On October 27, 2020, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC), announced that express entry candidates will receive additional points if they are French-speaking and/or bilingual (Francophone immigration). Under the Express Entry online system, French-speaking candidates were awarded a maximum of 15 Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) points and bilingual candidates would be eligible for up to 30 points. With the change, the current number of points will increase to 25 points for French-speaking candidates and 50 points for bilingual candidates.
This new rule will help French-speaking and Francophone candidates to qualify under Express Entry, especially for those who previously filed and were not competitive in the pool. The last Express Entry draw on October 14th, issued invitations to candidates with a CRS score of 471. That means candidates who had a score of 460 may be more competitive with the additional points.
The push to increase the number of Francophones in Canada has been well underway. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP’s) in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick (through its Strategic Initiative Program, target French-speaking candidates to move to the Province. Even Prince Edward Island has produced a series of information booklets aimed at attracting French-speaking immigrants.
It is unlikely that the government will meet its objective of targeting 4.4% of French Speaking immigrant admissions outside Quebec by 2023. The Minister of IRCC, Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., is quoted as saying “Supporting the development of Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec is part of this government’s plan for economic growth and long-term prosperity throughout the country. It is also the right thing to do to help support Francophone communities right across Canada. We will continue to attract Francophone immigrants to make sure that Francophone minority communities flourish.”
If you are French-speaking or bilingual and wish to apply for Express Entry, please contact us to assist you today!
