Jessica Prats came to Quebec from France with her husband and four children with hopes of building a life in Canada, but her plan was put on hold when the provincial government scrapped a fast-track immigration program.

Premier Christine Fréchette campaigned for leadership of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) with the promise to reopen the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ) and grant an exemption to immigrants who were already in Quebec when it was abolished last November.

But Prats said things aren’t moving fast enough.

“The waiting and uncertainty are taking a toll on my children, my husband and myself. There are a lot of tears, and it’s physically exhausting,” she said. “We must not forget that there are elections in October.“