Languages Canada Advocacy Tour Advances Key Policy Priorities

Advancing Languages Canada's Pre-Budget Recommendations

This four-day tour was timely as it immediately followed Languages Canada’s pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. The pre-budget submission outlines three recommendations for the federal government, which were the focus of the Ottawa meetings:

Recommendation 1

Establish an Official Languages Student Pilot under the federal cap on study permits, operating under federal authority and outside the PAL/TAL system, for students accepted into DLIs with accredited English / French language programs.

Recommendation 2

Dedicate $1.5 million over three years for Francophone minority community recruitment and promotion initiatives linked to accredited French language-to-postsecondary education pathways.

Recommendation 3

Invest in improved predictability, transparency, and efficiency of study permit and visitor visa processing.

Members are invited to read the full pre-budget submission document here.

Languages Canada Executive Director, Gonzalo Peralta, and Public Affairs Director, Rachel Lindsey, with Madeleine Chenette, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister Responsible for Official Languages, and member of the Standing Committee for Official Languages.

The Languages Canada team with Samantha Jerome, Chief of Staff to The Honourable Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre

Key Takeaways from the Tour

Study Permit Caps Remain a Key Challenge

The federal government remains strongly focused on reducing the number of temporary residents in Canada to 5% of the total population, as per the latest Immigration Levels Plan. As a result, IRCC remains firm on its position to hold the study permit cap in place and will not consider any request that allows for an increase in study permit numbers. We are careful to emphasize that our ask for a “Pilot” for Official Languages students will not add additional entrants into Canada.

We Are Building Political Support Beyond IRCC

It is clear that advocacy to IRCC alone will not be sufficient to generate the political will needed to establish this special stream for ESL/FSL students; political pressure will have to come from MPs in key ridings in which there is a large concentration of members, other targeted parliamentarians, and from provinces. This is where much of our follow-up will focus.

There Are Opportunities for Francophone Pathways

IRCC is also committed to reaching its targets for increasing French speaking newcomers to Francophone minority communities to 12% of new permanent resident admissions by 2029. We see this as an opportunity for our French members to strengthen French language-to-postsecondary/permanent residency pathways.

Recognition of Language Education as an Export Sector Is Within Our Reach

We have traction with the office of the Minister of International Trade, who recognizes the value of Official Languages education as a service sector that generates significant export revenue and is a strategic asset for Canada’s trade diversification objectives.

We Are Expanding Our Presence with Parliamentary Committees

LC is working towards presenting to key Standing Committees, primarily Citizenship and Immigration and Official Languages. This week’s meetings laid the groundwork for that to happen. A meeting with Julie Dzerowicz, Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, is scheduled for later this month.