Francophone and Rural Immigration Classes

Summary#

The Government of Canada (Department of Citizenship and Immigration) has published two sets of Ministerial Instructions: Ministerial Instructions with Respect to the Francophone Community Immigration Class and Ministerial Instructions with Respect to the Rural Community Immigration Class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. They set out who can apply for permanent residence through each class, the tests for eligibility, and how local organizations and employers will take part. These instructions take effect starting November 26, 2024 for a period of five years.

What it does#

• Creates two new immigration streams as parts of the economic class: the Francophone community immigration class and the rural community immigration class.
• Requires an approved local body called an economic development organization to:
  • publish a yearly list of priority occupations by March 31st;
  • issue a “certificate of recommendation” for applicants (the certificate is valid for six months).
• Requires applicants to have a genuine job offer from a designated employer. Key employer and job rules include:
  • the employer must have been in continuous operation for at least two years (or show relocation will benefit the community);
  • at least 75% of the work must be done inside the designated community;
  • offers must be for full‑time, non‑seasonal work of indeterminate length and pay at or above Job Bank ranges (unless the local organization sets a different acceptable range).
• Sets work‑experience and education rules:
  • typical rule: at least one year of recent full‑time work (or equivalent part‑time) in relevant occupations, acquired within the past three years;
  • some exemptions for recent international graduates who studied in the designated community (with specific time-in-community rules like 16 months, 18 months, 24 months depending on the program).
• Language requirements differ by stream:
  • Francophone community: applicants must show French language results at benchmark 5 for all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing).
  • Rural community: required language level depends on the job’s TEER category — benchmark 6 for TEER 0–1, benchmark 5 for TEER 2–3, and benchmark 4 for TEER 4–5.
• Financial requirement: applicants must show available funds equal to one half of the Statistics Canada low‑income cut‑off for rural areas (unless already employed in Canada).
• Economic development organizations may refuse or revoke employer designations or recommendation certificates for fraud, non‑compliance with labour laws, charging fees, or other integrity concerns. These organizations are prohibited from charging fees for designations or certificates.

Who's affected#

• Foreign nationals who want permanent residence and plan to live outside Quebec in smaller or Francophone‑minority communities.
• Employers in those designated communities that want to hire and sponsor foreign workers. They must meet the designation tests and support newcomer settlement.
• Local economic development organizations that will run the program, decide priority occupations, and issue the certificates of recommendation.
• Educational institutions and recent graduates in designated communities, because some graduates can be exempted from work‑experience rules.
• Provincial regulators and employment‑standards bodies, since employer compliance with federal and provincial labour laws is considered.

Why it matters#

• These instructions make it easier for smaller and Francophone minority communities to attract and keep foreign workers by creating a local, employer‑driven route to permanent residence.
• Employers in eligible communities can recruit internationally with clearer rules, but they must meet standards and support settlement.
• For jobseekers, the rules set clear expectations on language, recent work experience, job type and location, and proof of funds.
• The program is time‑limited (starts November 26, 2024 and lasts five years), so communities and employers that want to use it will need to move quickly to set up the required local processes.