Recent changes to the immigration system have led to a growing number of temporary residents scrambling to learn French in an effort to obtain permanent residency in Canada. OMNI News' Paula Saraza explains.

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In previous federal announcements, Ottawa has stressed its commitment to prioritizing Francophone immigration outside Quebec, prompting many temporary residents to learn French in the hope of obtaining permanent residency (PR) in Canada.

“After graduating and then working for a year, you could’ve easily gotten permanent residency,” says Alyanna Chua, who came to Canada as an international student in 2019.

Chua says that, at the time, immigration policies were relatively straightforward, and the path to permanent residency was simple.

A strong PR candidate must be fluent in English, be in a younger age bracket, hold a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian institution, and have at least one year of Canadian work experience.

“It was relatively simple because the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required to immigrate and become a permanent resident was relatively low at that time,” she says. “It was in the 400s, and my score at that time was around 474.”

However, she says the rules changed when she graduated in 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, as Ottawa introduced cuts to the number of permanent and temporary residents in the country.

That’s when, according to Chua, the immigration score increased to around 530 to 540, a range she says would have been impossible for her to reach without studying French.

French language proficiency category in PR stream

In Canada’s Express Entry System, there’s a French-language proficiency category in which an applicant could receive up to 50 additional points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score if they pass their French exam and reach the minimum B2 level.

With her status set to expire in October 2026, Chua says she spent almost the entirety of 2025 learning French.

She says she took the test twice after failing on her first attempt in October of last year. She eventually passed the exam last November, and her CRS score increased to the 500s.

Chua received her permanent residency status in July.

Demand to learn French outside of Quebec grows as French Category-based draws for permanent residency increase.

According to immigration lawyer Lou Janssen Dangzalan, the number of PR invitations issued through French-speaking category-based draws is tremendous.

He says the trend mirrors Ottawa’s French PR admission targets: 9.5 per cent in 2026, increasing to 10 per cent next year and 12 per cent by 2028.

“This has been a program that is allowing them to hit that particular parliamentary mandate,” Dangzalan says.

However, he says it’s uncertain whether this is an effective step toward strengthening French language proficiency in the country.

The increasing demand for French lessons among non-French-speaking residents is also being felt in some sectors.

Study Live Explore Canada, an online platform initially designed to mentor international students, has changed course and transformed into a French tutoring platform.

“At first, we were just getting a few students, and now we have about 500 students, mostly Filipinos,” says founder Emmalyn de Guzman.

Aida Valdez-Cabel, a French tutor with the organization, says most of her students are from Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Recently, the federal government announced changes to the Express Entry System for immigrants with high-wage jobs, but no definite details were released about Ottawa’s immigration levels plan, which is expected to be announced in November.

Experts say there’s a strong possibility that Ottawa will continue its focus on French-speaking permanent resident admissions outside Quebec.

New language, new opportunities in Canada

Now a fluent French speaker, Chua says she recognizes the challenges of learning a new language, the pressure of an expiring status, and the cost of lessons and exams faced by people with temporary status.

“I still take one French class every single week,” she says. “Just to be able to maintain my French.”

Chua says that with her improved language skills, she’s confident they could lead to more opportunities as she continues building her life in Canada.

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