Canada adds 5,000 permanent residency spots for French-speaking immigrants

Extra permanent residence spaces will be routed through provincial nominee programmes as Ottawa lifts Francophone targets beyond Quebec

Canada’s immigration department on Monday announced an additional 5,000 permanent residence admissions spots for provinces and territories, in a move to bring in more French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec.

 

The extra spaces will be carved out of federal selection allocations and added to the permanent residence quotas already assigned to provinces and territories for their provincial nominee programmes and immigration pilots. The change forms part of Canada’s broader push to raise Francophone immigration levels beyond Quebec.

 

The announcement was made by Lena Metlege Diab, who also confirmed that Canada once again exceeded its annual Francophone immigration target in 2025 and plans to raise these targets further in the years ahead.

   

What this means for provincial nominee programme candidates

 

With the added allocation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is extending its focus on French-speaking immigration beyond federal pathways to include provincial routes as well.

 

Provinces and territories are now expected to reserve a share of their nomination invitations for French-speaking candidates. For applicants with French language skills, this creates an additional route to secure a provincial nomination, alongside existing pathways.

 

The federal government has not yet clarified how the 5,000 reserved permanent residence spots will be divided among provinces and territories.

 

How the provincial nominee programme works

 

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program allows provinces and territories to nominate people who match local labour market needs. These programmes cover a range of streams, including skilled workers, international graduates and business applicants, with eligibility rules set by each province.

 

Successful nominees can receive additional points under the federal Express Entry system or apply directly for permanent residence through non-Express Entry streams.

 

Francophone immigration target exceeded again

 

Alongside the allocation increase, the minister confirmed that for the fourth consecutive year Canada surpassed its Francophone immigration target. In 2025, around 8.9% of permanent residents admitted outside Quebec were French-speaking.

 

This exceeded the previous year’s target of 8.5%, with most French-speaking newcomers arriving through Express Entry.

 

The government also reiterated its commitment to higher targets in the coming years, as outlined in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.

 

IRCC has set the following targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec:

 

• 9% in 2026

• 9.5% in 2027

• 10.5% in 2028

 

Measures already in place

 

To support these targets, the federal government has rolled out several initiatives:

 

• A dedicated Express Entry category for candidates with French-language proficiency

• The Francophone Mobility work permit programme

• The Francophone Minority Community Student Pilot

• The upcoming Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative

 

Ottawa said these measures, together with the newly announced provincial allocation, form the pathway towards reaching a 12% share of French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec by 2029.