New Pathway to Permanent Residency (PR) for French-Speaking International Students

Starting August 26, 2024, Francophone international students will have access to a new PR pathway in Canada.

In an effort to bring more French speakers to Canada, the Canadian government has announced a new pathway for French-speaking international students to secure permanent residency (PR) after graduation.

Canada is a bilingual country — both French and English are official languages — but the French-speaking population outside of the province of Quebec is quite low. This new pathway aims to change that by allowing 2,300 Francophone international students a direct pathway to permanent residency in Canada.

Program launches August 26, 2024

This is a pilot program, meaning it's a small-scale experiment to see if this project works. The government may expand it in coming years based on the results of this pilot.

The pilot program aims for 2,300 successful applicants for 2024. In contrast, Canada is offering over 291,000 new study permits this year, so this pilot is a comparatively small step. Applicants must be planning to attend a French-language, or bilingual, post-secondary institution — each school will have its own cap on the number of students it can accept under this program.

Why apply for this pilot program?

Canada is making it easier to get a study permit for French-speaking international students, who often come from Africa and Central America, by modifying some of the usual requirements.

Not only will successful applicants be permitted to stay in Canada after graduation, the standard financial requirement will be reduced. Most international students must demonstrate that they have at least $20,635 CAD in savings before they will be granted a study permit. Applicants under this new pilot program will be adjusted to 75% of the low-income cut-off for their school community. This can be complicated, and you can explore all the data on the StatisticsCanada website, but this could bring the financial requirement as low as $11,944, depending on where you want to study.

In addition to these benefits, students will be permitted to bring their spouse with them to Canada, and will be offered "government-funded settlement services while in school," which is not typically offered to international students.

Applicants will not require a provincial or territorial attestation letter, either, making the study permit application process simpler.

What's life like in Canadian Francophone communities?

Canada is home to pockets of French speakers across the country. While Quebec is a majority French-speaking province, and New Brunswick has a large population of French speakers, you'll find Francophones living in cities and towns coast-to-coast!

Check out the Government of Canada website to learn about French communities across the country. Ready to move? Read all about coming to a French Canadian community outside Quebec here.

How to I take part in this pilot program as a French speaker?

The pilot program launches August 26, 2024. Starting on that date, you can begin an application for a study permit, and follow the instructions to apply for the Francophone pilot program.

Bon voyage, et bienvenue à Canada!