Canada Adds 5,000 PR Spots for French-Speaking Immigrants

Canada Adds 5,000 PR Spots for French-Speaking Immigrants

On January 19, Canada’s immigration department announced an important update. The government will add 5,000 extra permanent residence (PR) spots for provinces and territories to welcome French-speaking immigrants. As a result, more Francophone candidates will get opportunities to settle in Canada.

Source of the New PR Spots

These additional PR spots will come directly from federal selection spaces. Moreover, the government will add them on top of the PR quotas that provinces already receive under PNP programs and immigration pilots. Because of this increase, provinces will have greater freedom to select French-speaking candidates.

Purpose Behind This Decision

Canada introduced this change to boost Francophone immigration outside Quebec. In simple terms, the government wants more French-speaking newcomers to live and work in other provinces. Therefore, this step supports Canada’s long-term immigration strategy.

Announcement Details and Key Message

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab shared this update during a press conference in Moncton, New Brunswick. At the same time, she confirmed that Canada once again surpassed its Francophone immigration target for 2025. Furthermore, she announced that the government will raise Francophone immigration targets in the coming years.

Impact on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Candidates

With this new allocation, Canada is clearly strengthening its focus on French-speaking immigrants. Earlier, this focus mainly applied to Express Entry. Now, it also extends to provincial immigration pathways.

Because of this change, provinces may issue more nominations to French-speaking candidates. In addition, French speakers may enjoy a competitive advantage in PNP draws. However, at this stage, the government has not confirmed whether provinces will increase draw frequency or launch new Francophone-specific pathways.

Distribution of the 5,000 PR Spots

So far, the federal government has not explained how it will divide the 5,000 PR spots among provinces and territories. Even so, one point remains clear. In 2026, Canada will welcome more French-speaking immigrants through provincial and regional programs.

Canada Surpassed Its Francophone Immigration Target in 2025

In addition to the new PR allocation, the minister shared another milestone. For the fourth consecutive year, Canada exceeded its Francophone immigration target.

In 2025, French-speaking immigrants made up 8.9 percent of PR admissions outside Quebec, while the original target stood at 8.5 percent. Most of these immigrants entered Canada through the Express Entry system.

Future Francophone Immigration Targets

According to the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada has set higher targets. The target is 9 percent in 2026, 9.5 percent in 2027, and 10.5 percent in 2028. Eventually, the government aims to reach 12 percent by 2029.

Measures Supporting These Targets

To meet these goals, Canada has already introduced several initiatives. These include a French-language category under Express Entry, the Francophone Mobility work permit program, the Francophone Minority Community Student Pilot, and the upcoming Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative.

Together, these steps create a clear and structured roadmap to increase French-speaking immigration across Canada.

Get in touch with SPS Global

Receive advice on any of your questions regarding Immigration Get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Global. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).