New Investments for Francophone Communities, Express Entry Scoring Changes and Other April 2025 Canada Updates

Canadian Government to Invest $9.3 Million into Francophone Communities

The government of Canada have announced a significant investment of over $9.3 million to help support the growth and development of Francophone communities in Canada.

The investment will provide funding for new initiatives to promote Francophone minority communities, recruitment of French-speaking applicants for immigration, and the support of these applicants for permanent residence.

The investment was announced on International Francophonie Day (20 March 2025) by Rachel Bendayan, the newly-appointed Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship for the Canadian government.

Bendayan announced a total of 12 new projects to be financed by the investment. These will report to the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration and will be financed through the Francophone Immigration Support Program.

As part of the government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, targets for French-speaking permanent residents outside of Quebec are set to increase to 8.5% in 2025, then to 9.5% in 2026, and then 10% in 2027.

On the new investments, Bendayan stated: “By continuing our efforts, we will ensure the future and sustainability of our cultural and linguistic landscape, which defines our country’s identity.”

Changes to Comprehensive Ranking System Scoring for Express Entry

In changes laid out in the Ministerial Instructions for March 25 2025, candidates for Express Entry programs will no longer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for having a valid job offer.

This includes job offers that are supported by a valid labour market impact assessment (LMIA).

This change affects all candidates currently in the Express Entry pool who previously held points in this category. Candidates who have received invitations to apply or already have permanent residence applications in progress will not be affected.

IRCC have previously stated that this will be a “temporary measure”, but no details have been given yet as to when these measures will be lifted.

IRCC have also indicated to candidates that it may take a few days for scores to adjust to their new values, and that they should not reach out unless their score has displayed as incorrect for over a week.

A valid job offer will still remain as a key requirements for certain immigration programs such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program and some Provincial Nominee Program streams.

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Reach Online Cap on First Day

Online allocations for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots for 2025 were fully reached on the same day that the pilots opened for applications.

Both the Child Care and Home Support pilots received enough applications on 31 March 2025 to reach the maximum number of allocations available.

At the time of writing (8 April 2025), the allocations for alternate format applications have also almost been reached, although IRCC state that they have sent out enough alternate format application packages to meet the cap.

The total cap on applications for 2025 was 2,750, with 150 spots had been reserved for out-of-status workers.

IRCC are expected to open up the pilots for applications again in 2026. Additionally, the stream specifically targeting applicants for the pilots not working in Canada is expected to open at a later date this year.

Alberta Increases Application Fees for Worker Immigration Programs

The province of Alberta has increased the application fee for its worker immigration programs.

The fees have now risen to $1,500 per application from the previous $840.

All applicants applying after 1 April will have to pay this new increased fee. Those who submitted their application before this date will not be affected.

The following streams under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) will be affected by this fee increase:

• The Alberta Opportunity Stream
• The Alberta Express Entry Stream
• The Rural Renewal Stream
• The Tourism and Hospitality stream

Two other fees have also been increased in Alberta:

• The application fee for the Farm stream has increased to £3,500 from $500.
• The fee for a request of reissuance of an expired nomination certificate has increased to $150 from $100.

How Can IAS Help With Your Canadian Immigration Application?

IAS have a team of immigration consultants and caseworkers experienced in the field of Canadian immigration.

Our CICC-qualified immigration consultants can help you with numerous facets of Canadian immigration, including skilled worker, family, student or provincial-based immigration.

We can also give close guidance and support on Express Entry and the CRS, helping you to maximise your chances of being accepted for one of Canada’s prestigious immigration programmes.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help on your situation today. Call us on +1 844 290 6312 or reach out to us online.