Photo: Mathieu Alognikou at the Centre Étudiant Étienne-Gaboury on the Université de Saint-Boniface campus. Credit: Graham McDonald/U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre.
The Université de Saint-Boniface is taking part in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP), which gives eligible students from select Francophone countries a pathway to apply for permanent residence after graduating from select French-language programs at the university.
The FMCSP is designed to help fill labour gaps and strengthen minority Francophone communities outside Quebec.
IRCC data show 595 applications were received during the FMCSP’s first year, with an approval rate of about 72 per cent. Another 1,310 applications were received between Aug. 26, 2025 and June 30, 2026, with an approval rate of about 52 per cent.
IRCC said data more recent than June 30 and figures specific to USB’s September 2026 intake were unavailable. It also said national figures on FMCSP participants affected by Canada’s Ebola-related immigration and border measures were unavailable. The department said its data are operational and subject to change, with small values suppressed and others rounded to protect applicants’ privacy.
The following contains quotes from Francesca Loppe and Mathieu Alognikou which have been translated from French by the author.
Francesca Loppe, a student in the FMCSP from Haiti, said instability in Haiti and the ability to study in French encouraged her to apply to USB.
“I started my studies in Haiti, where I was in the faculty of economics,” Loppe said. “By third year, the political instability in my country made it hard for me to focus.”
Loppe said she had already begun looking into getting a student visa when she discovered the FMCSP on IRCC’s website.
She said the prospect of studying in a smaller city attracted her to Winnipeg.
“To establish myself better, I preferred to go to a place where there weren’t a lot of people,” Loppe explained.
Loppe said USB’s student services also stood out compared with her university in Haiti, including its wellness and mental health services.
“When I saw that service, I said to myself, ‘they’re interested in the mental health of students,’” she said.
Loppe also said Winnipeg’s multicultural environment surprised her.
“In Manitoba, in Winnipeg… you go out on the street, you hear English, which is the majority language, but you also hear Indian languages and African languages. At school it’s the same. There’s a diversity of nationalities which surprised me.”
Loppe said she was surprised by the size and vibrancy of St. Boniface’s Francophone community and that she intends to use both English and French in her daily life.
“So that I can serve the community, the community isn’t just Anglophone and it isn’t just Francophone. Therefore, being bilingual is essential.”
Loppe also said she is taking English classes through USB.
Although the FMCSP offers a path to permanent residence, that outcome is not guaranteed, and IRCC has said the program can be terminated without notice.
Loppe said that although she would ideally like to remain in Winnipeg, she will accept it if that turns out not to be possible.
“I should tell you, before even beginning the process, I had that uncertainty,” Loppe said.
“If they stop the program, I still obtain my bachelor’s degree, I get my diploma.”
Mathieu Alognikou, a student in the FMCSP from Togo, described some similar motivations and experiences.
“Here in Canada, I wanted to specialize in management. Therefore, currently, I’m studying business administration.”
Alognikou already has a master’s degree in accounting from a university in Togo but said academic and career options there were more restrictive and he wanted to specialize in management.
Alognikou said studying in French while having the opportunity to improve his English also helped motivate him to come to Canada.
“Seeing as French is my mother tongue and my English isn’t that strong, I couldn’t really study entirely in English,” Alognikou said.
“I was willing to improve my English, but I still needed to be able to understand my courses. So I chose Université de Saint-Boniface for that reason.”
Alognikou added that being able to specialize in management while studying business administration also motivated him to choose USB. He also said the university’s reputation in the business sector was a draw.
Alognikou said USB also helped him prepare for life at the university and in Canada.
“When I arrived, they held a week-long preparatory seminar where I learned a lot about Canadian culture, what to do and what not to do, and what employers are looking for in the job market,” he said.
Alognikou said that although the possibility of gaining permanent residence motivated him to apply through the FMCSP, the business administration program and the prestige that a foreign degree carries in Togo were also draws.
“Even if I ultimately had to return home rather than stay and work in Canada, I still would have come to study. My main goal was to gain knowledge and earn a foreign degree, which is highly valued in Togo.”
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre