Question Period Note: French-Speaking Permanent Resident Admissions Outside Quebec Targets

Annual French-speaking permanent resident admissions targets outside Quebec for 2025 to 2027.

• The Policy on Francophone Immigration guides our actions as our government works towards increasing the demographic weight of French speakers in Canada outside Quebec.

• Last year (2024), Canada exceeded the target of 6% French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec with approximately 30,550 admissions (7.21%).

• We are building on this momentum and increasing annual targets in the current Immigration Levels Plan.

• The modernized Official Languages Act (OLA) includes a commitment for the government to restore and increase the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities (FMCs) to what it was in 1971 (6.1%).

• Under the Policy on Francophone Immigration, launched in January 2024, annual admissions targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec are set, and integrated into the Multi-year Immigration Levels Plan. These targets are ambitious and achievable, with a view to a gradual increase in admissions over the long term. They allow for progress toward restoring and increasing the demographic weight of FMCs.

• From 2003 to 2024, approximately 140,335 French-speaking immigrants were admitted to Canada (outside Quebec) as permanent residents.

• The Standing Committee on Official Languages report entitled Openness to the International Francophone Community: Optimizing Francophone Immigration to Canada, released in April 2024, 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%.

• On April 26, 2023, the Government released the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028, which includes new, one-time investments of $137.2M over five years for Francophone immigration:
o Francophone immigration policy: Towards a new, integrated approach ($13.4M over five years);
o Targeted expansion of promotion and recruitment support ($18.5M over five years);
o Corridor for the selection and retention of French teachers in Canada ($16.3M over five years);
o A strengthened immigration pathway ($50M over five years);
o A Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration, including a new grant-and-contribution program in support of Francophone immigration ($25M over five years);
o Francophone lens integrated into economic immigration programs – improved selection mechanisms for Francophone and bilingual immigrants ($3.5M over five years); and
o Helping French-speaking and allophone newcomers learn English and/or French ($10.5M over five years).

• Several measures support the achievement of targets and will help retain French-speaking newcomers. For example:
o In Express Entry, 23 000 candidates were invited, representing 30.7% of all invitations issued in the Federal High Skilled programs (January to December 2024)
o The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot was launched on January 30, 2025 and will provide French-speaking and bilingual candidates an additional pathway to permanent residency.
o The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot that was launched on August 26, 2024 will help attract and retain Francophone international students; and,
o The addition of ten new Welcoming Francophone Communities for a total of 24 across Canada will support the integration process of French-speaking newcomers.