CIMM – Francophone Immigration to Quebec – October 24, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

• Following the tabling of the 2023-2025 federal immigration levels plan on November 1, 2022, Quebec expressed concerns about the considerable increase in levels which they said could impact the vitality of French and the preservation of Quebec’s demographic weight.
• Since his re-election in the fall of 2022, Premier Legault has stated that he wanted to prioritize francophone immigration, eventually reaching 100% francophone economic immigration to Quebec by 2026.

Key Messages

• IRCC will continue to work with the Quebec government to maintain the vitality of the French language in the province.
• Canada also has a responsibility to attract and facilitate Francophone immigration outside of Quebec. Our official language minority communities, English-speaking in Quebec and French-speaking in the rest of Canada, are entitled to strong institutions, supported by and for them, that ensure their vitality and sustainability.

Supplementary Information

• In December 2022, Quebec announced that it is suspending the intake of non-Francophone applicants in its entrepreneur and self-employed programs.
• Quebec also announced a suite of planned regulatory changes, to be implemented by November 16, 2023, that will reinforce the importance of the French language in the province and meet the challenges of labor shortages.