Not always. A Labour Market Impact Assessment is the default route, but Canada operates a second system with dozens of exemptions, and many employers never discover it.
When you need one
Most hiring under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program requires an LMIA. You advertise the position nationally, demonstrate no Canadian was available, pay $1,000 per position, and wait for a decision before your candidate can apply for a work permit.
When you do not
The International Mobility Program covers work permits issued without an LMIA, usually because the hire is judged to bring a broader benefit to Canada. One of those exemptions is Francophone Mobility, code C16, which applies when a French-speaking worker is hired for a position outside Quebec.
Under that route there is no labour market test, no advertising requirement and no $1,000 fee. The employer submits an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pays a $230 compliance fee.
Two things surprise employers
The job does not have to be performed in French. The worker must meet the French requirement; the role itself can be entirely in English.
All NOC TEER categories qualify, from 0 to 5. Since June 2023 that includes lower-skilled roles such as cooks, kitchen staff and food counter attendants. Primary agriculture in TEER 4 and 5 is the one exclusion.
Why this matters more in 2026
Low-wage LMIA applications are no longer processed at all in census metropolitan areas where unemployment sits at 6% or above. For employers in those cities, the LMIA route is closed rather than merely slow.
The part that remains
An exemption solves the paperwork. It does not find you a candidate, and the worker still has to genuinely speak French.
FrancoBridge publishes your job to French-speaking candidates in Morocco, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Mauritius and across Canada. Applications come directly to you.
This explains how a public program works and is not immigration advice. Eligibility depends on your specific situation. Consult a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.