Having worked globally in international student recruitment to Canada, and only to Canada, since 1997, the core question we at the Canadian University Application Centre have to answer is:: why should I study in Canada?
One related question we get asked relates to Canada having both English and French as official languages. In this regard, a very key question is:
What are the benefits of having proficiency in French if I study in Canada?
When we answer this question we like to emphasize two very valuable elements:
1. The greater ability to appreciate the diversity of Canadian culture - newspapers, magazines, film, theatre, music and the many ways Canadian identity is express through French, and
2. The very large number of employment positions in which fluency in English and French is either required or is preferred.
Recently, the Canadian government added a very powerful incentive that adds to the value of French language proficiency for those wanting to stay in Canada permanently.
3. This new incentive is that students who have sufficiently high French language proficiency will be able to take advantage of a new temporary stream to pursue permanent residence (PR) in Canada.
Here are a few sample references from the introduction of this new temporary immigration pathway for such students.
Efforts to increase Francophone immigration outside of Quebec are part of the Government’s plan for economic growth and long-term prosperity throughout the country. Canada has long valued international graduates as a source of key talent to help support economic growth and counteract the country’s aging demographic. By granting permanent resident status to recent international graduates with French language proficiency from Canadian institutions and who are currently employed in Canada, the economy will be able to continue to benefit from their training and expertise for pandemic recovery and into the future. The public policy ... (creates) ... a temporary pathway which accelerates the expected trajectory that many international graduates take to permanent residence. In November 2020, Canada announced a target of 401,000 admissions of new permanent residents in 2021 as part of its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan. … By targeting French-speaking foreign nationals, not only are the economic objectives of the (legislation addressed), ... but Canadians will also see the social and cultural fabric of Canadian society enriched and strengthened, while respecting the bilingual character of Canada.
To qualify for permanent residence, an international student must satisfy these requirements.
Have studied at a “Designated Learning Institutions” (DLI) in Canada,
Have been granted a degree, diploma, certificate
Have studied on a study permit;
Be employed in Canada with a valid work permit at the time the application for permanent residence is received
Have attained a level of proficiency of at least benchmark 5 in French for each of the four language skill areas, as set out in the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens.
Reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status and be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and when the application is approved;
Intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec.
This last point is very important. The purpose of the policy is to attract those with high French language proficiency to many regions in Canada outside Québec. Quebec is a majority Francophone province but there are many Francophone communities all over Canada. Moreover, for reasons mentioned above, French language ability is valued everywhere in Canada.
The above
is just a summary and careful consideration of the specific rules found in this official link must be followed:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/policies-operational-instructions-agreements/public-policies/trpr-international-graduates-french.html
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