Mobilité Francophone is part of the International Mobility Program, so the employer does not need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). IRCC widened it on June 15, 2023. Before that date, a worker needed NCLC 7 and a job in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. The rules below apply to applications made on or after June 15, 2023.
Who can apply for Francophone Mobility?
IRCC lists four conditions for applications made on or after June 15, 2023. You must:
- Meet the general eligibility requirements for a work permit
- Live and work in 1 of the 9 provinces or 3 territories outside Quebec
- Prove intermediate French speaking and listening skills, equal to NCLC 5 or higher
- Hold a job offer in any TEER category of the NOC, except primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5
IRCC says you don’t need to prove you can read or write in French for this exemption. Our NOC finder shows the TEER category of any job.
The rule
You must live and work outside Quebec, speak and understand French at NCLC 5 or higher, and hold a job offer your employer submitted under code C16.
What your employer must do first
The employer acts before you apply. IRCC says the employer must:
- Submit an offer of employment to IRCC through the Employer Portal, using LMIA exemption code C16 for Mobilité Francophone
- Pay the $230 employer compliance fee
- Give you the offer of employment number, a 7-digit number, and the signed offer
The employer does not apply for an LMIA. Our guide to LMIA-exempt work permits explains the other exemption codes.
How to prove your French
For applications made on or after June 15, 2023, IRCC asks for proof that you speak and listen at NCLC 5 or higher. It lists these documents:
- Speaking and listening results from the TEF or the TCF
- Written confirmation from a college or university of a program in French, such as a transcript or an official letter of completion
- Other documents that show education in French
You upload the proof in the Client information field of the online application. Our language converter turns TEF and TCF scores into NCLC levels.
How to apply and what it costs
You apply online through your IRCC account. The work permit processing fee is $155. In the checklist questions, you say that you have an offer of employment number, and you choose a work permit with an LMIA exemption. IRCC checks that the application is complete, including biometrics, and returns an incomplete one without processing it.
If you apply from outside Canada and IRCC approves, you get a port of entry letter of introduction. It is not your work permit. You get the permit at the port of entry on the day you arrive. If you apply from inside Canada, you can start working as soon as your account shows the approval notice.
Family members and permanent residence
IRCC says your spouse or common-law partner and your dependent children may be able to apply for an open work permit. Your dependent children can also go to school or university while you work in Canada.
This is a temporary permit. IRCC tells workers who want to stay to apply for permanent residence as soon as they meet a program’s criteria. Express Entry runs French-language draws, and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot serves some communities outside Quebec.
What about Quebec?
Francophone Mobility covers jobs outside Quebec only. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants through its own programs. Our Quebec immigration guide explains that system.
Frequently asked questions
What is Francophone Mobility?
Francophone Mobility is an LMIA-exempt work permit for French speakers who will live and work in Canada outside Quebec. The employer submits the job offer under exemption code C16 in the Employer Portal and pays the compliance fee. You then apply for an employer-specific work permit. It belongs to the International Mobility Program. The eligibility section above lists the four conditions.
What French level do I need for Francophone Mobility?
You need NCLC 5 or higher in speaking and listening, which IRCC calls an intermediate level. Reading and writing do not count for this exemption. TEF or TCF speaking and listening results work as proof, and so does a transcript or official letter from a college or university program in French. Before June 15, 2023, the bar was NCLC 7. Our language converter maps scores to NCLC levels.
Which jobs qualify for Francophone Mobility?
Jobs in every TEER category of the National Occupational Classification qualify, with one exception: primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5. Before June 15, 2023, only jobs in TEER 0 to 3 qualified. The job must be in 1 of the 9 provinces or 3 territories outside Quebec. Our NOC finder shows the TEER category of any occupation.
How much does the Francophone Mobility work permit cost?
You pay the work permit processing fee of $155. The employer pays a separate $230 employer compliance fee when it submits the offer of employment in the Employer Portal. IRCC also checks that your biometrics are included, and the biometrics fee is $85. Our fee calculator shows every IRCC fee in one place.
Can I apply for Francophone Mobility without a job offer?
No. The employer must first submit an offer of employment to IRCC under code C16 and give you the 7-digit offer of employment number. Your application needs that number and the signed offer. To find employers, IRCC points to the Destination Canada Mobility Forum, which lists jobs in Francophone communities outside Quebec. Our guide on getting a job offer from abroad covers the search.
How long does a Francophone Mobility work permit take?
IRCC’s page for this permit gives no fixed time. It links to IRCC’s processing times tool instead. IRCC returns an incomplete application without processing it, so a full application with the offer number and French proof avoids that delay. Our processing times tool shows the times IRCC publishes.
Can my spouse work in Canada if I have a Francophone Mobility permit?
Possibly. IRCC says your spouse or common-law partner and your dependent children may be able to apply for an open work permit. Your dependent children can also go to school while you work. Each family member applies, and an officer decides each application. Our open work permit guide explains the spouse categories and their rules.
Does Francophone Mobility lead to permanent residence?
Not by itself, because it is a temporary work permit. IRCC advises workers who want to stay to apply for permanent residence as soon as they meet a program’s criteria. French skills can open French-language Express Entry draws. The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot is another route in some communities. Our guide to category-based draws explains how those draws work.
Related guides and tools
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.