Francophone Mobility Program: A Guide for Canadian Employers

How Canadian Employers Can Hire French-Speaking Workers Through Francophone Mobility

If your business is outside Quebec and you are struggling to fill a role, the Francophone Mobility Program may be worth a closer look. It allows Canadian employers to hire French-speaking or bilingual foreign workers without going through a Labour Market Impact Assessment, commonly known as an LMIA.

This guide walks Canadian employers, HR professionals, and recruiters through how the program works, who qualifies, what the Employer Portal involves, and where mistakes commonly happen. It is also written to be useful for businesses researching Canadian hiring options from the United States or elsewhere.

What Is the Francophone Mobility Programme

The Francophone Mobility Program, sometimes called Mobilite Francophone, is part of Canada’s International Mobility Program. It lets employers outside Quebec hire French-speaking foreign nationals through an LMIA-exempt work permit, identified by exemption code C16.

The program supports the growth of Francophone minority communities in provinces and territories where French is not the majority language. The job itself does not need to be conducted in French. What matters is that the worker is genuinely French-speaking.

Why Canadian Employers Use the Francophone Mobility Programme

Employers turn to this pathway for a few practical reasons. This makes the program relevant for a wide range of sectors, including hospitality, healthcare support, logistics, retail, education, and professional services.

• First: There is no LMIA to apply for, which removes a process that can take weeks and involves recruitment advertising, wage assessments, and government review.
• Second: It opens access to a pool of French-speaking or bilingual candidates who may be well suited to customer-facing, administrative, technical, or skilled trade roles.
• Third: It can help employers meet demand in regions with limited local talent, particularly where bilingual service is an asset.

Who Can Be Hired Through Francophone Mobility

Not every French-speaking applicant automatically qualifies, and not every job qualifies either. Under current IRCC guidance, a candidate may be eligible if they:

• Have a genuine job offer from a Canadian employer located outside Quebec
• Can demonstrate French speaking and listening ability at an intermediate level
• Intend to live and work in the province or territory where the job is located
• Meet standard admissibility and work permit requirements

The role can generally fall under any TEER category in the National Occupational Classification system, from TEER 0 through TEER 5. The current exception is primary agriculture occupations classified under TEER 4 or 5, which are not eligible under this program.

Francophone Mobility Requirements for Employers and Workers

To understand the process clearly, it is useful to distinguish the employer’s responsibilities from those assigned to the worker.

What the Government Requires Overall

• The position must be located outside Quebec. Remote work for a Quebec-based employer does not qualify.
• The worker generally needs to show French speaking and listening ability equivalent to NCLC 5 or higher, typically through a recognised test such as TEF Canada or TCF Canada.
• The job offer must be genuine, with wages and conditions that meet standard employment expectations.

What the Employer Must Do

• Submit the job offer through the Employer Portal using LMIA exemption code C16
• Pay the employer compliance fee, which is currently 230 Canadian dollars
• Provide the worker with a seven-digit offer of employment number once the offer is submitted

What the Worker Must Do

• Provide proof of French language ability, ideally from an official test
• Submit their own work permit application, including the offer of employment number and supporting documents
• Meet general admissibility requirements, such as passing background and eligibility checks

Being LMIA exempt does not mean there are no requirements. It means the employer does not need to prove there is no qualified Canadian available for the role. The language, location, and genuine offer conditions still apply, and IRCC officers still review each application on its own facts.

How the Francophone Mobility Hiring Process Works

1. Confirm the Role: Ensure the position is outside Quebec and falls within an eligible TEER category.
2. Extend a Job Offer: Provide a written offer outlining the candidate’s duties, wages, working conditions, and employment details.
3. Access the Employer Portal: Create or log into the Employer Portal used to submit LMIA exempt offers to IRCC.
4. Select Code C16: Choose the Francophone Mobility LMIA exemption code and provide the required employer, position, and worker information.
5. Pay the Fee: Pay the Employer Compliance Fee and retain proof of payment for your records.
6. Share Offer Number: Provide the candidate with the seven digit Offer of Employment number required for their work permit application.
7. Worker Applies: The candidate submits their work permit application separately with language results and all required supporting documents.
8. IRCC Reviews: IRCC assesses the application, with processing times varying based on the application location and responsible visa office.

What Is LMIA Exemption Code C16

LMIA exemption code C16 is the specific code employers select in the Employer Portal when submitting a Francophone Mobility job offer. It confirms to IRCC that the position is being filled under this program rather than through a standard LMIA-supported route.

Since June 2023, offers submitted under C16 have been assessed under paragraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which recognises Francophone Mobility as supporting Canada’s economic and community interests outside Quebec. Earlier applications were assessed under a different provision, so employers should rely on current IRCC guidance rather than older program descriptions.

What Does the Employer Need to Do

Beyond the portal submission itself, employers carry ongoing responsibilities. These include keeping accurate records of the job offer, honouring the wages and conditions stated in that offer, and being prepared for the possibility of a compliance review.

Employers should also avoid treating the compliance fee or portal submission as a formality. IRCC officers assess whether the offer is genuine, so the details entered need to reflect the actual role being filled.

Common Mistakes Canadian Employers Should Avoid

A few common mistakes can create unnecessary delays or make an otherwise eligible Francophone Mobility application problematic. Employers should avoid the following:

• Wrong Exemption Code: Selecting an incorrect LMIA exemption code in the Employer Portal can delay or prevent proper processing.
• Incorrect Work Location: Listing Quebec as the work location can make the position ineligible for Francophone Mobility.
• Insufficient Language Proof: Assuming every French speaking candidate qualifies without verifying their required French language evidence can cause issues.
• Inconsistent Job Details: Providing different duties, wages, or employment details between the job offer and Employer Portal creates avoidable discrepancies.
• Missing Compliance Fee: Forgetting to pay the Employer Compliance Fee can prevent the submitted employment offer from being processed.
• Excluded Agriculture Roles: Overlooking primary agriculture positions classified under TEER 4 or 5 can lead to applications outside program eligibility.

Francophone Mobility vs the Regular LMIA Process

Is Francophone Mobility Right for Your Business

The program can be a strong option if you are hiring outside Quebec, the role suits a French-speaking or bilingual candidate, and you want to avoid the LMIA process. It is less suitable if your business operates in Quebec, if the role is in primary agriculture at TEER 4 or 5, or if the candidate cannot demonstrate genuine French ability.

Because eligibility depends on several moving parts, including occupation classification, language evidence, and the accuracy of the Employer Portal submission, many employers choose to review their specific hiring situation carefully before proceeding.

Frequently Ask Questions