Official Languages Committee on Sept. 27th, 2016

[David Manicom]

Yes. It's a question of markets. That said, it's very variable. There are parts of the world in which the French test isn't less expensive.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Understood. That was one of my first questions. I'm pleased we will be able to see the test. We'll be able to take it together.

Mr. Samson, I'm looking forward to your seeing it. I think you're in for some real fun.

To change subjects, immigration and refugees are two separate things. Being parliamentarians, we know the difference between the two. But in our communities, people come to see us and say they are refugees when they are immigrants. It's not the same thing.

Refugees don't take this test, do they?

[Stefanie Beck]

No.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

They come here directly.

[Stefanie Beck]

Yes.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

However, do they take it if they want to settle in francophone communities? If so, is the test intended specifically for refugees?

Indeed, since they are refugees, they come through the front door. They don't proceed the same way as the other immigrants, who come here and ask to take a test.

Do refugees take a test before being directed toward a francophone community?

[Stefanie Beck]

No.

[David Manicom]

No, refugees are part of a humanitarian program. Once they've settled in Canada, they have permanent resident status, and they live where they want.

The test is specifically intended for the principal applicant from economic class families. The language test is not used for the family class, for spouses of economic class principal applicants, or for refugees.

The test to which we're referring enables us to determine how many points can be granted to a person based on our selection grid. Quebec has the same type of grid for economic class programs. The points are not exclusively reserved for people who speak the language fluently. There are selection grids for the high level, medium level, medium low level, etc.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

When refugees arrive, do you have to direct them toward minority francophone communities, or do they settle where they want?

[David Manicom]

There are two types of refugees. Refugees who are sponsored by the private sector arrive in the community where their sponsor is located.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Okay.

[David Manicom]

Once they're here, they have permanent resident status. They can live in that community, or move.

As for refugees sponsored by the government, it's the government that decides where they will settle. Linguistic proficiency is a factor taken into account when the decision is made, but other factors are also considered, such as the fact that the person has a relative in a given region. We won't send someone to Halifax if he has a brother in Vancouver. There are special medical needs to consider as well.

Once they've arrived, the people receive financial support from the federal government for one year. During that period, they have access to all our integration services. After a year, they can move if they wish—it's a free country—but they normally remain in their community of settlement for a certain amount of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Thank you, Mr. Manicom.

We will now take a five-minute break. Based on my list, the next people to intervene will be Mr. Arseneault, Mr. Nater and Mr. Choquette.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Kindly return to your seats, please.

Ms. Boucher, you have the floor.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Thank you, Chair.

It's about the French test I asked to obtain. After considering the subject of immigration, I would like the members of this committee to take the time needed to attempt the French test given to immigrants.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

I am willing, but don't administer it to my wife.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

No, you'll be the one who gets to take it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

Many thanks for your suggestion, Ms. Boucher. We will see later.

We will now go person by person around the table. You each have four minutes.

We will start with Mr. Arseneault.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Chair. I will be quick, because I'd like to leave some of my time for our friend Brenda Shanahan.

Ms. Prince-St-Amand, we know that you work with minority francophone communities to find new measures that could increase the number of francophone immigrants. The main objective of the program is to retain new francophone workers in minority francophone communities, and that often happens through employment.

I have several questions for you. I hear nightmarish stories about the equivalencies that professional bodies establish for people who come from abroad and settle in places like New Brunswick. I won't cite any specific cases, but I could tell you about a few.

I know you don't have jurisdiction over all this. It's the beauty of our vast and beautiful federation that some things fall under provincial jurisdiction, and some things fall under federal jurisdiction. That said, is the problem a recurring irritant in retaining new francophones in minority communities?

[Corinne Prince-St-Amand]

Thank you for the question.

Recognition of occupational credentials acquired outside the country is always a challenge, and this is true for francophones, anglophones, and people of all other linguistic groups who come to Canada.

You are correct. In every province and territory, the self-regulating professional bodies are responsible for the recognition of professional credentials. However, for several years, the federal government has been working closely with its provincial and territorial partners to ensure that no matter where immigrants arrive—be it Vancouver or Newfoundland—they have access to a transparent and coherent system.

I think we're the only country in the world to have implemented a standard for credential recognition. Currently, the standard is 12 months, but the federal, provincial and territorial governments are working on reducing it to six months. With certain professions, it's often much shorter. So this is not just a challenge for francophones. It's a challenge for Chinese people, and all other people.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

I will finish with that point. I have only two minutes of the four allocated to me.

What's your plan to retain new francophone workers in minority francophone communities? If the answer is in the document you'll be sending us, you don't need to answer. Otherwise, what is your plan, and how much do you expect to budget, in percentage terms, for this specific aspect of your service?

[Corinne Prince-St-Amand]

It's a multi-pronged strategy, if you will.

At the federal level, we are working closely with Canadian Heritage, which has primary responsibility for the 2013-18 Roadmap. The federal government has nearly completed its consultation of Canadians, provincial and territorial organizations, and employers throughout Canada, for the purposes of the next multi-year plan or action plan, as the Liberal government calls it.

It's not finished, but it will be the next five-year plan. The plan sets an immigration target. We will focus even more efforts on francophone communities outside Quebec.

The settlement program is second. The results of our most recent call for proposals, from 2015, will be announced soon.

We also provide funding for organizations outside Quebec to ensure that the communities have access to services that meet the needs of francophones from abroad who join minority francophone communities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Denis Paradis]

I see that time is tight, Ms. Prince-St-Amand, and I'm going to have to move on to Mr. Nater.

[Corinne Prince-St-Amand]

Very well.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I have a couple of questions. I'm going to ask them all at once to provide you with an opportunity to respond.

I want to touch on the 4% target. I am interested to know where the origins of that target came from. Why is it 4%? I know we're not meeting the 4%, so it might as well be 20% if there's not some justification for that 4%. What's the reasoning behind the 4%? What's the strategy for that?

I also want to follow up a little bit on encouraging international students to remain in Canada after they complete their studies. What's the strategy for that? Are we encouraging them to move to minority communities?

In my past life, I was a university lecturer. I taught at King's College in London. I was pleased to have many francophone students, but they were taking studies in English. What is going to be done to encourage them to stay? What more can you do as a department to encourage them to stay after four years of living in Canada? They're either going to stay or not, I would suspect.

What's the benefit of encouraging a francophone student to stay in Canada if they're going to be in an English-dominated area where they won't be in a French community and they won't necessarily be interacting in their mother tongue, in French?

I'm interested in your thoughts on that.