More PR spots for French-speaking immigrants

 

More Permanent Residence (PR) Spots for French-Speaking Immigrants — Key Highlights

📌 5,000 new PR spaces reserved for French speakers

  • Starting in 2026, Canada is allocating 5,000 additional permanent-resident “selection spaces” specifically for French-speaking immigrants.

  • These are above regular quotas and provincial nominee program (PNP) allocations, giving provinces and territories extra capacity to nominate French-proficient candidates for PR.

📌 Rising targets for admissions outside Quebec

  • Under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada set specific targets for the share of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec:
    • ~9% in 2026
    9.5% in 2027
    10.5% in 2028

  • These percentages represent the proportion of PR admissions outside Quebec that should be French-speaking — up from past years.

📌 Focus beyond Express Entry

  • The additional PR spaces can be used by provinces through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and regional immigration pilots — not just federal Express Entry. This broadens opportunities for French-speaking candidates across more pathways.

📌 Increased invitations for French speakers in Express Entry draws

  • Canada held large Express Entry draws targeting French language proficiency, such as one in February 2026 where about 8,500 French-speaking candidates got invitations to apply (ITAs).

📌 Part of a long-term strategy

  • These measures are part of a plan to eventually reach up to 12% French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec by 2029, strengthening bilingualism and filling labour shortages in Francophone communities. 

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