Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement – Annex C: French-Speaking Immigrants 2025

Preamble

Whereas Canada and Ontario have a mutual interest in attracting and retaining French-Speaking Immigrants, who make an important contribution to Ontario and to Francophone communities in rural and urban areas.

And Whereas Canada and Ontario recognize that the French language is both a historic and living language in the province and that Ontario is home to the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside of Quebec.

And Whereas Canada and Ontario acknowledge the demographic weight of the French- speaking population in Ontario and recognize the importance of collaboration to foster partnerships, where appropriate, to maximize the impact of collaborative actions, including with federal and provincial institutions and with stakeholders.

And Whereas Canada recognizes the objectives of Ontario, which include:

1. attracting French-Speaking Immigrants to support the vitality of Francophone Minority Communities in Ontario; and
2. partnering with the Government of Canada to increase the number of French-Speaking Immigrants and to support Ontario’s goal of attaining a minimum of 5% of all immigrants to the province to be French-Speaking Immigrants per year.

And Whereas Ontario 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.

And Whereas Ontario recognizes the objectives of the part VII the Official Languages Act including, among other things:

1. the reinforced language on the promotion of the use of English and French in Canadian society by enhancing the vitality and supporting the development of official-language minority communities; and
2. the obligation to implement a federal Policy on Francophone Immigration to enhance the vitality of French linguistic minority communities in Canada, including by restoring and increasing their demographic weight.

And Whereas Ontario recognizes the federal framework to promote official languages enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development, taking into account their uniqueness, diversity, historical, and cultural contributions to Canadian society.

And Whereas Ontario recognizes the goals of the federal Policy on Francophone Immigration to:

1. use a whole-of-society approach to assess the impacts of immigration on other socio-economic issues (and vice versa), so that implicated partners can work together in a consistent and complementary manner;
2. strengthen coordinated action in Francophone immigration across the immigration continuum for both permanent and temporary residents; and
3. outline objectives, as well as flagship measures, targets and indicators for each action area, notably admissions targets for French-speaking permanent residents, actions across the immigration continuum (promotion, selection, integration), multi-stakeholder collaboration and data gathering and research.

And Whereas Ontario recognizes federal initiatives under the Action Plan for Official Languages, in relation to Francophone immigration, among other things:

1. enhanced selection of primary- and secondary-level French teachers and French-speaking teachers; and,
2. targeted expansion and recruitment of support for French-speaking or bilingual workers, both in Canada and abroad.

And Whereas Canada recognizes Ontario’s French Language Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.32, and Ontario’s commitment to promoting the French language and enhancing the vitality of Francophone Minority Communities in the province.

And Whereas Canada is working with all provinces and territories, including Ontario, under the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Action Plan for Increasing Francophone Immigration outside of Quebec.

And Whereas Canada and Ontario recognize the importance of working in partnership with other ministries and governments in Canada at federal, provincial/territorial and municipal levels, and with stakeholders, to achieve the goal of increased Francophone immigration.

And Whereas Canada and Ontario recognize that Francophone Minority Communities and many other stakeholders (including, but not limited to, education, private employers, health and the not-for-profit sector) are critical in supporting the attraction, integration and retention of French-Speaking Immigrants to Ontario.

Therefore, the Parties agree to the following:

1.0 Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this Annex, pursuant to section 2.3 of the Agreement, is to facilitate cooperation between the Parties regarding the sustainable attraction, integration, and retention of French-Speaking Immigrants, and to define the respective roles and responsibilities of the Parties in achieving the objectives set out in section 2.0.

2.0 Objectives

2.1 The primary objectives of this Annex are to:

• 2.1.1 continue to support the increase of the number of French-Speaking Immigrants coming to Canada, and in particular to Ontario, in line with respective targets;
• 2.1.2 work together to support targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec as established in Canada’s annual immigration levels plan; and
• 2.1.3 help Ontario facilitate sustainable connections between French-Speaking Immigrants and local and regional Francophone Minority Communities to ensure the selection, reception, settlement, integration, and retention of French-Speaking Immigrants in these communities, and raise awareness of settlement and integration services available in French.

3.0 Promotion and Recruitment

• 3.1 The Parties shall continue to jointly promote immigration to Francophone Minority Communities located in Ontario, and shall work to further expand outreach activities, where possible, both domestically and internationally, including through events such as immigration information sessions, web conferences, job fairs and mobility forums both in-person and virtually.
• 3.2 The Parties shall encourage, where possible, employers and stakeholders to participate in provincial, national and international mobility forums or job fairs organized by the various levels of government in Canada in order to facilitate the hiring of qualified French-speaking workers.
• 3.3 The Parties shall support, where possible, promotion and recruitment events organized by either Party to promote Canada or Ontario as a destination of choice for French-speaking economic immigrants, with the objective of meeting Canada’s and Ontario’s respective Francophone immigration targets.
• 3.4 The Parties shall work together, where possible, to promote to employers the advantages of hiring French-speaking immigrants as a potential option to meet employer and labour market needs broadly within the province.
• 3.5 Ontario agrees to share information with potential French-speaking applicants, and with Ontario employers and stakeholders to promote opportunities to leverage available temporary and permanent immigration pathways to meet employer and labour market needs in Ontario.
• 3.6 The Parties shall continue to promote Francophone Minority Communities in Ontario and support Ontario’s objectives to foster the regionalization of Francophone immigration outside of large urban centres, including to small, rural, and northern communities.
• 3.7 The Parties shall ensure there is consistent and coordinated messaging through collaboration with Francophone immigration networks and community organizations.
• 3.8 Ontario agrees to consider, where possible, promoting options for permanent immigration to French-Speaking and bilingual Temporary Residents currently residing in the province, including participants in the International Mobility Program and International Students Program, to inform them of federal economic programs under Express Entry, Ontario’s Provincial Nominee streams under Express Entry, and Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program streams outside of Express Entry.
• 3.9 The Parties, where possible, agree to develop sector-specific and joint initiatives that promote Francophone immigration and support the recruitment of French-Speaking Immigrants to Ontario.

4.0 Selection of Permanent Residents

• 4.1 The Parties recognize the role and contribution of the Provincial Nominee Program in supporting and increasing the selection of French-speaking candidates for Ontario, in accordance with Annex A to this Agreement.
• 4.2. Canada shall continue to support Francophone immigration through its economic immigration programs managed under Express Entry.

5.0 Settlement, Integration and Refugee Resettlement

• 5.1 The Parties shall take into account the settlement and integration needs of French-Speaking Immigrants and emphasize the provision of services by Francophone organizations (e.g. “by and for” Francophones) when 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 Minority Communities in Ontario.
• 5.2 The Parties 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.
• 5.3 The Parties shall collaborate to foster welcoming and vibrant Francophone Minority Communities in Ontario, supported by direct and sustainable connections between immigrants and local and regional Francophone Minority Communities.
• 5.4 The Parties, where possible, shall work with other governments in Canada, and regional and local organizations to foster the integration of French-Speaking Immigrants in Ontario with a focus on improving regional labour market outcomes and social and cultural integration.
• 5.5 The Parties, where possible, shall work with Francophone immigration community partnership organizations and networks to help increase the capacity of Francophone Minority Communities to settle and integrate French-Speaking Immigrants.
• 5.6 The Parties shall foster the development, promotion and delivery of Francophone settlement services for French-Speaking Immigrants (which may include: pre-arrival services, services upon arrival, needs assessment and referrals, information and orientation, language training including English as a second language, employment related services, and community connections); and resettlement services for French-Speaking Refugees in Ontario in a consistent and flexible manner.
• 5.7 The Parties shall work to engage with employers and local partners to improve labour market outcomes and to raise awareness of the competitive advantages of hiring French-Speaking Immigrants.
• 5.8 Further details on settlement for French-Speaking Immigrants are set out in the separate Memorandum of Understanding on Settlement Between Canada and Ontario.

6.0 Information Sharing

• 6.1 The Parties agree to share best practices with regard to the selection, promotion, recruitment, attraction, integration and retention of French-Speaking Immigrants.
• 6.2 The Parties agree to share relevant data and information as permitted by applicable laws, policies, instructions, and agreements governing the collection, retention, protection, use, exchange, disposal, and disclosure of information. Both the federal government and the province will provide requested data, provided that applicable privacy concerns and restrictions are taken into account.

7.0 General

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

1. for Canada: the Director General, Intergovernmental Relations and Engagement, Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; and
2. for Ontario: the Director, Immigration Policy and Strategic Initiatives Branch, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.