French is Canada’s second official language. Official languages enhance diversity and inclusion and give Canada a competitive advantage. In 2018, it was reported by the Government that there were 300 million French speaker’s worldwide. That said, French is seeing significant growth and becoming one of the leading global languages.
When you think of immigrating to Canada as a French speaker, you might automatically assume you have to move to Quebec. It is a rational thought since Quebec is the only province in Canada where French is the official language.
According to Statistics Canada, approximately 80 per cent of Quebecers speak French as their native language. However, the Government of Canada has been looking at how to attract more francophone newcomers to immigrate to other provinces in Canada.
This is why the Immigration, Refugees and Canadian Citizenship (IRCC) created an Action Plan for Offical Languages (2018-2023) aiming to target 4.4% of immigrants outside Quebec to be French-speaking.
In addition, the Francophone Immigration Strategy aims to also support the vitality of Francophone communities by
- Supporting the successful integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers,
- Strengthening the capacity of Francophone communities.
The francophone communities in Canada vary depending on the province. And to ensure vitality and sustainability, Francophone and Acadian associations have been working hard to attract, recruit, welcome and integrate Francophone newcomers.
French Speakers may be able to gain work experience quicker
One of the main advantages you would have as a foreign french-speaking worker coming to Canada is the wide job net available to you. It gives you an immediate advantage in the competitive labour field.
There are currently tons of jobs in Canada available where French is a mandatory requirement to be hired. A significant benefit of knowing French is that you’re part of a small pool of candidates for the position, which gives you a higher chance of being selected.
It has been reported that French bilinguals across Canada report that fluency in French helps them find jobs easier and faster and brings them higher salaries. Not to mention that many employers consider being bilingual in French as a positive asset.
The IRCC has even given Canadian employers options to make it easier to hire French-speaking and bilingual workers outside of Quebec. Some countries with which the IRCC has partnerships include France, Belgium, Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, and more.
If you’re a newcomer to Canada who does not know french, it isn’t too late either. You can easily have access in Canada to learn French in order to get a job. To learn more, read our sister company’s – mana jobs – blog post Getting a Job by Learning French.
Express Entry eligibility heightened as a French speaker
In order for the IRCC to reach its goal of 4.4% of immigrants outside Quebec being French-speaking, they have set up numerous efforts to ensure they succeed. One of the strengthened selection tools is the approach to focus on selection mechanisms that favour French-speaking candidates.
This means that anyone applying through Express Entry who has strong French-language skills will receive additional points. If a candidate has both strong French and English-language skills, they will gain even more points.
French-speaking EE applicants now receive 25 points than the previous 15. Bilingual candidates are now awarded 50 points compared to the previous 30. This change will give a slight boost to French speakers that align with the IRCC goal of bringing more French speakers to provinces other than Quebec.
The IRCC will continue to monitor these outcomes while examining additional measures to meet the target if needed.
Join and build the francophone community in Canada
Going alongside the IRCC plans, they are committed to ensuring meaningful and timely participation of Francophone communities. They plan to do this through the development of policies and programs.
This initiative will help immigrants and members of French-speaking ethnocultural individuals into the community. It will also help to establish funding processes that take into account the specific needs of French-speaking communities and newcomers.
If you are looking to immigrate to Canada and are a French speaker, here are 8 French communities that are outside of Quebec that you can reside in.
- Prince Edward Island: Evangeline region has beaches, music and community festivals with many Francophone organizations and services.
- Nova Scotia: Clare is rich in culture and heritage. It’s the only municipality in Nova Scotia that offers services in both English and French.
- New Brunswick: Haut-Saint-Jean is the second largest Canadian city outside of Quebec with a Francophone majority. It is also the most prominent business and service hub in northwestern New Brunswick.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Labrador City and Wabush are great places to live as it offers French-language school services and the existence of jobs in key sectors like mining, government, health, and tourism.
- Ontario: Hamilton‘s Francophone community is vibrant and multicultural. It has a wide range of French-language services offered by various Francophone organizations.
- Manitoba: Seine River Region it has access to a variety of Francophone recreational, health and community services.
- Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw and Gravelbourg encourage French-speaking newcomers to settle there because of their vibrant Francophone presence. They have Francophone and French immersion schools and French courses offered to anyone in the community.
- British Columbia: Prince George, referred to as the “Northern Capital of British Columbia,” has French-speaking immigrants present in the community and the city intends to expand the services available to Francophones.
How to Immigrate to Canada as a French Speaker
There are many reasons to choose to live in a Francophone community outside of Quebec.
- You and your family will be able to benefit from French and English job opportunities.
- You wouldn’t be limited to just speaking English as you’d have the option to speak both every day.
- You can learn or improve your English skills through free language courses (once you’re a permanent resident).
- You and your kids can enjoy community, health care and daycare services in French.
If you’re in the process of immigrating to Canada as a french-speaker and need help with your application, click here to fill out our assessment form and be contacted by one of our trusted advisors to have a free consultation.
