Immigration News Announced in Oct 2025
Hello World! With Daylight Saving Time ending on November 2, winter is just around the corner here in Canada. In today’s blog, we’ll highlight two key updates in October 2025: Canada’s continued prioritization of French-speaking immigrants and the latest change to Express Entry’s upfront medical exam.
FCIP: Program Details from Ontario’s Superior East Region
While immigration policies in Canada have grown stricter overall, French-speaking applicants continue to benefit from comparatively accessible pathways to permanent residency. As mentioned in the previous blog, the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) – launched in January 2025 – is a PR pilot program aimed to support the settlement of French-speaking minority communities outside Quebec. Ontario’s Superior East region, one of the six pilot areas, recently released new program detail.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
The FCIP includes six French-speaking minority communities across Canada, with Kelowna representing British Columbia. To qualify, applicants must meet eligibility criteria and obtain a job offer in a priority sector from a designated employer. The Superior East region has now published its priority sectors and occupations, although designated employers have not been announced yet. The full list is available on their official HP.
| Province | Selected community |
|---|---|
| New Brunswick | Acadian Peninsula |
| Ontario | Sudbury |
| Timmins | |
| Superior East Region | |
| Manitoba | St. Pierre Jolys |
| British Columbia | Kelowna |
・Superior East region：https://superioreastcfdc.ca/superioreastcfdc.ca/index.php
・Kelowna：https://www.sdecb.com/en/pilot-program/
You can find more details of FCIP on the Government of Canada HP:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/rural-franco-pilots/franco-immigration/job-offer.html
Express Entry: French Category
In the 2025 Express Entry, the French category is one of the main targets draws with approximately 36,000 ITAs issued so far—the highest among all categories this year. The CRS cut-off scores have also remained in the 400s, noticeably lower than other categories. It’s clearly showing a trend that French-speaking candidates are prioritized.
Please refer to the Government of Canada’s HP regarding the French category and the latest ITA results:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/policies-operational-instructions-agreements/ministerial-instructions/express-entry-rounds.html
Policies Supporting French-Speaking Immigrants
While Canada is committed to English and French equality under the Official Languages Act, francophone communities outside Quebec still struggle with declining youth populations and labor shortages.
As immigration policy shifts toward a more stable phase, Canada is adopting measures that benefit French-speaking applicants to promote bilingualism, strengthen cultural diversity, and support regional growth.
This approach includes region-specific pathways like the FCIP, as well as nationwide options such as the French category in Express Entry.
Express Entry: Upfront Medical Exam Update
As we shared in the previous blog, since August 21, 2025, Express Entry applicants must complete an upfront Immigration Medical Exam (IME) before submitting PR application. Although applying without an IME was initially allowed, IRCC now states that applications without an IME may be rejected after October 21, 2025.
Since applicants must submit both PR application and IME within 60 days of receiving an ITA, early preparation is encouraged. You can find more details on the Government of Canada HP:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/updates/2025-ee-applications-without-medical.html
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Many Japanese applicants may feel strong English skills are essential for Canadian immigration. However, even as policies become stricter, Canada continues to offer broad opportunities for applicants who align with its priorities – such as French speakers. To succeed in future PR applications, it really helps to understand these trends and plan your strategy carefully.
If you need support with program selection or PR preparation, please feel free to send your inquiry. For a free PR assessment, please contact us from this form—attaching an English resume will help us review your case more accurately.
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