French-speaking immigrants Canada

Canada is increasing opportunities for French-speaking immigrants by adding 5,000 new permanent residence (PR) selection spaces for provinces and territories.

The announcement was made on January 19 by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab during a press conference in Moncton, New Brunswick.

The additional spaces will come from federal selection allocations and be added to the PR spots provinces and territories already receive for their immigration pilots and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

This gives regional governments more flexibility to attract Francophone newcomers through existing pathways.

The expansion is part of Canada’s ongoing effort to grow French-speaking communities outside Quebec. During the announcement, the federal government also confirmed that it exceeded its national Francophone immigration target for 2025 once again.

Looking ahead, Canada plans to continue increasing targets for French-speaking permanent residents in future years. The move reinforces the country’s long-term commitment to linguistic diversity, regional development, and the vitality of Francophone communities across Canada.