Where Are Canada’s French Speaking Newcomers Coming From?

With plans to increase French-speaking immigration through 2025-2027, understanding where these immigrants are coming from and who they are bringing with them provides valuable insights.

Niall Carry, from Carry Immigration Services, recently forwarded us some data he received via an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Request he made to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) about French-speaking immigration.

Here’s a closer look at the trends:

Top Ten Source Countries for French-Speaking Immigrants to Canada

Canada issued invitations to apply for permanent residence to French-speaking Express Entry candidates in 143 countries in 2024. But, French-speaking immigrants to Canada primarily hail from countries where French is a national or widely spoken language. The top source countries include:

1. Cameroon (11,483 ITAs)
2. Morocco (3,288 ITAs)
3. Algeria (2,921 ITAs)
4. France (2,059 ITAs)
5. Republic of Ivory Coast (1,377 ITAs)
6. Mauritius (1,168 ITAs)
7. Tunisia (959 ITAs)
8. Lebanon (661 ITAs)
9. Nigeria (634 ITAs)
10. Congo (521 ITAs).

Surprisingly, India came in at number 11, with 419 invitations to apply sent to French-speaking Indians in 2024.

Surprising Countries Supplying French Speakers to Canada

While the majority of French-speaking immigrants come from Francophone nations, some surprises emerge. For instance, countries like America, Albania, Australia, and Argentina are contributing French-speaking immigrants.

This demonstrates the global reach of the French language and highlights individuals who have acquired French as a second language, often through education or international work experiences.

Here’s a complete list of where French-Speaking newcomers are from:

Family Members French Speakers Are Bringing with Them

Immigration data also reveals the family dynamics of French-speaking immigrants. Alongside the principal applicants, many bring their families, including spouses, children (including adopted children and stepchildren), and other dependents. For example:

• Algerian immigrants frequently arrive with large families, often including spouses and children.
• Applicants from France and Belgium tend to bring smaller family units.
• Spouses are the most common accompanying family members, followed by children, highlighting Canada’s family-friendly immigration policies.

Key Takeaways From These Trends

Key takeaways for newcomers who want to learn French and immigrate to Canada include:

• Improved Immigration Opportunities: Canada is prioritizing French speakers through category-based Express Entry draws and other pathways designed to make it easier for Francophones to immigrate. Learning French can increase your eligibility and competitiveness in the immigration process.
• Broad Global Representation: Immigrants with French language skills are not limited to Francophone countries. Even those from non-Francophone nations, where French is a secondary or foreign language, are finding opportunities to immigrate. This highlights the value of French as a global language.
• Career and Integration Benefits: Proficiency in French not only boosts immigration prospects but also enhances employment opportunities in bilingual regions, as well as federal or public-sector roles. It also facilitates cultural integration and access to community resources.
• Accessible Resources for Learning French: We’re seeing more newcomers looking to learn French as a mechanism to move to Canada. Fortunately, there are a host of resources and courses available, including some that focus on learning French to pass a Test d’évaluation de français (TEF Canada) or the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).

Learning French is a valuable step if you’re looking to improve your immigration prospects and settle successfully in Canada. We consider French-language proficiency to be one of the best ways to qualify for an Express Entry draw, including category-based draws, in 2025. However, given the volume of people currently working on gaining or improving their French test scores, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the CRS cut-offs for these draws slightly increase compared to 2024 results.