Dear Mr Brown,

Please explain how the new French programme works. I speak French at the intermediary level. I want to migrate to Canada, but not necessarily to Quebec. I understand that francophones are getting through with permanent residence at lower points.

LW

Dear LW:

In category-based rounds of invitations candidates are invited from the Express Entry pool who are eligible for a specific category established by the minister to meet an identified economic goal.

Category-based rounds add to general and programme-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet these specific economic goals.

When a category-based round of invitations is held the candidates are:

• Ranked in the pool who meet the category requirements and

• Top-ranking candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Eligibility for the French-language proficiency category

To be eligible, one must:

• Have French-language test results that show a minimum score of seven in all four language abilities (listening, reading, writing, speaking) on the niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens

• Meet all of the requirements in the instructions for that round.

Full eligibility details will be available in the instructions for each round.

French Test

TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français, including:

compréhension de l’écrit

compréhension de l’oral

expression écrite

expression orale

TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français, including:

compréhension de l’écrit

compréhension de l’oral

expression écrite

expression orale

As compared to the other five newly announced Express Entry selection categories, French-language proficiency is the only one that does not consider work experience as the key attribute for being issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA.)

Canada’s immigration minister has a mandate to promote the French language outside of Quebec. IRCC quoted, “By prioritising the invitation of French-speaking newcomers, Canada aims to support economic growth through francophone immigration outside Quebec while recognising how it enriches and strengthens these communities.”

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes, including Express Entry, the Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston, and AfriCanadaServices.com in Abuja, Nigeria. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com