Table 1. Evolution of the number and percentage of French-speaking permanent residents admitted to Canada, outside Quebec (2020 to 2024)
Year
Number of French-speaking permanent residents
Percentage of admission
2020
5,755
3.6%
2021
6,950
2%
2022
16,380
4.4%
2023
19,635
4.7%
2024
30,550
7.2%
Figure caption: In 2024, the Government of Canada exceeded its admission target of 6%, with 7.2% of French-speaking permanent residents (PRs) among all the PRs admitted to Canada outside Quebec.
Table 2. Ten primary countries of citizenship of French-speaking permanent residents in Canada, outside Quebec (2024)
Country
Number of French-speaking permanent residents in Canada, outside Quebec
Cameroon
10,395
Algeria
3,735
Morocco
3,420
Haiti
2,625
Ivory Coast
1,610
France
1,600
Tunisia
1,055
DR Congo
1,020
Lebanon
570
Burundi
450
Other countries
4,070
Figure caption: In 2024, 83.6% of Francophone admissions outside Quebec were citizens of African and Middle Eastern countries, compared with 9.7% from countries in the Americas and 6.3% from European countries.
Please note that numbers for continents and countries of residence are different from those for continents and countries of citizenship, as 15% of new French-speaking permanent residents already live in Canada.
Table 3. Permanent residents admitted outside Quebec, by immigration category
Immigration categories
Number of admissions in 2024
Economic
25,195
Sponsored family
1,680
Resettled refugees and protected persons
1,530
All other immigration categories
2,145
Total
30,550
Table 4. French-speaking immigrants in the economic class
Program name
Numbers of admissions through the economic class
Agri-Food Pilot
10
Atlantic immigration programs
250
Canadian experience class
1,445
Caregiver program
10
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
50
Federal Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
5
Federal Skilled Workers Program
19,450
Business immigration programs
50
Provincial Nominee Program
3,650
Temporary resident to permanent resident pathway
275
Total economic class
25,195
Table 5. Permanent residents admitted outside Quebec through the Provincial Nominee Program
Provinces and territories
Number of admissions through the Provincial Nominee Program
Newfoundland and Labrador
50
Prince Edward Island
35
Nova Scotia
70
New Brunswick
2,115
Ontario
450
Manitoba
625
Saskatchewan
115
Alberta
140
British Columbia
40
Yukon
0
Northwest Territories
0
Total Provincial Nominee Program
3,640
Table 6. Number of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec, by census metropolitan area (CMA)
CMA
Number of French-speaking permanent residents
Ottawa
12,630
Toronto
4,335
Moncton
2,620
Edmonton
1,400
Calgary
1,390
Winnipeg
1,175
Vancouver
755
Edmundston
690
Hamilton
380
Sudbury
300
Figure caption: In 2024, the trend observed in 2023 and 2022 persisted—the number of French-speaking PRs who chose Ottawa as their destination surpassed those who chose Toronto.
Table 7. Francophone admissions outside Quebec via Express Entry by province and territory (2024)
Province or territory
#Number
% (compared to total in Canada)
Newfoundland and Labrador
30
0.1%
Prince Edward Island
40
0.2%
Nova Scotia
160
0.7%
New Brunswick
2,480
11.1%
Ontario
15,580
70.0%
Manitoba
655
2.9%
Saskatchewan
205
0.9%
Alberta
2,345
10.5%
British Columbia
730
3.3%
Yukon
30
0.1%
Northwest Territories
--
<0.0%
Nunavut
5
<0.0%
Total
22,260
-
Francophone Mobility
Table 8. Work permits approved (by provinces and territories of destination in 2024)
Province or territory of destination
Work permits approved
Ontario
950
New Brunswick
675
Alberta
630
British Columbia
505
Manitoba
80
Unknown
60
Quebec
50
Nova Scotia
45
Saskatchewan
25
Northwestern Territories
25
Yukon
20
Prince Edward Island
20
Newfoundland and Labrador
10
Nunavut
5
Table 9. Work permits approved (top 10 countries of citizenship in 2024)
Country
Work permits approved
Morocco
900
France
700
Cameroon
345
Tunisia
305
Algeria
245
Mauritius
70
Ivory Coast
70
Senegal
55
Belgium
55
Haiti
40
Language training
In 2024, IRCC continued to provide adult newcomers with opportunities to improve their language skills to successfully participate in Canadian society.
In 2023–2024, 996 clients benefited from language training services adapted to the needs of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities, and funded by the Action Plan for Official Languages.
Francophone integration pathway
Written by the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne, in collaboration with the Réseau de développement, économique et d’employabilité (RDÉE Canada) [economic development and employability network Canada], a strategy for French-speaking immigrant women in Francophone minority communities was launched in January 2025. This community-based strategy was funded by IRCC through the Official Languages Action Plan 2023–2028.
The percentage of French-speaking newcomers served by Francophone service providers has continued to rise, reaching 68.1% in 2024, up from 62.3% in 2023.
Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative
The “Étude sur la gestion des résultats de l’Initiative des CFA 2020–2024” [study on management of the results of the Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative 2020–2024], completed by PRA Inc., outlines the following expected outcomes from the pilot phase of the initiative:
Improved access to French-language services, contributing to better integration
Local employer awareness and business start-ups by Francophone newcomers
Newcomer retention and community vitality
Welcoming Francophone communities (WFCs) also add value by fostering
innovative new collaborations
renewed dynamism in the Francophone community
increased interest from the English-speaking community
a sense of pride and belonging to the WFC
Ten new communities have been selected to take part in the Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative under the leadership of the Réseaux en immigration francophone [Francophone immigration networks] and the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick [New Brunswick Francophone municipalities association], with the support of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada [federation of Francophone and Acadian communities of Canada].
Promotion of Francophone immigration abroad
More than 400 promotional activities in 2024
Destination Canada Education (online) in March 2024:
More than 12,000 people applied to participate in this job fair for French-speaking teachers and early childhood workers
8,000 people were invited to participate
60 kiosks were presented
6 provinces and territories participated
Mobility Days Canada in June 2024 in Tunis (Tunisia), Brussels (Belgium) and Lyon (France)
Destination Manitoba December 3–5 and December 8–10 in Dakar and Abidjan
IRCC Dakar participated in six presentations on immigration
Promotion of Francophone immigration in Canada
In 2024, the Dedicated Service Channel’s network of outreach officers promoted Francophone immigration tools and programs in more than 800 engagement events across Canada (excluding Quebec), including more than 400 activities specifically targeting French-speaking minority communities, French-speaking economic development organizations, Francophone international students and employers seeking to hire and retain French-speaking workers.
The 2024 edition of the liaison tour took place in a hybrid format in five regions (Ontario, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Nunavut). Organized by RDÉE Canada, in collaboration with IRCC, the liaison tour brought together more than 140 employers and community partners that participated in the various events.
Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration
In 2024, IRCC supported nine projects totaling approximately $8.9M under the Francophone Immigration Support Program. This program stands out for its flexible funding and collaboration with Francophone minority communities (FMCs) to overcome barriers to Francophone immigration, for example by promoting FMCs and immigration programs, and by recruiting French-speaking candidates.
Sources: IRCC statistics on temporary and permanent residents, February 25, 2025. It should be noted that the data are preliminary estimates and are therefore subject to change.
Values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when IRCC data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason.
