Permanent residence pathways you can qualify for with NCLC level 5 French

Even French-speakers with initial intermediate language abilities have several pathways to Canadian permanent residence (PR) open to them.

Canada is intensifying its push to grow Francophone immigration outside Quebec, aiming for a French-speaking PR admissions target of 10.5% by 2028, compared to an 8.5% target in 2025.

While an NCLC 5 may seem modest, it still gives you a competitive edge over English-only speakers in Canada’s immigration system.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian permanent residence

The pathways to PR covered in this article require a NCLC 5, which is lower than the requirement for Express Entry French-language draws (which needs NCLC 7 or higher). These include:

• The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP);
• The Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP); and
• The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) Francophone Stream.

Francophone Community Immigration Pilot

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the FCIP pathway in January 2025 to boost Francophone immigration in rural regions outside Quebec.

French-speaking skilled workers can obtain PR through the FCIP in one of six participating communities listed below if they hold a job offer from a designated employer.

Community	Province
Acadian Peninsula	New Brunswick
Kelowna	British Columbia
St. Pierre Jolys	Manitoba
Sudbury	Ontario
Superior East Region	Ontario
Timmins	Ontario

Language-wise, you just need to meet an NCLC level 5 across all four language abilities to qualify for this pathway.

Only designated employers in a sector or occupation prioritized by the community can provide you with a qualifying job offer. Participating communities post their priority sectors/occupations and designated employers on their site.

Aside from meeting the French-language proficiency requirements and having a valid job offer from a designated employer, you must also

• Have a Canadian high school diploma or post-secondary degree, diploma, or certificate (or the foreign equivalent);
• Have sufficient settlement funds to support yourself and your family after you get to Canada; and
• Have at least one year of related work experience in the past three years.
  • International student graduates are exempt from this requirement, provided they obtained an eligible credential and met community residency requirements.

After you secure a valid job offer from a designated employer, your employer sends your application to the community for recommendation. If the community recommends you, you can then apply to IRCC for PR.

Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot

Launched in August 2024, the FMCSP provides French-speaking students who are citizens of one of 33 eligible countries a study to PR pathway. If eligible, you can come to Canada under a FMCSP-linked study permit and then, upon graduation, apply for PR through the pilot.

The pilot is part of a larger policy effort aimed at strengthening Francophone and Acadian minority communities across Canada.

Much like the FCIP, you only need to demonstrate a French-language proficiency of NCLC level 5 across all language abilities to qualify.

Other eligibility requirements include

• Having a letter of acceptance (LOA) from a participating French-language or bilingual designated learning institution (DLI) for an eligible study program outside Quebec;
  • The LOA must state that you are applying through the FMCSP;
  • A study program is eligible if more than half of instruction is given in French, you attend full-time, and it leads to a diploma or degree.
• Residing outside Canada at the time of application; and
• Having enough money to pay for your tuition fees and living expenses for yourself and accompanying family members.
  • Required living-expense funds change depend on the number of accompanying family members and the size of the community where your school is located.
  • For a single applicant, this can range from $15,761 to $22,895.

You do not need a job offer to be considered for PR through the FMCSP.

You can find a list of eligible DLIs below:

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

At the time you apply for PR, you need to show you

• Live in Canada (outside Quebec);
• Hold valid temporary resident status (work permit, study permit, or visitor visa); and
• Have earned an eligible degree or diploma after participating in the FMCSP.

Schedule a free FMCSP study permit consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Northwest Territories Francophone Stream

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) has an immigration stream specifically targeting foreign nationals who are bilingual in both English and French (with higher proficiency required for the latter).

If you receive a nomination through the NTNP Francophone Stream, you can apply directly to IRCC for PR.

You do not need to enter an Expression of Interest (EOI) pool to be considered through this stream, but rather can apply directly to the territory if you meet the following criteria:

• You meet language benchmarks of NCLC 5 (French) and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 (English) across all four language abilities—which you obtained in a single test session;
• You possess a permanent, full-time job offer from an employer in the NWT;
• You have a high school diploma (Canadian or foreign);
• You have relevant work experience: six months in the Northwest Territories or one year outside;
• You can demonstrate adequate settlement funds to support yourself and any dependents;
  • Sufficient means $10,000 for yourself, and an additional $2,000 per accompanying dependent.
• You have appropriate experience, certifications, and/or accreditation(s) for your occupation (if applicable); and
• You have a genuine intent to reside in the Northwest Territories.

Once you are nominated, your employer needs to sign an Employment Standards Verification Form, and both of you must also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian permanent residence