Canada Surpasses 2025 Target for Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that for the fourth consecutive year, Canada has exceeded its francophone immigration target for 2025. About 8.9% of permanent resident admissions outside Quebec were French-speaking, surpassing the 8.5% goal. This success comes from coordinated efforts with provinces, territories, and community groups. Looking ahead, the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets higher targets, increasing to 9% in 2026 and reaching 10.5% by 2028. To support these aims, the federal government will allocate 5,000 additional spaces for provinces and territories to nominate francophone immigrants under federal selection outside the typical Provincial Nominee Program quotas. IRCC highlights the role of programs such as Express Entry’s French-language proficiency category, the Francophone Mobility program, and the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative in attracting French-speaking newcomers. These initiatives contribute to addressing labor shortages and strengthening the demographic presence of francophone and Acadian minority communities across Canada.