Francophone Immigration

Key Messages

• We are actively promoting the economic development and vitality of Francophone minority communities (FMCs), as our government works to restore their demographic weight in Canada.
• In 2024, Canada exceeded the target of 6% French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec, with 7.21% (30,550 admissions).
• We surpassed our targets for French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec two years in a row, reaching 4.7% in 2023 (the target was 4.4%).
• We are building on this momentum and continue to increase French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec over time. The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan 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 the Federal High Skilled program 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 Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028 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), and 10.5% in 2028 (35,175 admissions).
• The government is committed to establishing a 12% target for Francophone immigration 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 October 2025 (when the most recent French-proficient round was conducted), over 61,700 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residency through the French-proficiency category in Express Entry.
• The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a key driver to support increased French-speaking permanent resident admissions, among other regional economic immigration programs. All jurisdictions, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, use the PNP as a core pathway for Francophone immigration to support FMCs and their labour force needs across Canada. Some provinces and territories operate dedicated streams that target Francophone immigrants and many prioritize the selection of French-speakers, thereby contributing to the economic and social development of Francophone minority communities. In 2024, the PNP accounted for 12% (3,650) of total French-speaking admissions outside Quebec.
• 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 was launched on August 26, 2024, in partnership with French-language and bilingual post-secondary learning institutions outside of Quebec. It aims to make access to the program fairer for French-speaking international students from regions where the study permit approval rate is generally lower, namely Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas through an exemption from having to demonstrate that they will leave Canada at the end of their temporary stay and a required financial threshold adjusted to the municipality of the institution. Participants are also eligible for a permanent resident pathway upon graduation and have access to settlement services while they are studying to help them integrate successfully into their communities.
• The addition of 10 new Welcoming Francophone Communities in 2025 for a total of 24 across Canada will support the integration process of French-speaking newcomers. These communities offer services in French and help newcomers settle and stay in the community, build connections between newcomers and local residents, and raise awareness and create a welcoming environment where newcomers feel they belong.

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 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) actions to achieve ambitious Francophone objectives. Specifically, these initiatives will:
  • Increase current targeted promotional activities and expand them in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, which will be critical to increasing our inventories and the number of French-speaking admissions;
  • Leverage the expertise of the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration to help increase our Francophone immigration levels by exploring new and promising practices from promotion to retention of immigrants;
  • Ensure a Francophone lens is more systematically integrated into our economic programs to support labour market shortages across Canada; analysis of temporary and permanent economic programs with the intention of optimizing the selection of Francophone immigrants;
  • Develop a series of interconnected, targeted initiatives that will form a Corridor to recruit French and French-immersion teachers to address a vital labour market need;
  • Consolidate the Francophone Integration Pathway and language training opportunities to address specific community needs and clienteles, such as immigrant women; and,
  • 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 has committed to establishing a 12% target for Francophone immigration 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.
• Our 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.

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 Francophone minority communities.
• Express Entry is the primary source of French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec. A French proficient category selects French speakers who are also in high skilled occupations and 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 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 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.