Maple News reports Kelowna, British Columbia, has announced its 2026 priorities under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP). The city will target a new priority sector and eight additional in-demand occupations as part of its francophone pathway to permanent residence.
Kelowna sits in south-central BC on the eastern shore of the Okanagan Valley, and the changes reflect ongoing efforts to attract French-speaking newcomers to the region and address local labor needs.
The 2026 FCIP priority sectors are six in number: Sales and Service; Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators; Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services; Health; Natural and Applied Sciences; and Business, Finance and Administration.
Note: The only sector added this year is Business, Finance and Administration.
Quota rules: For the Sales and Service sector, the British Columbia Economic Development Corporation (SDECB) will issue no more than 10 community referral certificates, with a maximum of two referrals per National Occupational Classification code. For the Trades sector, each occupation is limited to three referrals.
Kelowna’s FCIP 2026 list includes 25 occupations across various NOC codes. Eight of these are newly prioritized for 2026; the remaining 17 align with the 2025 focus.
Eligibility: To pursue permanent residence under FCIP, applicants must demonstrate qualifying French-language abilities and hold a job offer from a designated employer.
Maple News analysis: The expansion signals Kelowna’s labor-market needs and illustrates the province’s broader strategy to attract Francophone talent to regional economies. Maple News will continue covering developments in this program.