Do you speak French fluently?

If so, you shouldn’t pass up the chance to live and work in Canada forever. The process of receiving a work visa in Canada has been simplified considerably for French speakers (Francophones) in 2016.

When making hires through the Francophone Mobility Program (Mobilité Francophone Canada), companies are NOT obliged to acquire a favorable Labour Market Impact Assessment. (LMIA).

Most companies would rather escape the legal hassle of conducting an LMIA because of its complexity. 

Those who speak French and are seeking employment do not need a labor market impact assessment if they got an offer in a specialized profession. (NOC 0, A or B). 

Because it drastically shortens the immigration procedure and lowers expenses, this option is very appealing to Canadian employers.

Charges for Administrative Processing Made to Employers

$1000 LMIA vs. Fracophone Mobility $230

Benefits for Companies

There is no need for an LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment).

• The LMIA procedure results in expenses of $1,000 per employee, while the employer only has to pay $230. 
• There is no need to put out a job announcement. 
• It is not mandatory for businesses to have French as an official medium of communication.

  For those eligible for the Francophone Mobility program, employment licenses are issued on an employer-by-employer basis.

There is no need to pay the average salary.

A maximum number of participants is not set for this service.

The duration of employment permits for French speakers who are mobile may be prolonged.

Mobilite Francophone Canada has many benefits. Applicants

• We welcome people of all nationalities.
• Absolutely no upper age restriction (unlike in International Experience Canada).
• When applying for a work visa, a person’s spouse or common-law companion can submit alongside them. (unlike in International Experience Canada).
• The accompanying children can enroll in elementary and intermediate institutions, and their parents gain a leg up in the permanent residency application process. (extra points under Express Entry and some provincial nominee programs).

 Mobilite Needs Assessment for the Francophone Canada Program

• The non-native speaker has a CLB 7 degree of French proficiency. (Canadian Language Benchmark). Either the Test of English Proficiency (TOEFL) or the Test of French Knowledge (TCF) must be passed.
• This international worker’s place of job is outside of Quebec.
• There is evidence that the non-native speaker is of the position (NOC 0, A or B)
• The company will foot the bill of $230 CAD. Cost to Businesses for Ensuring Compliance with Regulations

Should I Be a Native French Speaker?

You need not worry about being disqualified if your native tongue is not French but rather any other language. In order to have your French skills evaluated, however, you should take either the Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) or the Test de connaissance du français (TCF). To pass, you’ll need a CLB 7 in all four skills (hearing, speaking, reading, and writing).

Benefits of Express Entry for French Speakers

• Additional 15 Comprehensive Ranking System points are available to those with a CLB 7 or better in French language abilities. (CRS).
• The Comprehensive Ranking System awards an extra 30 points to candidates who have a French language proficiency of CLB 7 and an English language proficiency of CLB 5. (CRS).

Express Entry is a rating system for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. If you speak a second language, you will be rewarded with higher scores.

• If you organize for yourself to get a job, you can get anywhere from 50 (NOC 0) to 200 (NOC 00) bonus points on top of the offer.  

Locations Where French Is Spoken Officially

Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros,  Chad, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Vanuatu

Aosta Valley, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Jersey, Martinique, New Caledonia, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, and several others are all dependent regions.