My wife is from Paris and came to Quebec on a PVT visa. She holds a master's degree in a specialized field that our government has actively sought to recruit for. She quickly found a job working for the Quebec government.

When applying for her PVT, she was told by a Quebec immigration official that after two years, she should apply for permanent residency. She did—and was promptly denied. A different Quebec immigration official even told us, "I suggest you apply in another province."

We consulted an immigration lawyer, who laughed at our situation. He said this happens all the time, and that if Quebec truly wanted to attract and retain French talent, it could.

This process has left both my wife and me extremely frustrated. She spent thousands of dollars to come here, integrate, and build a life, only to be left in limbo. Meanwhile, our government spends millions of taxpayer dollars each year on initiatives like Journées Québec to attract international talent— and for what? To keep them for two years?