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The Francophone Mobility work permit lets Canadian employers outside Quebec hire French speaking foreign nationals directly.
Francophone Mobility sits under the International Mobility Program, using exemption code C16. Because the position is exempt from a labour market test, there is no advertising requirement and no application to ESDC. The employer submits an offer of employment, and the worker applies for the permit.
Four conditions. If any one of them fails, this is not the right route, and we would rather say so early than late.
IRCC asks the worker to prove that speaking and listening ability is at an intermediate level, equivalent to level 5 or higher on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens scale. Reading and writing are not assessed for this permit, which catches people out in both directions.
A TEF Canada or TCF Canada result is the cleanest evidence and leaves an officer nothing to interpret. Documents showing the candidate was educated in French, such as a transcript or a letter of completion from a French language institution, may also be accepted. Where a candidate has one of those rather than a test result, we look at it before anything is filed.
Any of the nine provinces or three territories outside Quebec. Quebec runs its own immigration selection and is not covered by this exemption, so a Quebec work location makes the route unavailable.
Since June 2023 the permit covers jobs in any TEER category, 0 through 5, with one exception: primary agriculture occupations under TEER 4 and 5 are excluded. Before that change the route was limited to management and professional roles, which is why employers who looked at it a few years ago were often told it did not apply to them.
The worker must also meet the general requirements for a work permit: a real job at a real wage, a valid passport, and admissibility on health and security grounds. Exempt from a labour market test does not mean exempt from scrutiny.
The candidate's French, the occupation code, and the work location are checked against the requirements before anything is filed.
IKIC
Submitted through the IRCC Employer Portal under exemption code C16, with the $230 compliance fee. IRCC does not approve the offer at this stage; it is reviewed later, with the worker's application.
Employer, prepared with IKIC
Using the seven digit offer of employment number the portal produces. The province, city and occupation code on the application must match the offer exactly.
IKIC
Officer questions are answered as they arise. Once approved, the worker travels and the permit is issued.
IKIC
An exempt route is quicker to start and no less of a deadline once granted. Every permit we are responsible for sits in the IKIC TFW Control Center, counted down, and renewed before it lapses.
See how we track permitsEmployer conversations are free. Bring the position and the candidate, and we will tell you whether this route fits.
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