New immigrants to Quebec: pitfalls to avoid

Are you planning to move to Quebec? We often see expats rushing headlong into their new life abroad without taking the pulse of what really awaits them.

Here are some pitfalls to avoid for any newcomer to Quebec.

ACCOMMODATION

• The immigrant is perceived as having money and no knowledge of market prices. So very often, the owners take advantage of this and inflate the prices.

• Do not accept rents that are too high (find out more and compare the prices of the advertisements for example; favor lease terminations).

• Never pay a deposit! It's not legal here. With demand outstripping supply on the market right now, some landlords have figured out the power they have. And they don't hesitate to try all sorts of crazy and unregulated requests.

• The landlord cannot refuse a lease transfer. Unless he has valid reasons (e.g. insolvency of the future tenant, etc.)

• In general here however, the tenant is quite protected with the Régie du logement which is well regulated. You can appeal to it for any dispute such as an abusive rent increase for example.

• Ideally, don't look for accommodation too far from public transport. (I speak from experience, being 20 minutes' walk from 2 metro stations, so it's less cool in winter. But in return, I have a good all-inclusive furnished apartment, cheaper than what is rented on the current market). So, you have to choose your battles.

• Beware of housing scams that are rife. Avoid looking for your apartment remotely from your home country. There are many fake landlords and fake ads. Once you arrive, either there is no apartment, or you will have paid upfront fees in vain (once again, no deposit or other is legal). You should never pay anything upfront. Finding accommodation is generally easier and faster than elsewhere. However, I agree that with inflation, rents in the city of Montreal are becoming less and less affordable.

WORK

• Even though the country is in a major labor shortage in several fields, it is often necessary to gain initial professional experience in Quebec. This is before you can find a job that suits you, show your integration, and prove yourself with the work culture here.

• Or the other problem you may encounter: the equivalence of diplomas. Indeed, even if you have been practicing your profession for years in your home country, it often does not have much value here. You will often have to retake courses, exams again. And spend more and more money to have this famous equivalence of your diploma in order to be able to practice your profession here.

• And yes, even if big advertising campaigns advocate welcoming immigrants, Canada is not waiting for you. Your degrees and experiences, even if they were in big companies, do not mean much across the Atlantic. You will therefore often have to accept taking a small job sometimes upon your arrival. Time to settle in and prove yourself to reassure an employer. I was a waitress/employee at the Canadian Red Cross during my first months in Montreal. Frankly, I have good memories of it. Getting off the beaten track in jobs that had nothing to do with my core activity was reassuring, and gave me a break from my professional life. After more than 10 years of working without a break at that time. I really saw this aspect of a new life, of going back to zero. But it did not scare me. That's the game, when you know it's temporary and you are prepared for it, everything works out. And I think this allows you to settle in and understand the Quebec work culture, hierarchical relationships and relationships with colleagues, etc. And thus, be already prepared for your future job search for a position that really matters to you later on.

• Finally, an important point on job searching, networking works a lot to find a job here. Linkedin is the essential tool to have (for the majority of fields). Don't hesitate to identify the profiles of people with whom you can have direct contact. (Nothing to lose and it is appreciated as an initiative) or monitor relevant job offers etc. So already work on your profile by aligning it with Quebec standards (job title, equivalent diplomas, etc.). You will be better prepared for your search.

• You should know that most Quebec employers rarely communicate with your former employers in your country of origin to check your references. (Except often for the first job relevant to your field that does not yet have many Quebec references to give). Not knowing the companies where you worked, it does not matter whether they are renowned there or not.

• Montreal and Quebec in the broader sense advocate the French language. Which is rather reassuring when you settle down, you might say, not to have to add the language barrier on top of it. But the majority of businesses require you to be bilingual, all having an international dimension, or an English-speaking clientele. We must not forget that the country has 2 official languages. So you will not be surprised to hear shopkeepers greet you in this way “Hello! Hi!” when you enter certain stores. However, if you hope to move abroad to learn English, Quebec is not the place to go. In this case, Toronto or Vancouver are the best places to be fully immersed in the language on a daily basis. Because outside of the professional sphere, you will not use it much (unless you only hang out in the English-speaking neighborhoods of West Montreal.

IMMIGRATION

• There are more and more immigration scams on the internet. Only IRCC is legion! The rest is just a scam. Never believe these so-called organizations that for a tidy sum, will prepare your immigration file to come and settle down. Or find you work, housing, etc. Tell yourself that Canadian immigration agents will never contact you by phone or via free email services like Gmail/Hotmail. IRCC always contacts you via your online account. For an eTA, just trust the Government of Canada website. You will receive it directly to your email address.

• The only payments to be made are when submitting your application (PVT, RP etc.) and then the medical examination fees for the RP during the process. Or the fees for biometric data. You will receive it directly to your email address. And these payments are not made THAT from official and secure platforms of the government or its partners. But never believe people who sell you a service with the power to speed up a procedure. Or get you advantages or treatment preferences, whatever they may be.

DAILY LIFE

• Quebec often considers itself a country in its own right. And is therefore not representative of Canada in the broad sense. If you want to discover Canada, you will either have to settle elsewhere or have opportunities to go and discover the country. The landscapes are nothing like those in the East and West of the country.

• Stop idealizing your country. Fleeing your country is not synonymous with finding an Eldorado where all your problems would no longer be there as if by magic. You are only transposing your baggage (both literally and figuratively). Each country has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no perfect place. And when I see the increasingly intense wave of French people arriving each year, I see very biased speeches "It's shit in France so I'm going to see if the grass is greener elsewhere". But please, stop believing that everything will be easy, and that everything will fall into your lap. Being an expat is not easy every day. The weather conditions, the lack of family/friends and simply of your culture can be challenging in the long run. Fleeing your country is clearly not the solution. You have to want to leave to build something. Being aware of the challenges to be faced along the way

• The health system, let's not talk about it. (A word of advice if you have regular health care needs, rethink your project). Having a family doctor takes years. (5 and a half years here and I still don't have one, always on a waiting list, which never gets empty, on the contrary). And just getting a medical appointment is a real pain. Knowing that to be able to see a specialist you absolutely have to have a prescription from a general practitioner first... It's a bit like the snake biting its own tail.

• Going from an average of 5 weeks of vacation in France to only 2 or even 3 upon your arrival is something to take into account. Especially if you plan to return to see family in France during these latter weeks. They will not be used WHATto return to familiar places to see your loved ones. Without having enough time to see the country or go and discover new things, a change of scenery or take a real break. Because once you're back, you spend more time organizing your diary filled to the brim with all the lunches and evenings where you've arranged this or that person, just to see everyone.

• Don't think that since Quebecers speak French, you'll be like a fish in water in your new city. The culture is totally different than in France. We just understand each other more easily through the language, but that's all. The social codes are not the same. We are in a real American culture. Fear of conflict, relationships are more superficial, you never really know what the other person thinks. If you explain yourself to someone on two different points of view, here they take it as a big argument. Teasing, second degree is not common for them. So in terms of humor, we don't surf the same wave. I can confirm that humor is really the last thing that is exported. In work too, criticism is poorly perceived, constructive or not.

• Hence the difficulty in creating real friendly ties with Quebecers. People already have their lives, it's not easy to get into them. And then being an immigrant, seeing people come and go, returning to France, they are surely more reluctant to engage in a relationship that probably won't last.

• I would end on an obvious point. Do not constantly compare your country of origin and your host country. I will not elaborate on this. It is obvious if you want to integrate.

There you have it, you have all the cards in hand to facilitate your installation in Quebec.

It's time to start this new chapter of your life!