Express entry candidates with French language proficiency gets more CRS points

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has announced that French-speaking and bilingual applicants will receive additional points under the Express Entry system.

French-speaking candidates will now receive 25 additional points for their language skills, compared to 15. Bilingual candidates will now receive 50 points, compared to 30 previously.

Canada aims to admit 4.4% of French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec by 2023. This new initiative aims to help Canada achieve that goal once travel restrictions are eventually eased, according to a government press release.

In 2019, the percentage of French-speaking immigrants admitted to Canada outside of Quebec was 2.82%.

“Supporting the development of Francophone minority communities outside Quebec is part of this government’s plan for long-term economic growth and prosperity across the country,” reads a quote attributed to Mendicino, “It is also the right thing to do to support francophones. communities across Canada. We will continue to attract Francophone immigrants to help Francophone minority communities prosper.”

More than 60,000 French-speaking immigrants arrived in Canada between 2003 and 2019. In 2019, this number was only 8,645 new Francophones. IRCC is investing $ 40.8 million over five years to support the consolidation of a Francophone integration path and the development of horizontal policies.

Basics on Express entry program

Express Entry is an application management system for three federal immigration programs: the Skilled Worker Program, the Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible applicants receive a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Points are awarded for factors related to human capital such as age, work experience, education, and language skills in English or French.

The highest-rated applicants receive Invitations to Apply (ITA) through regular Express Entry draws. Once a candidate receives an ITA, they can then apply for permanent residence in Canada. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) typically hold Express Entry raffles every two weeks.

Recently, IRCC held bigger draws than ever. The October 14 draw issued 4,500 ITAs to Express Entry applicants. To date, 82,850 ITAs have been issued this year.

The proportion of Francophones invited to apply for permanent residence reached 5.6% in 2019, compared to 4.5% in 2018.

Quebec has its immigration program that targets French-speaking immigrants.

Reference is taken from CIC News