Canada launched the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC) on the 14th of December 2024. This immigration pathway is dedicated to candidates who can speak French, and aim to settle in a designated Canadian community in a province other than Quebec. A designated community is a listed community that has a French-speaking minority population.
Along with the FCIC program, Canada has also announced the Rural Community Immigration Class for Canada PR.
Who is Eligible for the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC)?
The Francophone Community Immigration Class will invite candidates based on several factors. Mainly these will include:
- A certificate of recommendation from the Canadian Economic Development Organization.
- French language proficiency
- A legitimate job offer
- Work experience
- Education
- Adequate funds.
The detailed eligibility requirements are given in the table below.
| Eligibility Factors | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Certificate of recommendation from EDO | If you are an eligible candidate, the Canadian Economic Development Organization will issue you a recommendation certificate that is valid for 6 months. This is a must for the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC). The eligibility factors to get a recommendation certificate are listed below. |
| Work Experience | To be eligible for the FCIC stream, you will need a minimum of 1-year work experience within the last three years. The work experience must be continuous. It can be both full-time or an equivalent part-time work experience. Your work experience must be in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 for a job offer in TEER 0 or In TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3 for a job offer in TEER Category 1 TEER Category 1, 2, 3, or 4 for an employment offer in TEER level 2 Work experience in TEER Category 2, 3, or 4 for a job offer in TEER level 3 or 4, and, Experience in the same NOC code unit group as mentioned in the job offer in case of a job offer in TEER level 5. Note: If you are an international graduate and have a degree, diploma, or certificate from a valid educational institution in the designated community, you do not need work experience. |
| Job Offer | You should get a valid job offer from a designated employer. The offer should not be for seasonal work. It must be for an indeterminate period. The job must be located within the provincial designated community. You must have the necessary education and training, and must be able to perform all duties set in the NOC code of the job offer. The employment offer must pay above or within the acceptable wage according to Canada Job Bank. Or, it must pay according to the wage range established by the economic development organization A designated employer who can give you a valid job offer must: Have an active business for the last two years. This business must be within the designated community. Their business must be related to at least one priority occupation. Must have completed the intercultural competency and onboarding training. Must commit to the settlement of you and your family. |
| Language Proficiency | You must score a minimum NCLC 5 or more in all four sections of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the French language test. Canada accepts TCF and TEF for French proficiency tests |
| Education | You must have completed your secondary education to be eligible for the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC). |
| Plan to settle | You must have plans to permanently settle in the designated provincial community. |
| Proof of funds | You must have at least half of the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) published by Statistics Canada. This is the least amount of money required annually to support a family in rural areas. |
Eligibility for International Graduates
As mentioned above, international graduates do not require work experience to be eligible for the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC). If you are an international student, you can apply for the FCIC pathway if:
- You have a valid study permit
- You have graduated from a valid institution situated in the same designated community where your job is located.
- If you are enrolled as a full-time student throughout the duration of your course. This ensures that education was the student’s main focus.
- You must apply for Canada PR within 18 months of graduating.
- Your course must be of at least two years or 24 months. Out of these 24 months, you must spend at least 16 months in the designated community.
- If your master’s or doctoral degree is of less than two years, you must stay in the designated community throughout the duration of the course.
Documents Required for the Francophone Community Immigration Class
To apply for the Francophone Community Immigration Class, you will need the following documents:
- Copy of your passport
- Copy of work or study permit – if applicable
- A Certificate of recommendation from the Canadian Economic Development Organization
- Language test results- validity 2 years
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) – validity 5 years
- Documents to prove your work experience such as – an experience letter from your previous employer stating your designation, job title and description, date of joining and leaving, and other crucial information.
- Pay slips
- A valid job offer letter
- Documents for proof of funds such as an official letter from a bank or a financial institution.
Please note: A complete list of documents for the Francophone Community Immigration Class is yet to be announced.
Visit Talent Connected Worldwide to stay updated about all the latest details about the documents, processing time, and fees for the Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC)
The Francophone Community Immigration Class (FCIC) is a stream that will boost the immigration of French-speaking candidates to Francophone communities outside Quebec.
It will be a golden opportunity for you if you can speak French or are planning to learn the language.
Source: Canada Gazette
