Yes. Kitchen helpers, cooks, food counter attendants and food service supervisors all qualify under Francophone Mobility.
Why the answer used to be no
Until June 2023 the exemption covered only NOC TEER 0 to 3 — management, professional, technical and skilled trades. Kitchen roles sit in TEER 4 and 5 and were excluded.
The 2023 expansion opened all TEER categories. Primary agriculture in TEER 4 and 5 is the only remaining exclusion, and a restaurant kitchen is not primary agriculture.
Which roles this covers
Cooks. Kitchen helpers. Food counter attendants. Food service supervisors. Dishwashers. Bakers.
Why it matters more now
The alternative route narrowed at the same time. Low-wage LMIA applications are not processed in CMAs with unemployment at 6% or higher, and food service was not among the sectors granted an exemption — though food processing was.
For many restaurant operators, the LMIA route is closed while this one is open.
The two conditions
The worker demonstrates French at NCLC 5 in speaking and listening. The position is located outside Quebec.
The kitchen does not operate in French. The worker speaks it.
What operators find harder than eligibility
Sourcing. A French-speaking kitchen helper is not on a Canadian job board, because that pool is the one already exhausted. And most immigration consultants file applications without finding candidates.
FrancoBridge publishes your job to French-speaking candidates in five overseas markets and across Canada. Applications come directly to you.
This is not immigration advice. Consult a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer.