Canada’s immigration minister has unveiled a new initiative aimed at providing greater access to the International Student Program for students from 33 French-speaking countries. The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot program, which will launch on August 26, is being implemented in partnership with designated French-language and bilingual post-secondary institutions across Canada. This program offers French-speaking students a unique opportunity to gain access to Canadian education and a potential pathway to residency.
The Canadian government acknowledges the large pool of French-speaking prospective international students in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Historically, these regions have faced lower study permit approval rates, which this pilot program seeks to improve. Under the program, up to 2,300 students will be accepted into participating Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), outside the current caps on international enrolments, providing an exceptional chance for eligible students to study in Canada.
Key features of the program include several measures to facilitate the application process and improve approval rates. For example, participants and their families will be exempt from demonstrating that they will leave Canada at the end of their temporary stay. Additionally, the financial requirements will be reduced to 75% of the low-income cut-off associated with the municipality where the institution’s main campus is located. Students in the program will also benefit from a direct pathway from temporary student status to permanent residency upon completing their studies and will have access to settlement services to aid in their integration into Canadian communities.
Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, emphasized the importance of promoting the French language through this initiative. “By welcoming Francophone immigrants and supporting them in their integration process, we contribute to the revitalization of these communities while meeting their skilled workforce needs,” he said.
Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, underscored the program’s alignment with the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028, which aims to strengthen Francophone immigration and integration in French-speaking minority communities. “Supporting the vitality of our Francophone communities in Canada also means welcoming French-speaking international students and immigrants. This is exactly what this pilot program does,” Boissonnault noted.
By combining French language proficiency with a Canadian education, graduates of this program will be well-positioned to contribute to Canada’s linguistic, social, cultural, and economic fabric. The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot program is a flagship measure of Canada’s policy on Francophone immigration and represents a significant step forward in attracting and retaining French-speaking talent worldwide.
