processed outside thresholds
(Mirror link: https://tr.ee/fomMK-7Hs9)

3) Press Conference at the National Assembly

Standing with André A. Morin, we highlighted key truths:

Quebec’s delays are now an injustice in time — 39 months here, 15 elsewhere.
The right to private and family life is a human right, not an administrative quota.
The government must resume issuing CSQs and allow IRCC to process Quebec-selected files continuously.

🎥 Watch the full press conference:
👉 YouTube — Québec Réunifié & André A. Morin Press Conference

4) Official Presentation Before the Parliamentary Committee

Public Consultation on Immigration Planning 2026–2029

Later that day, Québec Réunifié presented its full brief and recommendations to the Citizens Relations Committee of the National Assembly.
Our delegation — Marie-Gervaise Pilon, Jean-Sébastien Gervais, and William Frederick Blewitt — represented families from across the province.

We extend our deep gratitude to all Québec Réunifié members who came to the National Assembly in person to attend the hearing.
Your quiet, dignified presence gave faces and heart to the statistics.
🙏 Thank you for showing up and standing with us.

🎥 Watch the full presentation:
👉 YouTube — National Assembly Hearing (official video)

Key Takeaways from Our Presentation

Set a legal maximum delay of 12 months (including federal + provincial stages).
Align 2026–2029 thresholds with actual processing capacity, not political targets.
Abolish quotas for family reunification — no comparable European country uses them.
Legally recognize the right to family life in Quebec’s Immigration Act.
Strengthen access to French language courses and settlement services; include sponsors in integration pathways.

💬 Excerpt:

“Based on the proposed scenarios, we calculated that the wait time will reach between six and ten years, depending on the option chosen.
If we’re already breaking records for delays, we’re about to become the galactic champions of waiting for families.
We can’t let that happen.”
— Jean-Sébastien Gervais & Marie-Gervaise Pilon, National Assembly presentation, October 23 2025

5) Publication of the Report on Quebec’s Reception Capacity (2022–2025)

That same day, Québec Réunifié released a landmark study:
📘 Report on Quebec’s Reception Capacity for Family Reunification (2022–2025)

Family reunification is one of Quebec’s three main immigration categories — alongside economic immigrants and refugees — yet it remains marginalized in official data and absent from public debate.

To assess Quebec’s real capacity to host reunited families, we filed multiple access-to-information requests with ministries and agencies in 2025.

The report:

presents the results of those requests;
examines the government’s ability (or inability) to measure service use by sponsored families;
and offers practical recommendations for better transparency and institutional follow-up.

Main finding: none of Quebec’s ministries — Health (RAMQ), Family, Education, or Housing — track immigrants by category.
The oft-cited “reception capacity” argument has no empirical basis.

6) Numbers to Remember

⏳ 39 months average wait time in Quebec (≤ 15 months elsewhere)
👥 42,200 people waiting for a decision (as of Sept 1 2025)
📉 10,600 admissions per year, possibly cut to 5,800
📅 Projected delays: 5 to 11 years by 2029, depending on the chosen scenario

7) Our Central Recommendation

🟢 Process, outside immigration thresholds, all sponsorship cases that have waited 12 months with a CSQ.

This approach is:

Fair and legally sound;
Reduces needless suffering;
Brings Quebec in line with the Canadian standard of ≈ 12 months.

8) 📢 One Week Left — Sign the Official Petition

The official National Assembly petition for better access to family reunification is open until October 29, 2025.
👉 Sign the petition now (Assemblée nationale du Québec)

Petition summary:

We, the undersigned, ask the Quebec government to:
Cancel the June 26 2024 ministerial decree suspending sponsorship applications;
Resume issuance of CSQs for family reunification immediately;
And guarantee continuous processing within 12 months, to uphold Quebec families’ right to live together.

📅 Deadline: October 29 2025
🖊️ Signatures (as of Oct 23): 5,733
🕐 One week left — every signature counts.

Conclusion

October 23 showed that Quebec can combine compassion and coherence.
The facts are clear:

The “reception capacity” argument isn’t evidence-based;
Sponsored spouses and partners don’t overload public services;
Quebecers have the right to live with their loved ones in their own province.

What’s missing now is political will.
Quebec families will no longer wait in silence.

Take Action

➡️ Sign the petition before October 29 — only one week left.
➡️ Share this article and the videos.
➡️ Read our full report.

Because waiting three, five, or ten years to live with your family is not the Quebec we want.

#QuébecRéunifié #JeVeuxMaFamille #FamilyReunification #ImmigrationQuebec #HumanRights #ReceptionCapacity #CSQ #IRCC #Petition11563