Mobilité Francophone: NCLC 5 Work Permit Guide

Mobilité francophone (the Francophone Mobility Program, exemption code C16) lets French-speaking workers get an employer-specific work permit for a job outside Quebec without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The language bar is lower than many people think: NCLC 5 in speaking and listening only. Not CLB 7, and no reading or writing.

That makes it one of the most accessible ways for a French speaker to start working in Canada, and Canadian work experience can later open the door to permanent residence. This guide covers the exact requirements, eligible jobs, what your employer has to do, and the path from work permit to PR. It's part of our French for Express Entry series.

What Mobilité francophone is

Because it's LMIA-exempt, the employer doesn't need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. In short, you need:

• a job offer from an employer in one of the 9 provinces or 3 territories outside Quebec;
• proof that your French speaking and listening are at an intermediate level, equivalent to NCLC 5 or higher;
• an employer who submits your offer through IRCC's Employer Portal using code C16.

The permit is employer-specific: it's tied to the employer and job in your offer.

The language requirement: NCLC 5 in speaking and listening

IRCC's eligibility page asks you to "prove that your speaking and listening skills in French are at an intermediate level", "equivalent to a level 5 or higher" on the NCLC scale. It also says plainly: you don't need to prove you can read or write in French.

Here are the minimum TCF Canada and TEF Canada scores for NCLC 5 in the two skills that count. TEF scores are the "Équivalence ancien score" figures IRCC uses for Express Entry; that's the column most candidates already know.

To check your result, check you have NCLC 5 in speaking and listening with our converter.

Accepted proof. IRCC's application page lists:

• speaking and listening results from the TEF or the TCF;
• written confirmation from a college or university that offers French-language programs (for example transcripts or a completion letter);
• other documents that show education in French.

If you're taking a test, the speaking section is usually the one to secure. Practise with our TCF speaking practice or TEF speaking practice, depending on your exam.

Getting from "almost" to NCLC 5

If you're close but not sure, focus on the two skills that count:

• Speaking: practise asking for information politely and giving a clear opinion with one or two reasons. On the TCF Canada, a speaking score of 6 out of 20 is NCLC 5. On the TEF Canada, Section A is a phone enquiry and Section B asks you to convince a friend; see our TEF Canada speaking examples for model dialogues.
• Listening: every recording on both tests plays once. Train with French radio at natural speed, and practise catching who is speaking, about what, and why, before details.
• Take a timed mock test before booking so you know which skill to work on.

Eligible jobs (TEER) and exclusions

Since 15 June 2023, a job in any TEER category can qualify (TEER is the skill level in Canada's National Occupational Classification). The exception is primary agriculture jobs in TEER 4 and 5, which aren't eligible.

The job must be outside Quebec. Quebec runs its own selection and work-permit rules, so this program doesn't apply there.

What your employer has to do

Most of the paperwork sits with the employer. According to IRCC's employer page, they must:

1. Submit the job offer in the Employer Portal

   The employer enters an offer of employment in IRCC's Employer Portal using LMIA exemption code C16 for Mobilité francophone.

2. Pay the employer compliance fee

   The employer pays the $230 employer compliance fee.

3. Give you the offer of employment number

   The portal generates a 7-digit offer of employment number. You need it to apply for your work permit.

4. You apply for the work permit

   You apply with the offer number, your proof of French and your other documents. The work permit processing fee on IRCC's fee list is $155 per person.

Can your family come with you?

The Mobilité francophone pages don't add special family rules, so IRCC's general family open work permit rules apply:

• Spouse or partner: eligible for an open work permit only if you work in any TEER 0 or 1 job or in certain listed TEER 2 or 3 occupations, and your own permit is valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives your spouse's application.
• Dependent children: since 21 January 2025, dependent children are no longer eligible for an open work permit under this measure.

So if your job is TEER 4 or 5, your spouse won't get a family open work permit through your job. Check the canada.ca page for your exact occupation before you plan around it.

From work permit to permanent residence

Mobilité francophone is a temporary permit, but Canadian work experience counts. Here's how your French level fits into the main federal routes:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): after enough skilled work in Canada, you can enter Express Entry. Language minimums depend on your job: NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs, in all four skills.
• French-language category draws: Express Entry candidates with NCLC 7 in all four skills can be invited in French-category rounds, which have often had lower cut-offs than general draws. See the French-category draws tracker for every round.
• French bonus CRS points: NCLC 7 in all four French skills adds 25 additional CRS points, or 50 if you also have CLB 5 in all four English skills. Our guide to French CRS points explains how they stack.

Use the matrix below to see what your current level unlocks, then calculate your CRS with Canadian experience added.

The gap from NCLC 5 to NCLC 7 is where a lot of candidates get stuck, and reading and writing suddenly count. If you're planning that step, our guides to NCLC 7 on the TEF Canada and NCLC 7 on the TCF Canada give the exact scores and an 8-week plan.

Your document checklist

Before you apply, gather:

• the offer of employment number from your employer (generated in the Employer Portal under code C16);
• proof of French: TCF or TEF speaking and listening results at NCLC 5 or higher, or a college or university's written confirmation of your French-language studies, or other documents showing education in French;
• the work permit fee ($155 per person on IRCC's fee list);
• the usual identity and background documents IRCC asks for in your application.

Keep a copy of your test result: the same certificate can help later when you build an Express Entry profile, as long as it's still less than 2 years old.

Our free Mobilité francophone checklist puts these documents on one printable page.

Common mistakes

• Preparing for CLB 7 when NCLC 5 is enough for the permit. Secure speaking and listening first; push for NCLC 7 later for PR.
• Looking for a job in Quebec. The program only covers jobs outside Quebec.
• Applying before the employer has submitted the offer. You need the offer of employment number from the Employer Portal.
• Assuming family permits are automatic. They depend on your TEER level and permit length.
• Sending reading or writing scores only. IRCC wants evidence for speaking and listening.

Our take

If you speak French at an intermediate level and have (or can get) a job offer outside Quebec, Mobilité francophone is worth a serious look: no LMIA, any TEER except primary agriculture TEER 4–5, and only NCLC 5 in speaking and listening. Use the permit to build Canadian experience, then aim for NCLC 7 in all four skills to reach the French-category draws and the bonus points.