Immigration to Canada Easier for French Speakers and Certain Professionals

On 2023-05-31, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Sean Fraser, announced a new category-based Express entry system. In order for Canada to select candidates who are most needed in the country, new changes to the Express Entry system means the Minister can target candidates who have strong French proficiency and work experience in certain professions.

Previously, as long as your Express Entry CRS score was above the cut-off score for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) draws, you would most likely receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. This means that the draws did not distinguish between occupations nor gave any preference to any of them. However, with this new implementation in the Express Entry system, the Minister can choose to select candidates under certain categories. The categories for 2023 are as follows:

Candidates with work experience in the following professions:

By making these changes, Canada can invite foreign nationals who meet the demands of the current labour market and adjust their preferences as needed. This means that if you do not meet the criteria above, it may be more difficult to receive an invitation under Express Entry for the time being. However, the Minister may change the categories in the following years to meet the new demands of the Canadian labour market.

At this point, Canada is eager to increase Francophone mobility to provinces outside of Quebec. Thus, it may be beneficial for you to start learning French to stand out as a valuable candidate for selection.

If you have any questions about coming to Canada, feel free to book a consultation by clicking the image below or visit the IRCC website.