Canada: New Immigration Pilots for Francophone Communities

Key Points  

• Canada introduced new pilot programs for rural and Francophone minority communities on 6 March 2024 

Overview  

The government of Canada introduced new pilot programs for rural and Francophone minority communities on 6 March 2024. These programs will launch in fall of 2024 and will include: 

• The Rural Community Immigration Pilot: The program aims to ensure that rural communities can address labor shortages and help local businesses find the necessary workers. It will provide pathways to permanent residence for newcomers who can help overcome critical labor job shortages and want to live long-term in these smaller communities.   
• The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot: The program will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec and will help ensure the economic development of Francophone minority communities while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight. The government opened the community application process this spring to select communities who will participate in the pilots and will share more details in the coming months. 

The government will also work to create a permanent rural immigration program. The program aims to attract and retain skilled foreign workers in rural and Francophone minority communities. 

Looking Ahead 

Continue to check the government of Canada’s website and Envoy’s website for the latest updates and information.