On March 21, a French-language Express Entry stream took place with a record low cut-off score — 379 — and a record number of candidates were invited! The French language is clearly in favour.
On March 20, the federal government allocated $9.3 million for 12 projects supporting Francophone communities outside Quebec.
Future plans: by 2025 — 8.5% of Francophones outside Quebec, by 2026 — 9.5%, and by 2027 — 10%.
It all started in May 2023 with Bill C-13. In short: “French is the only official language under threat, and the federal government must protect it.”
For the first time, Ottawa is promoting French outside of Quebec.
What does this mean?
Francophone daycares, more French-language programs in universities and colleges, bilingual requirements for judges and public servants, as well as workers in federally regulated sectors — banks, transport, oil and gas, media, and others. The demand for French teachers is already skyrocketing.
Immigration has also adapted: Francophones are now a priority. Since it’s hard to get Canadians to learn French, the idea is to settle Francophones in English-speaking Canada — like it or not, you’ll start speaking. In 2025, Express Entry priority streams will include: healthcare, Francophones, construction, and education.
Another update: points for a job offer (50–200 depending on qualification) have been removed from Express Entry. For us, that’s actually a plus — open work permits didn’t give those bonuses anyway, so now everyone is on equal footing. Also, the overall cut-off score will go down — which I like.
And finally, on March 22, the number of parent sponsorship applications was raised from 15,000 to 25,000! The extra 10,000 will likely be drawn from the leftover pool from 2020. We’re waiting for details.
French is winning, immigration is changing, and your chances are growing. Stay tuned for updates!
Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada.
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