Canada expands its settlement help for Francophone immigrants, i.e., Francophone immigrants arriving in Canada will soon see more support to help them settle and integrate into their new communities.
Over the next two years, from 2025 to 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will expand the Welcoming Francophone Communities (WFCs) initiative.
The WFCs program will include 24 Francophone and Acadian communities across the country and aims to help French-speaking newcomers successfully adapt and feel at home in Canada.
IRCC shared details of the upcoming WFCs rollout in its 2025–2026 departmental plan, highlighting its commitment to welcoming more French-speaking immigrants and strengthening minority Francophone communities outside Quebec.
The original WFCs pilot began in 2020 and concluded in March 2024.
What Is The Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative?
The Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative is a key piece of Canada’s overall Francophone Immigration Policy. Its goal is to make it easier for French-speaking newcomers to settle into communities where they can use their language, access services in French, and build strong community ties.
The initiative is based on a ‘by and for francophones’ approach. This means that the people who know these communities best—local Francophone organizations and networks—help choose which communities should participate and how the support is delivered.
The Réseaux en immigration francophone, Canada’s Francophone immigration networks, lead this local engagement.
This program is co-managed by:
- IRCC
- Local Francophone and Acadian communities, represented by:
- The 13 Réseaux en immigration francophone
- The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
- The Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick
Like other federally funded settlement services, the WFCs primarily support new permanent residents. However, since these services are run together with local communities, some Francophone workers and students living in the 24 designated areas may also benefit.
More details about who qualifies for the program will be shared closer to its official start.
Which Communities Will Join The Expanded WFCs?
Canada expands its settlement help for Francophone immigrants. The expanded WFCs will support the following 24 communities across Canada:
| Province/Territory | Community |
| Alberta | Calgary |
| British Columbia | Nanaimo |
| Prince George | |
| Manitoba | Red River (Ritchot, Salaberry, Montcalm, and St-Pierre-Jolys) |
| Seine River region | |
| New Brunswick | Belle-Baie (including Bathurst and the Pabineau First Nation) |
| Caraquet (including Rivière du Nord and Hautes-Terres) | |
| Haut Saint-Jean region | |
| Restigouche West Region (Saint-Quentin and Kedgwick) | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Labrador City–Wabush |
| Nova Scotia | Chéticamp (including St. Joseph du Moine) |
| Clare | |
| Ontario | Cochrane District (Route 11 Corridor) |
| Cornwall | |
| Hamilton | |
| Hawkesbury | |
| London | |
| Sudbury | |
| Prince Edward Island | Évangéline region |
| Saskatchewan | Moose Jaw and Gravelbourg |
| Prince Albert | |
| Northwest Territories | Yellowknife |
| Yukon | Whitehorse |
| Nunavut | Iqaluit |
Francophone Immigration: A Growing Priority For Canada
In recent years, Canada has increasingly focused on growing its share of Francophone newcomers, especially outside of Quebec.
The government has set clear targets for this. By 2025, Canada hopes to reach a target where Francophone immigrants make up 7% of the total immigrants outside Quebec. In 2026, this target will rise to 8%.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to expand this even further. His plan aims for Francophone immigration to make up 12% of Canada’s total annual intake by 2029. Based on today’s immigration numbers, that could mean 47,400 new Francophone immigrants each year.
This growing share reflects Canada’s commitment to maintaining its bilingual identity and supporting minority French-speaking communities in every region.
A Look Back: The WFCs Pilot
As Canada expands its settlement help for Francophone immigrants., the WFC is an integral part of it.
The Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative did not start overnight. Between 2020 and 2024, the federal government ran the WFCs as a pilot to test whether community-driven programs could better support French-speaking newcomers.
The pilot included 14 designated Francophone communities that received federal funding through contribution agreements. Each community was given hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop and deliver projects that made settlement easier for French-speaking immigrants.
Local partners including Francophone groups, municipalities, employers, and settlement agencies formed community advisory boards. Together, they created action plans tailored to their local needs.
These plans often included:
- Settlement services in French
- Cultural orientation and networking activities
- Employment integration support
- Local awareness campaigns to encourage inclusion
- Training and capacity-building for service providers
This pilot phase helped test what works and what doesn’t when it comes to welcoming Francophone immigrants. The lessons learned shaped federal policy, which led to the expansion and renewal of the WFCs program in 2024.
By continuing to strengthen the WFCs initiative, Canada is showing its commitment to not only attracting French-speaking immigrants but also ensuring they thrive and feel truly at home wherever they choose to settle.
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