Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) immigration pathway.
This new immigration pathway was first announced in March of 2024, with further details revealed in December of last year.
Under this program, newcomers with an intermediate level of French ability—and who have an offer of employment in priority occupations sought by a community outside of Quebec—can be nominated and receive Canadian permanent residence (PR).
This article will cover the communities that have been chosen by the federal government to participate in the FCIP and provide a brief overview of candidate eligibility.
Which communities have been selected to participate?
For candidates to receive permanent residence (PR) through the FCIP, they must (in addition to meeting all other eligibility requirements) have an offer of employment for a priority occupation from an employer in one of the chosen communities, that has been designated by the IRCC-authorized economic development agency for that community.
Employers in a participating community can also apply to become a designated employer under the FCIP on IRCC's website.
Per the government's new release, IRCC has already begun training with economic development organizations in selected communities. Each community will provide further details on when employers and prospective permanent resident candidates can expect to have a chance to apply.
IRCC has selected the following communities to participate in the FCIP:
| Selected community | Province |
|---|---|
| Acadian Peninsula | New Brunswick |
| Sudbury | Ontario |
| Timmins | |
| Superior East Region | |
| St. Pierre Jolys | Manitoba |
| Kelowna | British Columbia |
Four of the above communities (a portion of the Acadian Peninsula, Sudbury, Timmins, and St. Pierre Jolys) are also enrolled in IRCC's Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative, a regional immigration program that helps welcome French-speaking newcomers to Canada and integrate and settle them in Francophone and Acadian communities outside of Quebec.
At the time of this announcement, the immigration department has not stated which economic organizations or employers within chosen communities have been approved to participate in the FCIP. Economic development organizations are also required to publish their list of priority occupations by March 31, every year.
More details are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Candidate eligibility
Eligibility requirements for candidates in the FCIP have been summarized in the table below:
| Eligibility criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Certificate of recommendation | An applicant must have a valid certificate of recommendation from an economic development organization at the time of making their application. |
| Genuine offer of employment | An applicant must show that they have a genuine offer of employment from a designated employer that meets specific conditions. |
| Work experience | An applicant must have work experience that meets specific conditions. This requirement can also be waived for international graduates who meet certain conditions*. |
| Language proficiency | The applicant must display French language ability equivalent to a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 in all language abilities. |
| Education | The applicant must have obtained at least a secondary school level credential. |
| Intent to reside | The applicant must demonstrate that they intend to reside in the designated community they will work in. |
| Necessary funds | Applicants must show that they have funds equivalent to one-half of the most recent Low-Income Cut-off (LICO) criteria relevant to their designated community, for one year. |
International graduates applying to the FCIP may be exempt from needing to show work experience provided that they meet certain conditions.
Newcomers applying for this program from within Canada must also ensure that they have valid temporary resident status (work permit, study permit, or visitor visa) in the country at the time of their application.
Once candidates have applied for PR through the FCIP, they may also be eligible for a work permit during the processing of their PR application. These work permits can be valid for up to two years. Candidates in the FCIP may be eligible to receive this work permit as long as they have:
- A job offer from the designated employer who initially offered them a job as part of the FCIP;
- A referral letter from their participating community; and
- Meet all other work permit eligibility criteria.
For more information on eligibility criteria and program process, find our previous article on the topic.
Brief background on the FCIP
In December of last year, IRCC announced the FCIP as a new francophone immigration initiative as part of the department‘s wider Francophone Immigration Strategy.
At the time the immigration department announced the basic eligibility and processes for the FCIP but did not elaborate on which stakeholders would be participating in the program.
Within the FCIP there are three key stakeholders (apart from newcomers themselves):
| Stakeholder | Description |
|---|---|
| Designated communities | Communities outside of Quebec chosen by the Minister of Immigration to participate in this new program |
| Economic development organizations | Organizations in each community that have been chosen by the Immigration Minister to issue certificates of nomination to eligible newcomers |
| Designated employers | Employers chosen by the economic development organization to participate in the FCIC by hiring and employing eligible newcomers |
Source:cicnews.com
