Latest news with #non-Quebec
CTV News
16 hours ago
- CTV News
Police in Gatineau, Que. received 1,800 tips about out-of-province licence plates, 30 tickets issued
An Ontario licence plate on Tuesday. Gatineau Police are cracking down on residents with out-of-province plates on their vehicles. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) More than two dozen drivers in Gatineau, Que. have received a ticket for driving with a non-Quebec licence plate, as part of a crackdown on residents with out-of-province licence plates. In February, the Gatineau Police department launched an operation targeting Quebec residents with out-of-province licence plates on their vehicles. Police asked residents to call 3-1-1 to report neighbours, friends or other residents who have been living in Quebec for more than three months with a non-Quebec licence plate on their vehicle. Between Feb. 19 and July 16, the city received 1,852 tips from the public about drivers with non-Quebec licence plates. A police spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa 30 tickets have been issued to drivers for out-of-province plates since the operation began. The fine for having an out-of-province licence plate is $200, with fees bringing the total fine to $336. Police say 50 cases have been referred to Revenu Quebec for investigation, while 10 cases were closed because they involved commercial plates. Several investigations have also been closed for various reasons, including the owner complied to register the vehicle with the Quebec government, the owner moved or there was insufficient information to investigate, according to police. Provincial law requires new residents to register their vehicles with the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) within three months of moving into the province to receive a Quebec plate. The crackdown on out-of-province licence plates comes after the city implemented a new vehicle registration tax to help fund Gatineau's STO. Under the plan approved by council, each registered vehicle is subject to a $60 tax in 2025, and a $90 vehicle tax starting in 2026. The vehicle registration tax is collected by the SAAQ, and applies to automobiles, motor homes, SUVs and minivans, but not motorcycles, mopeds, and vehicles for institutional, professional and commercial use, according to the city. The new $60 vehicle registration tax imposed by the City of Gatineau is in addition to a $30 fee that has been charged by the province since 1992. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Canada visa: Indians get study permit in 5 weeks, work permit in 3 months
Planning a trip to Canada? You could get a visitor visa in just three weeks if you're applying from India. But if you're planning to study, it might take around five weeks, and work permits are taking up to 12 weeks depending on your location. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its latest visa and immigration processing timelines. These timelines are updated weekly for temporary visas and permanent resident (PR) cards, and monthly for family sponsorships and citizenship services. Here's what the current processing times look like in July 2025 — and what they mean for Indians applying for a visa, PR, or citizenship. Citizenship grant: 10 months Certificate of citizenship: 5 months Conservation of citizenship: 7 months Record search request: 15 months Those who applied before May 5, 2025, should soon receive their Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR). Foreign nationals, however, might have to wait longer due to verification requirements. PR cards: no change in new card wait, slight increase for renewals New PR card: 50 days PR card renewal: 16 days (up by one day) Family sponsorship timelines vary by location For sponsoring a spouse, partner, parent or grandparent, timelines differ based on where you live and whether you're in Quebec: Spouse/common-law partner outside Canada (non-Quebec): 11 months Spouse/common-law partner in Canada (non-Quebec): 34 months Spouse/common-law partner outside or inside Canada (Quebec): 38 months Sponsoring parents/grandparents (non-Quebec): 36 months Sponsoring parents/grandparents (Quebec): 48 months Quebec's longer wait times are due to additional provincial-level steps involved in the process. Need a passport printed while in Canada? Here's what to expect Walk-in application: 10 business days Mail-in application: 20 business days Express delivery: same-day dispatch Express pick-up: 2 to 9 business days If you're flying out soon, urgent or express pick-up might be worth the extra fee. Permanent residency for economic migrants Here's how long it currently takes to get PR under Canada's economic migration programmes: Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 5 months Federal Skilled Worker (FSW): 7 months Express Entry – PNP: 8 months Non-Express Entry – PNP: 19 months Quebec Skilled Worker: 9 months Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP): 12 months Start-up visa: 43 months Federal self-employed category: 53 months Programmes for entrepreneurs or self-employed individuals generally take longer due to additional background checks and assessments. Visitor visa processing by country If you're applying from India, the current wait time is 21 days. Other locations: UAE: 35 days USA: 19 days Nigeria: 83 days Pakistan: 30 days Philippines: 31 days Singapore: 39 days inside Canada: 23 days Super visa for parents and grandparents These visas allow extended stays but can take longer: India: 78 days UAE: 240 days USA: 93 days Nigeria: 61 days Pakistan: 171 days Philippines: 112 days Study permit timelines If you're planning to study in Canada from India, expect a five-week wait. Here's how it looks elsewhere: UAE: 9 weeks USA: 6 weeks Nigeria: 5 weeks Pakistan: 11 weeks Philippines: 16 weeks Extension inside Canada: 13 weeks Work permits for foreign applicants Indian applicants are currently waiting around 12 weeks for their permits. Other processing times: UAE: 9 weeks USA: 7 weeks Nigeria: 16 weeks Pakistan: 5 weeks Philippines: 6 weeks Saudi Arabia: 7 weeks Extension within Canada: 225 days Other types of visas and permits Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP): 36 days International Experience Canada (IEC): 5 weeks Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA): from 5 minutes to 72 hours How to avoid delays in your application Check your application for completeness and correct documents Keep track of updated processing times via IRCC's official tracker Prepare for longer processing if applying through Quebec I1n complex cases, speak with a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer IRCC uses an online tracker, updated in real time, to give applicants a better sense of how long their process might take. The tool replaced the older static estimates in 2022.
Montreal Gazette
13-06-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
As Trump turns U.S. inward, Quebec is missing chance to attract international students, study says
Applications from international students to Quebec universities dropped by 46 per cent for 2025-26 — a decline a new study links to recent restrictions it calls ill-timed, warning the province is missing a chance to attract talent deterred by U.S. policies under Donald Trump. Students from other countries are essential to the 'vitality and viability' of Quebec's universities and play a major role in the province's economy, spending $4.2 billion and supporting 48,000 jobs annually, according to the study by the consulting firm Volume 10. Since 2020, there have been 10 changes to international student admission policies in Quebec, according to the report, titled Knowledge Without Borders. The most recent involved major cuts to international admissions. 'The repeated changes to the system regulating international students, both in Quebec and Canada, have created confusion in student networks,' the study said. 'In a context where word of mouth plays a central role, this uncertainty is detrimental to Quebec's image at a time when global competition is becoming more intense.' In addition, Quebec's English universities complain that the Legault government has alienated many potential international recruits by suggesting non-Quebec students who don't speak French are a major threat to the province's majority language. There are 57,000 international students in Quebec universities, making up 17 per cent of the student population. These students 'help keep many programs, weakened by demographic stagnation, afloat,' the study said. 'Their presence is especially decisive at the graduate — mainly doctoral — level, where international students represent almost half of all PhD students in Quebec. These students contribute to research in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, engineering, and health sciences.' In areas such as engineering and engineering technology, international students make up 72 per cent of those pursuing Master's and doctoral degrees. In mathematics, computer science, and information science, they account for more than half of graduate students. 'There just aren't enough Quebecers pursuing graduate studies in science,' Rémi Quirion, Quebec's chief scientist, told the study's authors. 'When I was a researcher, my lab would never have achieved such international success without the work of international students.' Quirion, a former vice-dean in the faculty of medicine at McGill University, advises the Quebec government on science issues and promotes Quebec research in Canada and around the world. International students cost a lot less to educate if you account for the fact that their pre-university studies were undertaken elsewhere. The Quebec and Canadian governments spend $337,000 to take young people from birth through CEGEP, the study said. That expense is not required for students brought up elsewhere. Upon graduation, about 31 per cent of international students remain in Quebec. 'Among those who choose to stay, 86.6 per cent quickly integrate into the job market,' the study found. 'Those who leave become scientific, economic, and cultural intermediaries for Quebec on the world stage. In both cases, international students contribute to the growth of Quebec's economy and the expansion of international markets.' The study suggests Quebec can benefit from turmoil in the research and university sectors in the U.S. since Trump began his second term as president in January. His administration has cut the budgets of major government agencies, restricted research funding in some scientific sectors and blocked specialists from some countries from entering the U.S. 'This hostile climate has made researchers and academics question their future in the U.S., creating a brain drain other countries are working hard to capitalize on,' the study said. 'For Quebec, this is a unique opportunity to show the world that it is a destination of choice for the brightest scientific minds.' The study was sponsored by several major Quebec foundations.
Toronto Sun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Despite court ruling, Quebec plans to maintain 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
'It's not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers,' the Education Ministry says. Published Jun 10, 2025 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 3 minute read Concordia and McGill universities. Montreal Gazette Amid legal pushback, Quebec says it remains committed to its contentious tuition reform targeting Concordia and McGill universities, vowing to maintain a steep fee increase for out-of-province students. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled that parts of the overhaul were 'unreasonable' and ordered key sections struck down. The Coalition Avenir Québec government did not appeal the ruling by Monday's deadline. Dufour told the province to immediately scrap French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants and gave the government nine months to come up with a new fee structure for out-of-province Canadian students. The government's plan had called for a 33-per-cent tuition hike for these students. In his ruling, Dufour criticized Déry's arguments, echoing the universities' contention that the plan was put forward without sufficient evidence. 'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision,' Dufour wrote. 'At the very least, what she had on hand in no way substantiates the reasonableness of the outcome.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Tuesday, Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, indicated that the government stands by its original plan. 'The ruling not only supports the measure to correct the financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec,' he told The Gazette. 'With regard to the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, we firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers.' He said the government is 'staying the course' on the tuition hike. The government's interpretation of the ruling is that the judge did not rule that the 33-per-cent hike was unreasonable, but rather 'the path we've taken and the reasons invoked for the increase.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Savignac said it's too early to say how the government will proceed. Regarding French proficiency, he said Déry 'will be pursuing discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks regarding the terms and conditions surrounding knowledge of French for students from outside Quebec.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill said Quebec's reforms violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. McGill also asserted that the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Like the Quebec government, Concordia and McGill did not appeal the ruling. When his government announced the changes in 2023, Premier François Legault said they were part of a plan to 'reduce the number of anglophone students' in Quebec. He said English-speaking students from other provinces 'threaten the survival of French.' Jeffery Vacante, a Western University history professor who has written extensively about Quebec's tuition shakeup, said the government is attempting to frame the issue as 'one of accessibility to non-Quebec students.' Instead, he said, it should be framed as the Quebec government 'attacking Quebec institutions (McGill and Concordia) because these institutions are being portrayed as not real Quebec institutions because they are supposedly threatening the French language in Montreal.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said what Déry 'is in a sense suggesting is that in order to keep out-of-province students out of Quebec, the government must weaken its own institutions to make them less appealing to those out-of-province students.' Vacante said the government is depending on Quebecers supporting the policy because the general population 'might agree that it is not necessary to 'subsidize' out-of-province students. In other words, people might think this sounds reasonable. 'But this public is largely unaware of the fact that Quebec students do not pay much more in tuition when they study at universities in Ontario or elsewhere.' The tuition hike, which made headlines across Canada and around the world, led to a drop in applications from the rest of the country, with the universities compelled to offer scholarships to lure out-of-province students. Concordia and McGill have partially blamed the tuition changes for deep budget cuts. McGill laid off 60 workers in March as it grappled with a large deficit that it partly blamed on CAQ government policies. Last month, Concordia said it may also lay off employees as it works to slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget. This report will be updated. NHL Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists NHL
Montreal Gazette
10-06-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Despite court ruling, Quebec plans to maintain 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
By Amid legal pushback, Quebec says it remains committed to its contentious tuition reform targeting Concordia and McGill, vowing to maintain a steep fee increase for out-of-province students. In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled that parts of the overhaul were 'unreasonable' and ordered key sections struck down. The Coalition Avenir Québec government did not appeal the ruling by Monday's deadline. Dufour told the province to immediately scrap French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants and gave the government nine months to come up with a new fee structure for out-of-province Canadian students. The government's plan had called for a 33-per-cent tuition hike for these students. In his ruling, Dufour criticized Déry's arguments, echoing the universities' contention that the plan was put forward without sufficient evidence. 'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision,' Dufour wrote. 'At the very least, what she had on hand in no way substantiates the reasonableness of the outcome.' On Tuesday, Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, indicated that the government stands by its original plan. 'The ruling not only supports the measure to correct the financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec,' he told The Gazette. 'With regard to the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, we firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers.' He said the government is 'staying the course' on the tuition hike. The government's interpretation of the ruling is that the judge did not rule that the 33-per-cent hike was unreasonable, but rather 'the path we've taken and the reasons invoked for the increase.' Savignac said it's too early to say how the government will proceed. Regarding French proficiency, he said Déry 'will be pursuing discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks regarding the terms and conditions surrounding knowledge of French for students from outside Quebec.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill said Quebec's reforms violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. McGill also asserted that the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. Like the Quebec government, Concordia and McGill did not appeal the ruling.
