OTTAWA, August 15th 2024 - Earlier this week , Minister Marc Miller announced the launch of the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot. This pilot will allow for the processing of 2,300 additional international student applications for French-speaking institutions outside of Quebec. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) applauds this action, which addresses a major concern CASA shared with the government after imposition of an international student cap.
These students will be spread between Francophone minority communities across six provinces, and will have a strong track toward permanent residency once they complete their credential. “These students will have access to settlement services in French, providing the economic and social integration that CASA has long supported”, shared Wasiimah Joomun, Executive Director of CASA.
These new applicants;, enabled by an earlier announcement of a Francophone Immigration Support Program, will help address recent visa refusal rates for students from French-speaking countries in Africa. In 2021, the 72% refusal rate for study permit applications in Francophone African states is higher than the worldwide average of 40%.
CASA will continue to work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to ensure that the needs of Francophone international students continue to be met across the country.
About CASA
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 25 student associations across the country. Through our partnership with the Quebec Student Union/Union étudiante du Québec, CASA represents 365,000 post-secondary students across Canada.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Max Greer
Communications and Creative Content Officer
(289)-214-8608