FRANCOPHONE MOBILITY WP EXPANSION

The Honourable Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the expansion of the Francophone Mobility Program, for a period of two years, which allows a Canadian employer to make a job offer to an eligible candidate with a moderate command of French for all national occupation classification with the exception of jobs in primary agriculture. 

This measure, initially reserved for highly skilled French-speaking temporary foreign workers, now opens doors to more French-speaking immigrants by offering them the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience and potentially qualify for permanent residence.

The French language proficiency criteria are also updated for all foreign nationals applying for a work permit under the Francophone Mobility Program. The temporary foreign national must have a moderate language proficiency of French for oral comprehension and oral expression. This is equivalent to a level 5 of the language requirements. These new language requirements meet the French language needs for all of these occupations and will expand the pool of eligible French-speaking foreign nationals.

The Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption from the Francophone Mobility Program makes it easier for employers to hire skilled French-speaking temporary foreign workers to work and gain valuable work experience in Francophone minority communities in Canada outside Quebec. 

The program also helps French-speaking temporary foreign workers qualify for permanent resident programs and increases the likelihood that they will be invited to apply for permanent residence if they have submitted a profile in the Express Entry system.

Source: IRCC News room , Newswire