Canada has two official languages: French and English. French speakers are concentrated in the east, especially in Quebec. But did you know that about 3 million people outside Quebec speak French in Canada and live all across the other provinces, from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic?
While a quarter of the country’s population is Francophone, including Quebec, only 3% of the country’s residents (outside Quebec) have French as their mother tongue. This proportion has been decreasing for several decades, which is why Canada needs you, Francophones and Francophiles, to strengthen these communities and ensure their vitality.
Did you know that French and Spanish are both sister languages, derived from Latin? These linguistic similarities accelerate the learning of French if you are a Spanish speaker. The grammar, syntax, and vocabulary are very similar and give you a head start that should not be overlooked.
Speaking French is an asset for immigrating to Canada! With a good level of French, you could be eligible for Francophone mobility. With this program, you can obtain a work permit that allows an employer to hire you much more easily. You simply need to have a good level of French and be hired outside Quebec. There is no need to speak French at work; it is your integration into the local Francophone community that counts and makes you eligible for this work permit. And, in most cases, your family can accompany you and benefit from work or study permits. Only the head of the family needs to know French.
If you wish to immigrate to Canada permanently, having a certain level of French gives you 50 additional points in the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System, an advantage that non-Francophones do not have. This system is used to determine who can submit a permanent residence application and ultimately immigrate to Canada.
We realize this seems complex! That is why the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada team at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico organizes virtual Francophone immigration promotion activities to untangle all these facts and programs and answer your questions about these programs. We organize monthly webinars on Express Entry in French and Spanish, as well as on work permits (notably via Francophone mobility). These activities are promoted on the three social media accounts (Facebook, X, and Instagram) of the Canadian Embassy in Mexico in three languages. So follow us to find out when the next session that might interest you will take place.