Full List as Canada Opens 2,970-Spot FMCSP Study Permit Intake on August 26 for 33 Countries
- Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab signed a new public policy on June 25, 2026, opening the third year of the FMCSP intake
- The 2026-2027 window accepts up to 2,970 study permit applications from French-speaking citizens of 33 countries, including 28 in Africa
- The FMCSP offers a direct path to Canadian permanent residence without a job offer, CRS score, or provincial attestation letter
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Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin accepting study permit applications under the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) on August 26, 2026, with a cap of 2,970 applications for the intake year running to August 25, 2027.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab signed an updated public policy on June 25, 2026, which replaces the previous framework from September 2025.
Source: Getty Images
The new instrument sets out processing caps for two consecutive intake years in a single document and extends the study permit window by one full year beyond the original August 2026 end date.
The companion permanent residence policy, also updated on June 25, now carries an expiry date of November 30, 2032.
Who can apply
Eligibility is limited to citizens of 33 member countries of l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie from regions with historically high study permit refusal rates.
The list covers 28 African nations, including Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire and Tunisia, alongside Egypt and Lebanon in the Middle East, and Haiti, Dominica and Saint Lucia in the Americas. Applicants must apply from outside Canada; those already in the country cannot use this pathway.
All applicants need a letter of acceptance from one of 17 participating designated learning institutions (DLIs) located outside Quebec, confirming a full-time programme of at least two years taught primarily in French.
A minimum French language score of NCLC Level 5 in all four skills is required, which is lower than the NCLC 7 threshold used in Express Entry French-language draws.
Applicants also do not need a provincial attestation letter, a requirement that continues to affect most other study permit categories in 2026.
The path to permanent residence
IRCC describes the FMCSP as a temporary-to-permanent residence pathway. Once a graduate completes their programme, they can apply directly for permanent residence under the pilot's dedicated PR policy without needing a job offer or a post-graduation work permit.
The PR application component is scheduled to open in winter 2027.
Graduates who submit a PR application can also apply for an FMCSP-specific open work permit valid for up to three years, allowing them to work for any employer anywhere in Canada outside Quebec while their application is processed.
Spouses, common-law partners and dependent children can be included in the PR application and may qualify for their own open work permits.
How to apply
All applications must be submitted online through an IRCC secure account using the forms designated for the FMCSP.
Applicants must select the option confirming they are exempt from providing a provincial attestation letter. The study permit application fee is $150.
Applications received beyond the 2,970-spot cap will be returned to the applicant without being processed, making timing on or after August 26 a key consideration.
The FMCSP has grown its annual cap from 2,300 in its first year in 2024 to 2,970 for both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 periods.
Survey unveils Canada’s 75,000 job boom
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Canada’s labour market added 75,000 jobs in July 2026, bringing the national unemployment rate down to 6.4 per cent, its lowest level in two years, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada.
The gains were recorded across both full-time and part-time positions, with the wholesale and retail trade sector accounting for 21,000 of the new jobs.
Source: Legit.ng
