Feds announce new immigration programs for Francophone communities

In a move to address labour shortages in rural French-speaking communities, Canada’s federal government has launched the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, which hopes to connect businesses and employers in remote communities with skilled newcomers.

Directed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the program will provide pathways to permanent residence for newcomers who can help to overcome critical labour job shortages and want to live long term in these smaller communities.

The pilot will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec and will help ensure the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.

The pilot builds on the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), which the government says has been successful in connecting businesses and employers in these remote communities.

IRCC will open the community application process this spring to select communities who will participate in the pilots and will share more details in the coming months.

“Rural and northern communities face unique economic and demographic challenges,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. “However, through the RNIP, rural communities have been able to attract and retain skilled workers that they’ve needed for years to ensure their economic growth. That is why we will make RNIP a permanent program, and why we are introducing these two new pilot programs. We’ll continue to work closely with these communities, as we work to connect businesses with the skilled workers they need to thrive.”