The Government of Canada introduced 4 new initiatives as part of National Francophone Immigration Week, an event aimed at welcoming and supporting the integration of French-speaking newcomers to Canada. The initiatives will promote Francophone immigration by providing services from pre-arrival to citizenship.
One of these initiatives is a collaboration with La Cité, the largest French college in Ontario, to provide pre-arrival services to newcomers, such as needs assessments and referral services. In addition, 4 regional partners will provide province-specific settlement services.
Another initiative is the designation of the Centre international d’études pédagogiques as a second French-language tester for economic immigrants. This will help increase the availability of language testing in Canada and make it more affordable for prospective immigrants.
Also, as of March 2019, the Centre francophone de Toronto will provide French-language orientation services for newcomers at the Pearson International Airport. Pearson airport is the main port of entry for most French-speaking newcomers entering Canada outside Quebec. This will strengthen the quality of settlement services for new arrivals and connect them to Francophone communities early on.
Last but not least, the Government also created a Francophone Integration Pathway, an initiative to support welcoming Francophone communities and official language training. The Pathway will receive $36.6 million in funding over the next 5 years.
These new initiatives highlight Canada’s continued dedication to successful integration and retention of French-speaking immigrants.
Reference: Canada announces 4 new initiatives for Francophone immigration
