Immigrating to Canada as a French speaker: your options outside Quebec

The short answer: if you speak French and want to live in Canada outside Quebec, the federal government is actively looking for you. French gives you access to Express Entry rounds open only to French speakers, up to 50 extra CRS points, the Francophone Mobility work permit (no LMIA needed) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot. Most of these advantages start at a clear test result: NCLC 7 in all four skills for Express Entry, or NCLC 5 in speaking and listening for the work permit. Your English still counts too, and having both is worth the most.

Why French matters outside Quebec

Quebec selects its own economic immigrants under the Canada-Quebec Accord. For the other nine provinces and three territories, the federal government sets a separate goal: a growing share of new permanent residents who speak French, to support francophone communities that are a minority in their region.

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets these targets for French-speaking permanent residents admitted outside Quebec:

The plan supports a broader goal of 12% by 2029. IRCC says that in 2025, based on preliminary data, it admitted more than 29,500 French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec, about 8.9% against a target of 8.5%, the fourth year in a row the target was beaten (news release, January 19, 2026). Targets for 2027 and 2028 are not final, but the direction is clear: French speakers are a priority.

The pathways at a glance

Express Entry: a French-only lane and bonus points

Express Entry manages three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class. French helps in two separate ways.

1. The French-language proficiency category. IRCC runs category-based rounds that invite only candidates in a chosen group. French-language proficiency is one of the ten current categories. To qualify, you need French test results of at least NCLC 7 in all four abilities, you must be eligible for one of the three programs, and you must meet the instructions published for that round. Unlike most categories, there is no occupation list: it is your test result that counts. See recent rounds on our Express Entry draws tracker and the category finder.

2. Additional CRS points. According to IRCC’s francophone Express Entry page, if you score NCLC 7 or higher in all four French skills you get:

• 25 additional points if your English is CLB 4 or lower, or you did not take an English test;
• 50 additional points if you also score CLB 5 or higher in all four English skills.

These points apply even if French is your second official language. IRCC also advises choosing your strongest language as your first official language to get the most points. Run both versions through our CRS calculator and see the difference.

Francophone Mobility: work first, without an LMIA

The Francophone Mobility work permit lets a Canadian employer hire you without a labour market impact assessment. For applications made on or after June 15, 2023, IRCC says you must:

• meet the general work permit requirements;
• plan to live and work in a province or territory outside Quebec;
• show intermediate French speaking and listening, equal to NCLC 5 or higher;
• have a job offer in any TEER category of the NOC, except primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5.

Before you apply, the employer submits the offer in the Employer Portal under exemption code C16, pays a $230 employer compliance fee and gives you the 7-digit offer of employment number. The work permit fee is $155. You do not need to prove reading or writing for this permit. Canadian work experience gained this way can later help you in Express Entry. Our Francophone Mobility guide walks through the employer and worker steps.

Francophone Community Immigration Pilot: permanent residence in a smaller community

The FCIP offers permanent residence to skilled workers who want to work and settle in rural francophone-minority communities. IRCC lists six participating communities:

• Acadian Peninsula, New Brunswick
• Sudbury, Ontario
• Timmins, Ontario
• Superior East Region, Ontario
• St. Pierre Jolys, Manitoba
• Kelowna, British Columbia

To be eligible, IRCC says you need a valid job offer from a designated employer in the community, at least one year (1,560 hours) of related work experience in the past three years, an approved language test, a Canadian educational credential or foreign equivalent, and enough money to support yourself and your family. You may be able to get a work permit while you wait. Compare all the pilot communities on our RCIP and FCIP page.

The 24 Welcoming Francophone Communities

Separately, IRCC’s Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative names 24 communities committed to welcoming French-speaking and bilingual newcomers with settlement support. This is not an immigration program on its own; it tells you where support is waiting. In Ontario they are Cornwall, Hamilton, Hawkesbury, London, the Northern Corridor and Sudbury. The others are Calgary; Nanaimo and Prince George; the Red River and Seine River regions in Manitoba; Labrador; Chaleur, the Haut-Saint-Jean region, Kedgwick and Saint-Quentin, and North-Eastern Acadia in New Brunswick; Yellowknife; the Chéticamp region and Clare in Nova Scotia; Iqaluit; the Évangeline region on Prince Edward Island; Moose Jaw and Gravelbourg, and Prince Albert in Saskatchewan; and Whitehorse. IRCC notes that English is also important for integration, while French is a valuable asset at work.

How to prove your French

For Express Entry, IRCC accepts two French tests: TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Both test speaking, listening, reading and writing, and your score in each is converted to an NCLC level (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens, the French counterpart of the CLB).

Three points that trip people up:

• Two-year rule. Results must be less than two years old both when you create your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.
• TEF Canada scores. Enter only the scores in the “Équivalence ancien score” column, not the score out of 699.
• Francophone Mobility is more flexible. For the work permit you can show NCLC 5 in speaking and listening with TEF or TCF results, a letter or transcript from a French-language college or university program, or other documents showing education in French.

Not sure where your score lands? Our CLB and NCLC calculator converts test results in seconds.

What to do next

1. Take TEF Canada or TCF Canada and aim for NCLC 7 in every skill. One weak skill below 7 removes both the French category and the bonus points.
2. Keep or build your English. CLB 5+ in all four English skills turns the 25-point bonus into 50.
3. Check your Express Entry program and score with the CRS calculator.
4. No program yet? Look at the Francophone Mobility permit to gain Canadian experience, the FCIP communities, and provincial nominee programs, including the OINP in Ontario.
5. Younger? International Experience Canada lets youth from partner countries work and travel in Canada for up to two years.

Bilingual and planning to move outside Quebec? Let’s map it.

Our Brampton and London offices help French-speaking and bilingual clients choose the strongest route, check test results against each program and prepare complete applications. Book a consultation to review your profile.

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Sources (IRCC, checked October 18, 2026): Immigration programs for French speakers outside Quebec; Francophone immigration through Express Entry; Category-based selection; Language test; Francophone Mobility work permit; FCIP eligibility; Rural and francophone pilots; Welcoming Francophone Communities; 2026–2028 Levels Plan supplementary information. Program rules change; confirm on IRCC before you apply. General information only, not legal advice.