As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship acknowledge that the current francophone immigration rate, set at 6%, 7% and 8% for 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively, is insufficient. The Committee encourages the government to increase its rate to 12% in 2024 and to continue increasing it gradually to reach a rate of 20% by 2036. The goal is to rebalance the demographic weight of francophones in Canada.

Recommendation 2

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the francophone immigration policy is based on the principle of substantive linguistic equality and that this principle also be the foundation for designing and implementing the resulting programs and initiatives.

Recommendation 3

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship develop a separate economic program for francophone immigration in francophone minority communities that meets the specific workforce needs of these communities and that allows them to participate in the recruitment and selection process for French-speaking immigrants.

Recommendation 4

That, in developing the francophone immigration policy, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship review the overall governance of francophone immigration. That, as part of this exercise, the Minister strengthen the Francophone Immigration Directorate within the department and that the Directorate be assigned, but not be limited to, the following tasks:

• a) ensuring the implementation of a francophone immigration policy based on the principle of substantive linguistic equality; and
• b) ensuring the coordination of francophone immigration at the departmental, interdepartmental and intergovernmental levels and with francophone minority communities.

Recommendation 5

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship allocate additional resources to embassies and visa processing offices responsible for significant francophone and Francophile populations to ensure shorter processing times for visa applications.

Recommendation 6

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that francophone immigration becomes a factor in determining the locations abroad where on-site services should be established. That the Minister consider opening visa application centres in strategic locations in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, as well as in other countries with a francophone population base. That the Minister increase the range of services at the visa application centre in Yaoundé and put in place measures to make it easier for candidates from Africa to apply and avoid unnecessary travel as much as possible.

Recommendation 7

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship improve accessibility for applicants in the recruitment and application processes to adapt them to the level of connectivity and the realities of francophone immigration source countries.

Recommendation 8

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship seek solutions to fraud issues occurring in francophone immigration source countries and that the Minister take action in this area; and that the Minister increase the presence and visibility of Canadian authorities and accredited representatives in these countries.

Recommendation 9

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship review the processing of applications in francophone immigration source countries in order to improve transparency for admission criteria and communication with applicants; and that the Minister ensure that immigration officers gather information from applicants to avoid application denials.

Recommendation 10

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship increase the provision of settlement services in French along the entire continuum and for all categories of immigration and that the Minister create a separate settlement pathway for temporary residents who are francophones.

Recommendation 11

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure better coordination with settlement service providers in francophone minority communities, including by improving the exchange of information.

Recommendation 12

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship review all language tests and, with a view to improving access and the success rate, that he:

• a) adopt, in addition to the Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada (TEF Canada), a new test developed in Canada to assess language proficiency at a functional level and adapted to the situation and needs of Canadian society;
• b) invite the networks of French-language colleges and universities in minority communities and in Quebec to develop and administer this new test;
• c) make registration affordable and standardize the cost of the test referred to in paragraph (a) across the country so that the cost is the same for language testing in both English and French;
• d) extend the validity period for language testing results to five years; and
• e) give candidates the option of taking either a test administered by French-language post-secondary institutions or the existing TEF Canada test, as they prefer.

Recommendation 13

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship work with the provinces and territories to improve the foreign credential recognition process to address labour shortages in francophone minority communities, specifically in the fields of early childhood learning, education and health, and that the Minister take into account the needs of rural communities.

Recommendation 14

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, despite the recent measures canceling new post-graduate work permits for students in a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement, quickly processes post-graduate work permits for international Francophone students after they have completed their post-secondary studies in a French-language institution in Canada.

Recommendation 15

That the Government of Canada permanently increase funding for French-language post-secondary institutions in minority settings so that they can continue to offer programs and services to students.

Recommendation 16

That, to increase the recruitment and retention of francophone international students, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship adapt the International Student Program with a view to implementing the following actions:

• a) amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to eliminate the requirement for francophone applicants to demonstrate that they will leave the country after graduation;
• b) make the system for assessing applications of francophone applicants, particularly as regards explaining the grounds for refusal, more transparent;
• c) if applicable, before an application is refused for administrative reasons, ensure that IRCC officers communicate with candidates to give them an opportunity to make any corrections or clarifications to their application and provide any required supporting documentation within a reasonable time frame;
• d) create a recourse mechanism for applicants who would like to appeal a refusal;
• e) create, in collaboration with post-secondary institutions in French-language minority communities and in Quebec, a separate settlement services program for international students who are francophones; and
• f) improve communication between the department and French-language post-secondary institutions to ensure a constant flow of information.

Recommendation 17

That the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRBC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) ensure that the language rights of French‑speaking lawyers, all their staff and newcomers who use their services are upheld; and that any correspondence sent by the IRBC and the CBSA be written in satisfactory French.

Recommendation 18

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that, in recruiting French-speaking immigrants and in programs to improve access to permanent residency or encourage employers to hire French-speaking temporary foreign workers, he does not hinder the achievement of the Quebec government’s French-speaking immigration objectives. The Minister must ensure that the fees associated with obtaining permanent residency for candidates selected by Quebec are not duplicated or altered.

Recommendation 19

That the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship continue to consult with the Quebec Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration on all Canadian government initiatives that could affect the Government of Quebec’s immigration objectives, as provided for in Annex A of the Canada–Québec Accord Relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens. The Minister must ensure that processing times for applications from French-speaking immigrants to Quebec, including for study and work permits, are no longer than they are for all Canadian provinces.