Moncton, New Brunswick-Francophone and Acadian minority communities outside Quebec contribute to the economy, culture and vitality of the French language in Canada. Francophone immigration remains essential and aims to address labour needs and to support communities across the country.
Today, the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that, for the fourth year in a row, the Government of Canada has exceeded its ambitious Francophone immigration target for 2025, reaching about 8.9% of admissions of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec. This achievement reflects the success of the measures Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has put in place and is the result of close collaboration with the provinces, territories as well as community representatives.
As part of the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, we will continue to increase our targets for French‑speaking permanent residents outside Quebec. Starting in 2026, the Government of Canada will reserve 5,000 federal selection spaces to allow provinces and territories to designate French-speaking immigrants. These spaces will be in addition to the annual Provincial Nominee Program allocations and will help reduce the shortage of Francophone and bilingual workers by attracting top global talent.
Both the exceeding of the 2025 target and this new initiative that supports the provinces and territories outline the way to reach the 12% target of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec by 2029. Through the implementation of measures such as the French-language proficiency category in the Express Entry system, the Francophone Mobility program, as well as the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, the Government of Canada is continuing in its commitment to restore and increase the demographic weight of Francophone and Acadian minority communities.
These actions align with the Government of Canada priorities that were announced in Budget 2025 and reflect the importance of uniting our efforts to attract the best global talent, expand our economy and respond to workforce needs.
