Even if your French level is only at NCLC 5, you still have several good options to get Canadian permanent residence (PR).
Interestingly, Canada is trying to bring more French-speaking immigrants to communities outside Quebec. By 2028, the government wants 10.5% of all PR admissions outside Quebec to be French speakers. This is higher than the 8.5% target for 2025.
So even though an NCLC 5 score seems low, it still gives you an advantage, especially compared to candidates who only speak English.
The programs listed below accept applicants at NCLC 5, which is lower than the NCLC 7 required for French-language Express Entry draws.
These pathways include:
- The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
- The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP)
- The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) Francophone Stream
Let’s discuss each one in detail.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)
The FCIP began in January 2025. This pilot helps increase the number of French-speaking skilled workers in rural communities outside Quebec.
If you speak French and have the right work experience, you can get PR through one of six communities below, as long as you have a job offer from a designated employer.
Participating Communities
| Community | Province |
| Acadian Peninsula | New Brunswick |
| Kelowna | British Columbia |
| St. Pierre Jolys | Manitoba |
| Sudbury | Ontario |
| Superior East Region | Ontario |
| Timmins | Ontario |
To qualify, you must show NCLC 5 in all four French skill areas (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
It is important to note that each community has its own priority sectors and occupations. Only employers in these sectors can give you a qualifying job offer. Communities also publish lists of designated employers on their websites.
Other requirements include:
- A Canadian high school diploma or higher education, or a foreign equivalent
- Enough settlement funds for yourself and any family members
- At least 1 year of related work experience in the last 3 years
Note: International student graduates may be exempt from the work experience requirement if they meet community rules.
Application Process:
- Get a job offer from a designated employer.
- The employer sends your application to the community.
- If the community recommends you, you can apply to IRCC for PR.
Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP)
Launched in August 2024, the FMCSP is a study-to-PR pathway for French-speaking students from 33 eligible countries. If approved, you get a study permit linked to the pilot. After you complete your program, you can apply for PR.
This pilot helps support Francophone and Acadian minority communities across Canada.
Eligible Nationalities
- Bénin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haïti
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Niger
- Rwanda
- Saint Lucia
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Togo
- Tunisia
You must note that you only need NCLC 5 in French to qualify.
Eligibility Requirements Include:
- A Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a participating French-language or bilingual DLI
- The LOA must confirm you are applying through the FMCSP
- The program must:
- Be outside Quebec
- Have over 50% of instruction in French
- Be full-time
- Lead to a degree or diploma
- You must apply from outside Canada
- You need enough money to cover tuition and living expenses
- Living expenses depend on the number of family members and the community size.
- For a single student, this ranges from $15,761 to $22,895.
Unlike the FCIP, you do not need a job offer to apply for PR through the FMCSP.
Participating DLIs
| Designated Learning Institution | Participating Campus(es) | Province |
| Collège Boréal | – Sudbury – Toronto – Windsor – Ottawa – Nipissing – Timmins – Hearst – Kapuskasing | Ontario |
| Collège La Cité | Ottawa | Ontario |
| Université de Hearst | – Hearst – Kapuskasing – Timmins | Ontario |
| Université de l’Ontario français | Toronto | Ontario |
| Université Laurentienne | Sudbury | Ontario |
| Université Saint Paul | Ottawa | Ontario |
| University of Ottawa | Ottawa | Ontario |
| York University | Glendon (Toronto) | Ontario |
| Université de Moncton | – Edmundston – Moncton – Shippagan | New Brunswick |
| Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick | – Acadian Peninsula – Bathurst – Campbellton – Edmundston – Dieppe | New Brunswick |
| Collège de l’Île | – Wellington – Deblois – Charlottetown | Prince Edward Island |
| Collège Éducacentre | Surrey | British Columbia |
| University of Regina | Regina | Saskatchewan |
| Collège Mathieu | Gravelbourg | Saskatchewan |
| Université Saint-Anne | Church Point | Nova Scotia |
| University of Alberta | Edmonton | Alberta |
To apply for PR, you must:
- Be living in Canada (but not in Quebec)
- Have valid temporary resident status
- Have completed an eligible credential after studying under the FMCSP
Northwest Territories Francophone Stream
The last and one of the most crucial PR pathways you can qualify for with NCLC level 5 French is the Northwest Territories Francophone Stream.
Well, the NTNP Francophone Stream is for people who can speak both French and English, with stronger French ability.
If you are nominated, you can apply directly to IRCC for PR.
Moreover, you do not need to join an Expression of Interest (EOI) pool. You can apply directly to the NWT if you meet the requirements.
To qualify, you must:
- Have NCLC 5 in French and CLB 4 in English (all skills in one test session)
- Have a full-time, permanent job offer in the Northwest Territories
- Have at least a high school diploma
- Have the required work experience:
- 6 months in the NWT, OR
- 1 year outside the NWT
- Show settlement funds:
- $10,000 for yourself
- $2,000 for each dependent
- Have the proper licenses or certifications, if your job needs them
- Plan to live in the Northwest Territories
Once nominated, your employer must sign an Employment Standards Verification Form, and both of you must sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the NWT government.
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