IRCC launches new Canada PR pathway for French Speakers

Surya Rathee
[Published 01 Feb, 2025 | 04:12 AM]
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Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched a new immigration pathway for French Speakers, known as the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP).

Initially announced in March 2024, with additional details shared in December of the same year, the FCIP is designed for individuals who have an intermediate level of French proficiency and have a job offer in high-demand occupations in communities outside of Quebec. Candidates under this pathway are also eligible to be nominated and receive permanent residence (PR) in Canada.

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Participating communities in the FCIP

To obtain permanent residence (PR) through the FCIP, candidates must meet all eligibility requirements and secure a job offer in a priority occupation from an employer in a designated community. The employer must be approved by an IRCC-authorized economic development agency for that community.

Employers in participating communities can apply for designation under the FCIP through IRCC’s website.

According to the government’s latest update, IRCC has started training economic development organizations in selected communities. Each community will announce details on when employers and prospective candidates can expect to have a chance to apply for Canada PR.

IRCC has selected the following communities to participate in the FCIP:

Selected Community	Province
Acadian Peninsula	New Brunswick
Sudbury	Ontario
Timmins	Ontario
Superior East Region	Ontario
St. Pierre Jolys	Manitoba
Kelowna	British Columbia

Four of the selected communities - part of the Acadian Peninsula, Sudbury, Timmins, and St. Pierre Jolys - are also part of IRCC’s Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative. This regional program supports the integration of French-speaking newcomers into Francophone and Acadian communities outside Quebec.

As of this announcement, IRCC has not confirmed which economic organizations or employers within the chosen communities have been approved for the FCIP. Additionally, economic development organizations must publish their list of priority occupations by March 31 each year.

Further details are expected in the coming weeks.

Who is eligible for FCIP?

To be eligible to apply through the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP), candidates must:

Have a valid certificate of recommendation from an economic development organization.
Have a valid full-time job offer or employment contract from a designated employer in Canada.
Have work experience that meets specific conditions.
Demonstrate French language ability equivalent to a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 in all language abilities.
Have obtained at least a secondary school level credential.
Show the intent to reside and work in the designated community.
Prove that they have funds equivalent to one-half of the most recent Low-Income Cut-off (LICO) criteria relevant to their designated community, for one year.

Newcomers applying for this program from within Canada must ensure they hold valid temporary resident status, such as a Canadian Work Permit, Study Permit, or Visitor Visa, at the time of application. After submitting their PR application through the FCIP, candidates may also qualify for a work permit while their application is being processed. These work permits can be issued for up to two years.

To be eligible for this work permit under the FCIP, candidates must:

Have a job offer from the designated employer who initially offered them a job as part of the FCIP,
Have a referral letter from their participating community, and
Meet all other work permit eligibility criteria.

NOTE: International students applying to the FCIP may be exempt from needing to show work experience if they meet certain conditions.

Brief background on the FCIP

In December last year, IRCC introduced the FCIP as a new francophone immigration initiative under its broader Francophone Immigration Strategy. While the department outlined the basic eligibility criteria and processes at the time, it did not specify which stakeholders would be involved in the program. The FCIP includes three key stakeholders, in addition to the newcomers themselves:

Stakeholder	Description
Designated communities	Communities outside of Quebec chosen by the Minister of Immigration to participate in this new program.
Economic development organizations	Organizations in each community that have been chosen by the Immigration Minister to issue certificates of nomination to eligible newcomers.
Designated employers	Employers chosen by the economic development organization to participate in the FCIC by hiring and employing eligible newcomers.