Francophone minority communities experienced a decline in their demographic weight. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recognized this decline and has long worked to restore French-speaking immigration outside Quebec.
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In 2019, IRCC launched the Francophone Immigration Strategy to strengthen efforts throughout the immigration journey, from sponsorship and recruitment for IRCC missions abroad to selection and integration in Canada.
Key initiatives of the Francophone Immigration Strategy include additional points for Francophone and bilingual candidates under Express Entry. In addition, the introduction of temporary programs for Francophone and bilingual candidates as part of the transition from temporary to permanent residence.
In 2023, Bill C-13 introduced immigration into the Official Languages Act. Specifically, the bill requires IRCC to adopt a Francophone immigration policy that recognizes the importance of immigration to the maintenance and expansion of Francophone minority communities.
Immigration routes for French speakers
There are many paths for French-speaking candidates who wish to immigrate to Canada.
IRCC recently launched category-based invitation rounds for applicants Express entryCandidates with strong French language skills or professional experience in the following professions will be selected:
- Health professions
- Careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
- Crafts
- Transport jobs
- Agricultural and food professions
In July 2023, IRCC held its first draw in the French category, inviting 2,300 candidates with a good knowledge of French to apply for permanent residency.
Another option is the Federal Skilled Worker Program (PFTQ) is administered under the Express Entry system. If the candidate meets all the minimum requirements, he should submit an Express Entry profile in which he will receive a score accordingly global ranking system (SCG) based on factors such as age, education, language skills and professional experience.
More points are awarded if a candidate is proficient in one or both of Canada’s official languages, English and French.
One of the main immigration routes for those wishing to settle in Quebec is the Regular skilled worker program (PRTQ).
Similar to the PFTQ under the Express Entry system, foreign nationals wishing to immigrate through the PRTQ must first express their interest in immigrating to Quebec by submitting a form Expression of interest (DI) through an online portal. The Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) regularly selects individuals from the pool of candidates and invites them to apply for permanent selection.
THE International Mobility Plus Programme (PMI+) is a work permit that allows certain candidates selected by Quebec who are resident abroad to settle in the province and take up employment while their application for permanent residency is pending.
If the candidate is admitted according to PMI+, he will receive a Work license for three years, allowing him to work for almost any employer in Quebec.
French-speaking communities outside Quebec
Ontario
As Canada’s most populous province, Ontario also has the largest French-speaking community outside of Quebec. More than 600,000 francophones live in Ontario, more than a third of whom live in the eastern part of the province, which includes Ottawa and the counties of Prescott-Russell and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry.
Hawkesbury, for example, is a town near the Ottawa River where the main language is French. 91% of the population speaks French and 27% of the immigrants living there have French as their first official language.
There are twelve school boards in Ontario, with nearly 300 French elementary schools and 100 French secondary schools. In addition, a wide range of childcare services and programs are available in French in most regions of Ontario.
The province also has a French-speaking teaching hospital, Hôpital Montfort in Ottawa. Many hospitals in Ontario are officially bilingual and offer services in French.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada. The province is home to the largest Acadian population, with French being the native and first language of one-third of the province’s population.
The municipality of Haut-Saint-Jean is considered a welcoming French-speaking community. 55% of immigrants in the municipality speak French as their first official language.
New Brunswick has three French-speaking school districts with 94 elementary and secondary schools. There are also more than 200 exclusively French-speaking daycare centers and French-speaking colleges, as well as the University of Moncton.
New Brunswick has two health networks, both of which are required to provide care to patients in the official language of their choice. The French-speaking health network, Vitalité, serves most of the Acadian and French-speaking regions and includes 11 hospitals.
Alberta
The French population in Alberta is growing. Edmonton has 34,000 French speakers and Calgary has 29,000 French speakers.
In education, Alberta has 41 French-language schools and nearly 30 French-language daycare centers. At the post-secondary level, the University of Alberta’s Saint Jean Campus offers college and university programs in French.
In addition, Edmonton, Calgary and Brooks have numerous settlement services in French to assist newcomers to the province.
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