Direct Path to Permanent Residency for Francophone Students: A New Pilot Program by IRCC

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, has unveiled an innovative pilot program aimed at attracting more international students to Francophone communities across Canada.

This new initiative, known as the Francophone Minority Communities Pilot Program (FMCSP), seeks to increase admission rates and provide a more equitable application process for students hailing from Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, according to a statement released by IRCC.

Key features of this pilot program include exemptions from the requirement for students and their families to prove that they will leave Canada after their temporary stay. Additionally, the financial requirements will be adjusted, with students needing to meet only 75% of the low-income cut-off associated with the location of their educational institution’s main campus.

Students who participate in this program will also benefit from a direct pathway to permanent residency upon completion of their studies and will have access to settlement services to aid their transition.

The pilot program is set to commence on August 26, 2024, with an initial intake of 2,300 students. This cap will be revisited and potentially adjusted in August 2025.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

To apply for the FMCSP, students must secure a letter of acceptance from a participating Designated Learning Institution (DLI) indicating their application under this program. The eligible study programs must meet the following criteria:

• Be at the post-secondary level

• Be full-time

• Be at least two years in duration

• Lead to a degree or diploma

• Have French as the primary language of instruction (more than 50% of classes must be taught in French)

Eligible students must also be citizens of one of the following countries:

• Benin

• Burkina Faso

• Burundi

• Cabo Verde

• Cameroon

• Central African Republic

• Chad

• Comoros

• Côte d’Ivoire

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Dominica

• Republic of the Congo

• Djibouti

• Egypt

• Equatorial Guinea

• Gabon

• Guinea

• Guinea-Bissau

• Haiti

• Lebanon

• Madagascar

• Mali

• Mauritania

• Mauritius

• Morocco

• Niger

• Rwanda

• Saint Lucia

• São Tomé and Principe

• Senegal

• Seychelles

• Togo

• Tunisia

Participants in the FMCSP are allowed to bring their spouses, common-law partners, or dependent children to Canada. Spouses and common-law partners may be eligible for a visitor visa, open work permit, or study permit.

Notably, students in this pilot program are exempt from several of the recent changes to Canada’s international student program, including the requirement to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from their DLI and the IRCC’s processing cap for international student applications.

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Expansion of the Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative

Minister Miller also revealed the expansion of the Welcoming Francophone Communities (WFC) initiative, which supports the reception and settlement of Francophone newcomers in various Francophone and Acadian communities across Canada. IRCC, along with the participating communities, provides settlement services, including community building, skills development, and employment assistance.

Ten new communities have been added to the initiative, bringing the total number of participating communities to 24. These newly included communities are:

These expansions are part of Canada’s broader Francophone immigration strategy, which aims to balance the use of English and French, particularly outside Quebec. During today’s announcement, Liane Roy, President of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA), emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating:

“The WFC initiative is a testament to the commitment of Francophone and Acadian communities to the overall success of immigrants.... [communities] have set up activities to promote living together and inclusion, and have strengthened the attractiveness of our communities with the aim of increasing Francophone immigration.”

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Canada’s Commitment to Francophone Immigration

These two pilot programs are key components of Canada’s Francophone Immigration Policy. Earlier this year, the department set a target that 6% of all newcomers to Canada should be French-speaking.

Canada’s Official Language Act mandates that the immigration minister adopt policies to enhance the vitality of French linguistic minority communities in Canada, including restoring and increasing their demographic weight.

These new programs are among the measures IRCC is implementing to boost Francophone immigration. The department is also expected to issue a significant number of Invitations to Apply to Express Entry candidates proficient in French through category-based selection rounds.

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