OLLO – French-speaking Immigrant Admissions Targets – November 4, 2024

Key Facts and Figures

• The demographic weight of Francophones outside Quebec decreased to 3.5% in 2021 due to a number of factors and could decline further to 3% by 2036 unless actions are taken.
• From 2003 to September 2024, approximately 132,195 French-speaking immigrants were admitted to Canada outside Quebec as permanent residents.
• The Standing Committee on Official Languages report on Openness to the International Francophone Community: Optimizing Francophone Immigration to Canada recommends a target of 12% in 2024, rising to 20% by 2036.
• The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada welcomed the announcement of the new admissions targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec in the Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027, while reiterating their recommendation for a target of at least 12%.

Key Messages

• The modernized Official Languages Act recognizes the importance of Francophone immigration to economic development and its contribution to maintaining or increasing the demographic weight of French linguistic minority communities in Canada.
• The Policy on Francophone Immigration guides Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) actions towards promoting the economic development and vitality of Francophone minority communities.
• In 2023, Canada exceeded the target of 4.4% French-speaking permanent immigrant admissions outside Quebec with more than 19,600 admissions, or 4.7%.
• Our target for 2024 is 6% and we are on track to meet this target.
• We are building on this momentum with annual targets of 8.5% in 2025, 9.5% in 2026, and 10% in 2027 included in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan. These targets are ambitious yet realistic and informed by evidence and partners’ perspectives.
• In addition, 2024 Express Entry rounds are underway, inviting prospective candidates with category-specific work experience or a strong French language proficiency to apply for permanent residence. This year (January to September 2024), more than 21,700 (26%) Invitations to Apply have been sent to candidates with strong French language proficiency.
• After the Federal Skilled Worker Program (via Express Entry), the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) also supports the selection of French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec. In 2023, the PNP accounted for 24% of French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, representing 4 775 admissions. Of that, the proportion of the PNP among French-speaking admissions is particularly predominant in New Brunswick (70%), Manitoba (65%), and Nova Scotia (62%).
• The Department is also planning to launch the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot in the late fall of 2024. While its impact on admissions in attaining the departmental target may be limited since it’s a pilot, it could provide French-speaking and bilingual candidates a pathway to permanent residency in Rural Francophone communities outside of Quebec and will contribute to restoring their demographic weight.
• On August 26, IRCC launched the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, in collaboration with French-language and bilingual post-secondary learning institutions outside Quebec. It offers eligible students and their family members access to settlement supports during their studies, and the ability to apply for permanent residence via a direct pathway. Their proficiency in French, coupled with a Canadian education, will equip these graduates with the ability to contribute to the Canadian labor market and enrich Francophone minority communities (FMCs) across Canada.
• In June 2023, the Department announced a two-year expansion of the Francophone Mobility Program, which allows Canadian employers to make a job offer to an eligible candidate with a moderate command of French for all National Occupation Classifications, with the exception of certain jobs in primary agriculture. This measure now opens the door to more French-speaking immigrants by giving them the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience and qualify for permanent residence while contributing to the vitality and economy of FMCs throughout Canada, outside of Quebec.

If pressed on why IRCC is not increasing its targets to 12%:

• The targets are realistic, informed by evidence, and reflect the capacity of IRCC and its partners in attracting and integrating French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec. They are gradual and support the Government of Canada’s efforts to contribute to the restoration and increase of the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities, as per the modernized Official Languages Act.

On the issue of restoring the demographic weight of Francophone Minority Communities (FMCs):

• The modernized Official Languages Act defines recovery as “a return of the demographic weight of all members of those communities whose first official language spoken is French to the level it had at the time of the census of the population of Canada taken by Statistics Canada in 1971, namely, 6.1% of the population outside Quebec.” In 2021, it was evaluated at 3.5% of the Canadian population outside of Quebec.
• In addition, the Act recognizes the importance of the contribution of all federal institutions to ensure the restoration and increase of the demographic weight; in fact, “to restore and increase the demographic weight of French linguistic minority communities” is cited as an example of positive measures that federal institutions could take in order to respect their obligations under the Act (new Part VII). Four main dimensions explain the evolution of the demographic weight of FMCs:
  • Natural increase (weight of births versus that of deaths);
  • Interprovincial migration;
  • International migration; and
  • Linguistic attraction, including linguistic transfers to English.
• In terms of interdepartmental collaboration, IRCC and Canadian Heritage launched the Interdepartmental Working Group on Restoring Demographic Weight. Bringing together 12 federal institutions, the first meeting took place on April 22, 2024. On November 12, 2024, a dialogue session will be held bringing together community and Francophone organizations and federal institutions to establish a path forward for joint efforts to restore the demographic weight of Francophone minorities across Canada.
• While the decrease in immigration levels result in a reduction in overall admissions, targets for admissions of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec continue a gradual progression in support of the government’s objective to restore the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities.

On the issue of the potential impact of French-speaking permanent resident admissions targets outside Quebec on Quebec’s recruitment efforts:

• IRCC is working in collaboration with Quebec.
• The bilateral relationship with Quebec regarding immigration is defined by the Canada-Québec Accord and rests on the principle that immigration must help preserve Quebec’s demographic importance in Canada, its distinct identity and French as its official language.
• The Accord was developed to ensure collaboration between the two levels of government throughout the immigration process in all immigration categories.
• The combined efforts of the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada to increase admissions of French-speaking permanent residents in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada serve both the interests of Quebecers and other Canadians.

On the linkages between French-speaking permanent resident admissions targets outside Quebec and labour market requirements:

• The modernized Official Languages Act recognizes the importance of Francophone immigration to economic development.
• French-speaking immigrants can help address labour shortages in various key sectors, such as education and health care. That’s why Canada is increasing its efforts to welcome French-speaking skilled workers outside Quebec to ensure the sustainability and economic development of Francophone minority communities.