The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) continues into 2025, offering a specialized pathway to permanent residence for French-speaking skilled workers who want to build a life in Canada’s smaller, Francophone-minority communities. According to Maple News, six designated regions across Canada are participating, each with their own labour market priorities and approved employer lists.
The participating communities include Acadian Peninsula (New Brunswick), Greater Sudbury, Timmins Region and Superior East (Ontario), St-Pierre-Jolys (Manitoba), and Kelowna (British Columbia). These areas can recommend eligible candidates to support their permanent residence applications and help them apply for an LMIA-exempt work permit, enabling them to begin working before permanent residence is finalized.
To be eligible for this program, applicants must have a valid full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated employer in one of the listed communities and demonstrate at least one year (1,560 hours) of relevant, paid work experience over the last three years—unless they qualify for an exemption as a recent graduate. Applicants must also prove their proficiency in French at NCLC level 5 through approved language tests (TEF Canada or TCF Canada), and submit educational credentials (Canadian or evaluated international equivalents) along with proof of settlement funds unless already working in Canada.
Each community defines its own list of priority sectors and occupations using NOC 2021 codes. For instance, Greater Sudbury seeks candidates in health care, education, finance, trades, and customer service, while Kelowna focuses on sales, food services, early childhood education, technical trades, and veterinary sciences. Applicants must align their job offers exactly with a listed priority role to be considered.
Individuals who recently graduated from public post-secondary institutions in one of these communities may bypass the work experience requirement. To qualify, they must have completed a two-year program or higher-level degree, studied full-time, lived in the community during their studies, and obtained their credential within the past 18 months. However, studies heavily based on language instruction, distance learning, or involving mandatory return-home scholarships do not qualify.
Experience must fit with the skill level (TEER category) associated with the job being offered. For example, a TEER 2 job offer can be supported by experience in TEER categories 1 through 4. Specific exceptions apply, notably in healthcare occupations.
Employers must apply to their community’s designating authority to be listed as an eligible employer. Once designated, they can offer jobs to suitable French-speaking candidates and coordinate with the community to issue a recommendation. Candidates who receive this community recommendation can then apply for permanent residence and an LMIA-exempt work permit.
Maple News reports that applicants should ensure their documents—such as work experience letters, pay stubs, employer contact information, and official education assessments—are detailed and accurate. Misalignment of job titles, outdated language test results, or vague credentials may result in application refusal.
The FCIP is a valuable pathway for French-speaking individuals looking to settle in Canada’s smaller communities with strong employment prospects. With growing interest in regional immigration streams, this pilot continues to support the economic growth of underrepresented Francophone regions and improve their demographic vitality.