Canada exceeds French immigration targets for 2025

The federal government is seeking to increase French-speaking immigration outside of Quebec.

Canada has exceeded its Francophone immigration target for the fourth year in a row

In an announcement in Moncton on Monday, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab said they’ve been able to surpass their 8.5 per cent goal for admissions of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec, reaching about 8.9 per cent in 2025 – or about 29,500 residents.

The government says the goal is to address labour needs and attract top talent for Francophone and Acadian communities outside Quebec.

“Today, we reaffirm our commitment and ongoing efforts towards Francophone immigration. French-speaking newcomers are an essential contribution to the economic vitality and strengthening of the workforce in Francophone and Acadian minority communities. They help our communities to thrive and promote our official languages, a symbol of our Canadian identity,” said Diab.

As part of the Immigration Levels Plan, the government will also be reserving 5,000 federal selection spaces to allow provinces and territories to designate to French-speaking immigrants. The government says these spaces will help reduce the shortage of Francophone and bilingual workers in hopes of attracting top global talent.

The government also hopes to continue to increase targets for admissions of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec to nine per cent in 2026, 9.5 per cent in 2027, and 10.5 per cent in 2028.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Josh Smith.

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