Canada met another immigration goal

Which candidates are especially important to the country?

Canada respects all immigrants, but pays close attention to the French-speaking community and tries to support the preservation and development of the French language in the country. French-speaking immigrants contribute a great deal to this.

On January 23, Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser announced that Canada had met its 2022 target of welcoming 4.4% of francophone newcomers outside Quebec. The number of French-speaking immigrants has increased by 3% since 2006. For example, in 2006, the number of French-speaking immigrants was 2,800, compared to 16,300 in 2022.

The number of French-speaking immigrants has increased by 42,470 in the last 5 years. But despite government efforts and French being Canada's official language, the total number of francophones in the country dropped from 22.2% to 21.4% between 2016 and 2022. The number of people who speak French at home is increasing in Quebec, British Columbia, and Yukon, while the opposite is true in other provinces.

Francophone immigrants help Canada develop French-speaking communities outside Quebec and contribute to the country's cultural diversity. Newcomers also help address labour shortages.

For Canada, reaching the goal of welcoming francophones is an important development that shows the right thing to do with regard to the development of the French language. The government is developing a French-speaking immigration policy that will allow it to continue meeting its goal of welcoming French-speaking immigrants.

"Francophone immigration plays a key role in restoring the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities, in addition to contributing closely to the economic development of our country," commented Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages of Canada.

Canada has allocated $500 million CAD over 5 years for the 2018-2023 Official Languages Action Plan and $40 million CAD for francophone immigration initiatives.

Candidates with knowledge of French remain a priority for Canada. If you don't score enough points in immigration programs, starting to learn French is a great way to improve your chances. You can get extra points in Express Entry for knowing French. Special immigration programs are also available to such candidates, such as: