CIMM – Francophone Immigration – May 04, 2026

Key Messages

• Through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Policy on Francophone Immigration, we are actively promoting the vitality and economic development of Francophone Minority Communities (FMCs).
• The Government of Canada is committed to restoring and increasing their demographic weight, as per the Official Languages Act, and to attracting the best talent in the world.
• IRCC has consistently met or surpassed its admissions targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec over the past four years.
• In 2025, IRCC achieved 8.9%, exceeding the 8.5% target set for that year. We are building on this momentum and continue to increase these targets in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which includes targets of 9% in 2026, 9.5% in 2027, and 10.5% in 2028.
• Francophone immigration supports regional and rural economic development across the country, helps address key labour shortages in FMCs, and contributes to the attraction and integration of newcomers within these communities.
• A large proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec are admitted through Express Entry and are well-positioned to contribute to the Canadian economy. French-speaking and bilingual talent offers a competitive edge for Canada on a global stage.

Key Facts and Figures

• Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan set a target for French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec of 9% in 2026 (30,267 admissions), followed by notional targets of 9.5% in 2027 (31,825 admissions) and 10.5% in 2028 (35,175 admissions).
• The government committed to establishing a 12% target for French-speaking permanent residents outside of Quebec by 2029.

Measures to Achieve Francophone Targets

• To achieve these ambitious targets, we have implemented numerous measures, including leveraging the Express Entry system and launching pilot programs to attract and retain skilled workers and students in FMCs.
• Express Entry prioritizes the selection of French-proficient candidates, both by awarding points for French proficiency through its ranking system, and through a dedicated French-proficiency category.
  • Express Entry is the primary lever for supporting the French-speaking permanent resident admissions target. From 2023 to February 28, 2026, over 81 000 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residency through the French-proficiency category in Express Entry.
• All jurisdictions, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, use the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as a core pathway for Francophone immigration to support FMCs and their labour force needs across Canada. Some provinces and territories (PTs) operate dedicated streams that target Francophone immigrants and some prioritize the selection of French-speakers.
• As part of the PNP 2026 allocation decision, IRCC is offering additional allocations to PTs to support the nomination of key priorities, including Francophone workers. To this end, IRCC has reserved federal immigration spaces for PTs to nominate up to 5 000 Francophone candidates in support of Francophone immigration targets. These spaces are in addition to their regular allocation total, so PTs are able to nominate these candidates without impacting their ability to fill other labour market needs through their PNP.
• The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot was launched in January 2025 and partners with six FMCs in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia to attract and retain skilled workers by providing a dedicated pathway to permanent residence to help fill critical labour market needs. The program supports long-term retention by working with local organizations—including employers, settlement agencies, and Francophone service providers—that offer direct, on-the-ground support to help newcomers and their families successfully integrate and stay.
• The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, launched on August 26, 2024, aims to facilitate access to the International Student Program for French-speaking students from regions with historically low study permit approval rates (Africa, the Middle East, the Americas). The two-year pilot program offers a permanent residence pathway after graduation and is expected to help attract and retain French-speaking international students in FMCs.
• IRCC is making sustained efforts to strengthen the Francophone Integration Pathway, aimed at facilitating the reception, support, settlement and integration of French-speaking newcomers, as well as fostering lasting connections between newcomers and Francophone and Acadian communities. IRCC added 10 new Welcoming Francophone Communities in 2024 for a total of 24 communities across Canada.
• The Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration (CIFI) supports innovative projects that aim to promote FMCs overseas, as well as attract, recruit and select French-speaking candidates. Through partnerships with FMCs, the CIFI also funds activities that seek to reduce barriers to Francophone immigration. This includes support to international students to facilitate their transition toward permanent residency and retention in FMCs. The CIFI currently funds 19 projects of which four are specifically supporting international students.

If pressed on additional measures to increase Francophone immigration:

• The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028 includes a historic investment of $137.2M in new funds, in addition to $80.2M in existing funds from previous action plans, for a total of $217.4M over five years to strengthen the Department’s actions to achieve ambitious Francophone objectives. Specifically, these initiatives will:
  • Strengthen our efforts beyond the traditional pools from Europe and North Africa by expanding targeted promotional activities in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, which will be critical to increasing our candidate pool and the number of French-speaking admissions.
  • Leverage the expertise of the CIFI to increase admissions of French-speaking and bilingual candidates by supporting projects that aim to promote FMCs, and improve the selection and recruitment of candidates towards permanent residency.
  • Analyze temporary and permanent economic programs with the intention of optimizing the selection of Francophone immigrants to support labour market shortages across Canada.
  • Support a series of targeted and interconnected initiatives that will form a corridor to recruit French and French-immersion teachers to address a vital labour market need.
  • Strengthen the Francophone Integration Pathway and language training opportunities to address specific community needs and clienteles, such as immigrant women.
  • Strengthen capacity to oversee and monitor IRCC’s actions in Francophone immigration.

12% Target Outside of Quebec

If pressed on the commitment to establish a 12% target for French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside of Quebec by 2029:

• The government committed to establishing a 12% target for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec by 2029.
• Targets are developed according to parameters set out in the Policy on Francophone Immigration. They are expected to be ambitious, yet realistic and feasible, and informed by evidence and partner perspectives.
• The Policy calls for a gradual increase in admissions over the long term to allow for progress toward restoring and increasing the demographic weight of FMCs.
• The 2026–2028 Levels Plan includes adjusted yet still increasing targets that position the government on a trajectory to meet its commitment to establish a 12% target by 2029.

If pressed on how IRCC defines a Francophone immigrant:

• This includes immigrants identifying French only as their official language and bilingual immigrants identifying French as their dominant official language. This definition was agreed to with Francophone community stakeholders and aligns with Statistics Canada’s census population data and the definition included in the Official Languages Act with respect to demographic weight.

Migration to Quebec

If pressed that French-speaking immigrants selected through federal programs are settling in Quebec:

• Under the Canada-Québec Accord, Canada and Quebec have shared responsibility for the selection of immigrants destined to the province. Quebec selects economic immigrants and resettled refugees, while the federal government selects permanent residents in the family class and protected persons. Both governments jointly administer the International Student Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The federal government remains responsible for determining the admissibility (e.g. health, security, and criminality) of all immigrants to Quebec and for issuing visas and permits.
• The government takes its commitments under the Accord seriously, and has implemented clauses across its immigration programming related to the applicant’s intention to reside outside Quebec.
• The Department assesses the intention to settle outside of Quebec during the application process, based on all the evidence provided. This includes the declared destination, ties to certain provinces, and supporting documents. If an officer is not satisfied that the applicant will settle outside of Quebec, they may refuse the application.
• However, upon obtaining permanent resident status, newcomers obtain mobility rights under s.6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Regardless of their previously-stated intention, permanent residents can choose to reside in any province or territory.
• The Department remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the programs through a rigorous assessment of applications, and ongoing collaboration with its partners, including the Province of Quebec.

Francophone Immigration and the Economy

If pressed that increasing Francophone immigration compromises economic objectives by bringing in individuals with lower skill levels:

• Francophone immigrants bring a wide range of skills and new connections to potential trade opportunities that are vital to Canada’s long-term prosperity. A diverse, linguistically competent workforce is a competitive advantage in a global economy. Strengthening Francophone immigration aligns with Canada’s goals of sustainable growth, regional and rural economic development, and social inclusion within FMCs.
• Express Entry is the primary source of French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec. The French proficiency category selects French speakers with work experience in high skilled occupations and who meet the Federal High Skilled program requirements. As such, all French-proficient candidates selected through Express Entry are well-positioned to economically establish in Canada.

If further pressed:

• In addition to Express Entry and the PNP, which play a key role in attracting large numbers of French-speaking candidates, the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot is designed to be highly flexible and responsive to the distinct labour market needs of each community. Given the small size of participating FMCs, the impact of each admission, including in priority sectors such as health care, education, social services, and construction, is significant.
• Early implementation has shown encouraging results. The pilot is testing a community and employer-driven approach to assess whether more localized engagement leads to improved outcomes in settlement, integration, and long-term retention of French-speaking newcomers.

Decreased Francophone Targets

If pressed on the initial decrease in Francophone % targets from the 2025–2027 Levels Plan:

• The 2025–2027 Levels Plan included targets of 9.5% for 2026 and 10% for 2027. These were revised to 9% for 2026 and 9.5% for 2027 in the 2026–2028 Plan. These adjusted targets continue to position the government on its trajectory to meet its commitment to establish a 12% target by 2029.
• Although percentage (proportional) targets in the 2026–2028 Levels Plan have been slightly reduced for the first two years of the Plan, the number of French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec continues to increase—from
  30 267 admissions in 2026 to 35 175 projected admissions in 2028.
• Annual admissions targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec in the 2026–2028 Levels Plan were developed according to the parameters set out in the Policy on Francophone Immigration. They remain ambitious, yet realistic and feasible in a rapidly evolving immigration context. They were informed by evidence and partner perspectives, including feedback received during a roundtable with Francophone community stakeholders as part of the 2026–2028 Levels Plan consultations.
• The Policy calls for a gradual increase in admissions over the long term to allow for progress toward restoring and increasing the demographic weight of FMCs.
• Targets in the Levels Plan are firm for the first year and notional for the two outer years. All targets are re-assessed annually and subject to Cabinet approval.