Most Mauritians who become permanent residents of Canada come as skilled workers, according to the admissions data of IRCC, Canada's immigration department. Both of Canada's official languages are spoken in Mauritius, where English is the official language, and IRCC's Express Entry report for 2024 lists Mauritius among the most common countries of citizenship, and of residence, for invitations in its French-language rounds. Express Entry is the online system that ranks skilled-worker candidates by points; its French-language rounds invite only candidates whose French test results reach a set level, and strong French earns extra points in every round. A French speaker hired for a job outside Quebec can also start on a Francophone Mobility work permit, for which the employer needs no Labour Market Impact Assessment, the document that otherwise shows no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available.

Book two language tests rather than one. A result from an approved French test is what opens the French-language rounds, and the extra points for French are larger when an English result at a set level is shown too, so a bilingual candidate gains from sitting both. Next comes an educational credential assessment, a report on what your qualification equals in Canada. The Certificate of Character, Mauritius's police certificate, is issued only in English or French, so IRCC needs no translation of it; request it once your Express Entry profile is in the pool.

The mistake to avoid is aiming these French-language advantages at Quebec. Quebec selects its own skilled workers, who apply to Quebec before applying for permanent residence, while Express Entry's Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class require a plan to live outside Quebec, and Francophone Mobility covers jobs in the other provinces and territories only. A Mauritian set on Quebec should follow Quebec's own process from the start; one who wants the French advantages of Express Entry should plan to settle elsewhere in Canada.