IRCC intends to expand its promotional activities internationally in order to attract more francophone immigration, and in order to meet the Express Entry targets that have been set over the next three years. The recently launched new Immigration Levels Plan (March 2026) reinforces these new targets and priorities. The new levels of francophone immigration in Express Entry are in addition to already allocated permanent residency spots endorsed by provincial francophone program pathways administered by the Canadian provinces that are already in place to boost their multicultural francophone speaking populations.

There is also the Francophone Minority Community Student Pilot and a renewed Francophone Mobility Stream work permit which provide additional pathways for extending time in Canada, and offering a permanent residency pathway in addition to the other measures. Never has it been easier to be a French speaker and settle outside of Quebec. International students wishing to participate in the FMCSP pilot must be careful to choose a qualifying educational program that is pre-approved, and which allows them upon graduation to apply for permanent residency.

Please feel free to contact us any time or to book a consultation. We’re here to help!

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The post Francophone Immigration Outside of Quebec – the future is bright! appeared first on Acme.

What we know so far..

The program was originally announced in the federal budget in November, 2025. It was confirmed in the Federal Government’s Annual Immigration Levels Plan which was launched later in November 2025.

The program will be run over a two-year period, and will target in-demand sectors and also give priority to those living and working in rural areas.

What to prepare in advance…

Proof of language proficiency – We recommend at this time that potential applicants prepare their language tests

Proof of education – We recommend getting your education credential assessments (even if you only have high school).

Proof of background check – You can prepare police certificates which can be used in any application for the purposes of clearing security, providing that you do not travel back to your home country and stay in Canada.

Proof of travel history – Keep a travel log for the last ten years, and ensure that all trips are noted, as well as stamps in your passport

Proof of employment – For any PR application, it is required that reference letters be provided as well as additional evidence such as a T4 and employment contracts

Proof of identity – Required documents are your passport, marriage certificate, common-law statutory declaration, PR photos, birth certificates, adoption certificates

Translation – Don’t forget to ensure that all translations are provided for documentation that is not in English or French

Contact us today to book a consultation and prepare for new PR pathways coming into force!

Acme Visa Solutions handles the paperwork, so you focus on the future.

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The post TR to PR Pathway coming in April 2026 appeared first on Acme.

• Foreign worker stream
• International student with a job offer stream
• In-Demand skills stream
• Master’s Graduate stream
• Ph.D graduate stream
• Human capital priorities stream
• French speaking skilled worker stream
• Skilled Trades stream
• Entrepreneur category

In terms of what types of programs will replace these streams and categories, that is uncertain at this time. However, some information can be gleaned from stakeholder meetings that the province of Ontario held over the past months. There is information available that points to a new program that will merge the job offer streams into one comprehensive stream, that will have two separate pathways, one for TEER 0-3 occupations and one for TEER 4-5 occupations. There is also additional information that points to targeted program pathways in healthcare, entrepreneurship, and exceptional talent. But again, there is no information available from the province of Ontario at this time and no normal announcements have been made in terms of the changes to come in May 2026.

The Ontario Immigration Act changes to come also codify the importance of all Employers registering their job offers through the new Employer Portal system. The Employer Portal allows Employers to register all job offers for the province and is an additional step that must be made prior to any candidate registering an expression of interest in the system. It is also important to note that the median wage would need to be met for all job offers registered in the system according to Job Bank median wages for that occupation and location, except for recent graduates who may not have the necessary work experience.

The province also is looking at more targeted draws and implementing language requirements, especially for any TEER 4 and TEER 5 occupations. Construction targeted draws and regional urgent needs will also be addressed in the new system. Exceptional talent stream will welcome people who don’t fall into traditional categories or occupations, but who are exceptionally gifted and have high level accomplishments in research, innovation, as well as the arts and sciences.

It will be interesting to see in the coming months the changes to the OINP in Ontario, and the new direction the province maps out in order to welcome new immigrants to their province and destination.

Contact ACME Visa Solutions today for more information on changes to Ontario or to book a consultation and get assessed for the province of Ontario. We’re here to help!

Acme Visa Solutions handles the paperwork, so you focus on the future.

Professional. Reliable. Transparent.

 Canada: +1 604-593-5141

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The post Ontario’s OINP overhaul coming in May 2026 appeared first on Acme.

If we go back to the regulations, we can see that working full time while engaged in full time studies is not permitted under the Canadian experience class. In IRPR section 87.1(3)(a), it clearly states:

Application

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2),

• (a) any period of employment during which the foreign national was engaged in full-time study shall not be included in calculating a period of work experience;

But how does IRCC measure “full time studies”? And what if the course was distance education or online, does the person need a valid study permit?

IRCC has issued instructions in policy (but not in the regulations) for what constitutes full time studies. Full time studies is defined as 15 hours per week under the Postgraduate Work Permit policy for obtaining a work permit upon completion of any program. As well, IRCC defers to the Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) in order to define what constitutes full time studies. If the DLI says that the course is delivered “full time” either in person or online, then the studies are considered full time studies and not part time studies.

In terms of obtaining status of “student” under the Act, and the requirement for a study permit, you typically do not need a study permit for distance education (delivered online) if you are studying from outside Canada or your program is six months or less inside Canada. However, if you are inside Canada and your program is six months or longer, you must have legal status (ie. visitor or worker) and a study permit is required for programs lasting longer than six months.

As the person who received the procedural fairness letter was studying full time online for longer than six months and claimed the education on the application, and also claimed full time work experience under the CEC, this has called into question the validity of his work experience. A possible remedy to the situation would be to have his Designated Learning Institution provide a letter to show that his online studies were only part time and not full time, if that is the case. Otherwise, the person is at risk for a refusal on their permanent residency application for not having proper status as a student if the course was longer than six months (even if it was delivered online) and he claimed full time work experience while studying full time. The applicant is at risk to lose both eligibility in the CEC program and points for work experience in the Comprehensive Ranking System of Express Entry for Canadian work experience.

It’s important to have the right status and follow the rules of any program under IRCC.

Don’t take a chance with your application! Contact Acme Visa Solutions today and schedule a consultation to go over your case, and ensure there are no errors prior to applying to IRCC.

Acme Visa Solutions handles the paperwork, so you focus on the future.

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The post I received a procedural fairness letter for CEC work experience! What can I do?  appeared first on Acme.

One of the main immigration pathways available to those wishing to settle in Quebec is the Skilled Worker Selection Program (SWSP)—In French the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ). Similarly to the Express Entry system, foreign nationals are invited to express their interest in immigrating to Canada and in this case, specifically living in the province of Quebec. Candidates can declare their interest in Arrima, which is the Ministere de l’immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) system for selecting foreign nationals from a pool of candidates, and issuing invitations to apply for permanent residency.

The post Quebec Skilled Worker Program – Skilled Worker Selection Program (SWSP) appeared first on Acme.