Canada-New Brunswick Immigration Agreement - Annex B: French-Speaking Immigrants

2017

1.0 Preamble

1.1 Whereas Canada and New Brunswick have a mutual interest in attracting and retaining French-Speaking Immigrants.

1.2 And Whereas Canada recognizes New Brunswick, as the only officially bilingual province within Canada.

1.3 And Whereas, Canada recognizes the objectives of New Brunswick, which include:

1. attracting French-Speaking Immigrants to New Brunswick to maintain the unique linguistic balance of the province; and
2. partnering with the Government of Canada in pursuit of achieving New Brunswick’s goal of increasing the number of French-Speaking Immigrants.

1.4 And Whereas New Brunswick recognizes the objectives of the IRPA to, among other things:

1. enrich and strengthen the cultural and social fabric of Canadian society, while respecting the federal, bilingual and multicultural character of Canada; and
2. support and assist the development of minority official languages communities in Canada.

1.5 And Whereas New Brunswick recognizes the objectives under Part VII of the Official Languages Act to, among other things:

1. enhance the vitality of English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and support and assist their development; and
2. foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

1.6 And Whereas New Brunswick recognizes that Canada has a federal framework to promote official languages and enhance the vitality of minority official languages communities.

1.7 And Whereas Canada recognizes that New Brunswick has a provincial framework to promote official languages and enhance the vitality of francophone communities in the Province.

1.8 And Whereas Canada is working with all provinces and territories, including New Brunswick, under the Joint Federal Provincial and Territorial Vision for Immigration to increase the number of French-Speaking Immigrants outside of Quebec.

Therefore, the Parties agree to the following:

2.0 Purpose

2.1 The purpose of this Annex is to facilitate cooperation between the Parties regarding French-Speaking Immigrants, and to define the respective roles and responsibilities of the Parties in achieving the objectives set out in section 3.0.

3.0 Objectives

3.1 The objectives of this Annex are to:

1. explore opportunities for increasing the number of French-Speaking Immigrants coming to Canada, including New Brunswick, in order to achieve the Parties’ respective targets; and
2. help New Brunswick facilitate sustainable connections between French-Speaking Immigrants and local and regional francophone communities, and raise awareness of integration services available in French.

4.0 Promotion and Recruitment

4.1 The Parties will continue to jointly promote, where possible, immigration to francophone communities located in New Brunswick.

4.2 The Parties will, where possible, promote international job fairs organized by the Government of Canada to encourage employers to hire French-Speaking skilled workers.

4.3 The Parties will support, where possible, recruitment events organized by either Party to promote Canada or New Brunswick as a destination of choice for French-Speaking economic immigrants, with the objective of meeting Canada’s and New Brunswick’s francophone immigration targets.

4.4 The Parties will work together, where possible, to promote to employers the advantages of French-Speaking Immigrants as a potential option to meet employer needs within the Province.

4.5 The Parties will continue to support and encourage, where possible, francophone immigration to all areas of the Province.

4.6 The Parties will work to ensure uniformity of messaging when promoting francophone immigration to New Brunswick and attracting French-Speaking Immigrants to that province.

4.7 New Brunswick agrees to promote the province as a destination of choice to French-Speaking Temporary Residents currently in the province, including those who are under an International Mobility Program and international students, in order to inform them of federal economic programs under Express Entry, the Province’s provincial nominee streams under Express Entry, and the Province’s Provincial Nominee Program outside of Express Entry.

5.0 Selection of Permanent Residents

5.1 The Parties recognize Annex A to this Agreement, and Canada supports New Brunswick’s efforts to develop a Provincial Nominee stream for French-Speaking candidates within Express Entry, using New Brunswick’s allocations for Provincial Nominees.

5.2 The Parties agree to support the use of the Provincial Nominee stream for French-Speaking candidates, in accordance with Annex A to this Agreement, as an option to increase the number of French-Speaking Immigrants destined for New Brunswick.

5.3 New Brunswick agrees to:

1. in compliance with privacy legislation, share information on qualified French-Speaking candidates in the Express Entry pool with employers interested in hiring French-Speaking foreign nationals for a permanent position in New Brunswick, and
2. encourage employers to use Job Bank to find qualified French-Speaking foreign nationals to fill permanent positions in the province.

5.4 Canada agrees to take into account, where possible, New Brunswick’s goal of increasing the number of French-Speaking Immigrants when assigning a share of Refugees to the province.

6.0 Settlement, Integration and Refugee Resettlement

6.1 The Parties will take into account the settlement and integration needs of French-Speaking Immigrants in establishing priorities and developing settlement and resettlement services relevant to this Agreement with the goal of increasing the capacity - and enhancing the vitality - of francophone communities in New Brunswick.

6.2 Canada and New Brunswick recognize that the commitments set out in Section 8 of the General Provisions regarding Settlement, Integration and Refugee Resettlement include French-Speaking Immigrants as part of the targeted population. 

6.3 The Parties will collaborate to foster welcoming and vibrant francophone communities in New Brunswick, supported by direct and sustainable connections between immigrants and the local and regional francophone communities.

6.4 The Parties, where possible, will work with other governments, and regional and local organizations to foster the integration of French-Speaking Immigrants in New Brunswick with a focus on improving regional labour market outcomes and social and cultural cohesion.

6.5 The Parties, where possible, will work with francophone community partnership organizations to help increase the capacity of francophone communities to settle and integrate French-Speaking Immigrants.

6.6 The Parties will foster the development, promotion and delivery of settlement services for French-Speaking Immigrants (which may include: pre-arrival services, needs assessment and referrals, information and orientation, language training, employment related services, and community connections); and resettlement services for French-Speaking Refugees in New Brunswick in a consistent and flexible manner.

7.0 Information Sharing

7.1 The Parties agree to share best practices in regards to the attraction of French-Speaking Immigrants.

7.2 The Parties agree that any information sharing required in support of this Annex will be set out in the separate Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Information Sharing Between Canada and New Brunswick.

8.0 Governance

8.1 In accordance with section 11.1 of the General Provisions of this Agreement, the Agreement Management Committee (AMC) will be responsible for the overall implementation of this Annex. In the absence of specific direction to the contrary, Focal Points from each of the Parties will report to the AMC on an annual basis.

8.2 The Focal Points for the purpose of communication and notification pursuant to this Annex are:

1. for Canada: the Directors General, Strategic Policy and Planning Branch, and the Integration and Foreign Credentials Referral Office, Department of Citizenship and Immigration; and
2. for New Brunswick: the Assistant Deputy Minister, Population Growth, Labour and Planning Division, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

8.3 Once this Annex is in force, the Parties will submit plans for working arrangements and strategies to the AMC, as required. Updates to such plans shall be permitted during the period this Agreement is in force, as required, pursuant to approval by the AMC.

9.0 Dispute Management and Resolution

9.1 In the case of a Dispute under this Annex, the Parties agree to follow the Dispute management and resolution process outlined in section 11.3 of the General Provisions of this Agreement.

10.0 Duration and Amendments

10.1 This Annex will take effect when the General Provisions of the Canada-New Brunswick Immigration Agreement is signed by the last of the Parties to do so and will be valid for five (5) years.

10.2 The Parties agree to review the effectiveness of this Annex no later than twelve (12) months prior to its expiry.

10.3 Upon the mutual consent of both Parties in writing, the terms and conditions of this Annex can be extended at any time prior to its expiry, subject to any required approval or authorization including the approval of the Governor in Council.

10.4 This Annex may be amended at any time by the mutual written consent of the Parties, subject to any required approval including the approval of the Governor in Council.

10.5 Either Party may terminate this Annex at any time by providing at least twelve (12) months’ notice in writing to the other Party.

11.0 Notices

11.1 The Focal Points referenced in Section 8.2 of this Annex undertake to give one another notice of any change in policy, regulations or legislation relating to their respective programs that is likely to affect this Annex.

11.2 In addition to those identified in Section 12 of the General Provisions of this Agreement and the Focal Points noted in Section 8.2 of this Annex, any notice to be delivered under this Annex should also be sent to:

Address for notice to Canada
Deputy Minister
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1

Address for notice to New Brunswick
Deputy Minister
Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
470 York Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 3P7