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  7. Knowledge of French

Knowledge of French for the Québec Experience Program

To be selected for one of the two streams of the Québec Experience Program, your knowledge of French must meet the following requirements:

Temporary foreign workers stream:

Québec Graduates stream:

Your partner, wife or husband who accompanies you, must also have a knowledge of oral French equivalent to level 4 of the Québec scale of French proficiency levels (PDF 4.94 Mb).

When you submit your application for permanent selection, you must complete a declaration on your knowledge of French. You must also accompany your declaration with one of the documents listed below:

Here are the final transcripts accepted to show knowledge of oral and written French:

  • A final transcript or transcripts for each year of study, including the results of each course, showing that you have successfully completed at least three years of study, in Québec or abroad:
    • Secondary or post-secondary;
    • Full-time study;
    • Entirely in French.

    You must also provide an attestation from your educational institution that indicates the duration of your program of study and the language of instruction if:

    • The national language in your country of origin is not French;
    • The educational institution where you studied is not entirely French-speaking.

  • If you are applying in the Québec Graduates stream, a final transcript attesting that you successfully completed a Programme d’expérience québécoise (PEQ – Québec experience program) eligible study program in Québec and entirely in French. If you have written a master’s thesis or doctorate dissertation, it must have been written entirely in French and an original letter from the registrar’s office must confirm it.

Here are the documents provided by an accepted professional order attesting to knowledge of spoken and written French:

You must provide proof of French language test results or diplomas accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration attesting to your knowledge of oral and written French. These are:

If you submit attestation results for the DELF and DALF, you may have to provide the original diploma or a certified copy issued by France Éducation international. The minimum passing grades to satisfy the PEQ requirement for these two tests are:

  • DELF B2: 16/25 or more for the two oral exams
  • DALF C1: 8/25 or more for the two oral exams
  • DALF C2: 16/50 or more for the oral exam

Important:

  • Electronic versions of the above tests are also accepted. You must pass these tests in a centre approved by the organization that provides them.
  • Only results issued by the providers of these tests (France Éducation international and the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France) are accepted by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration.
  • Your results must date from within two years of the date you submit your application.
  • The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration may at any time verify or assess your knowledge of spoken French in an interview.

You must submit an attestation that you have successfully completed a French course:

Requirements for the spouse's knowledge of French

Since July 22, 2021, your de facto spouse or spouse who is accompanying you must have knowledge of oral French that corresponds to at least level 4 on the Québec scale of French proficiency levels This hyperlink will open in a new window.. If not, your application will be refused.

He or she must also complete a declaration of knowledge of French and must submit the declaration with one of the supporting documents listed below:

The final transcripts that are accepted are:

  • A final transcript or transcripts for each year of study, including results for each course, certifying that your accompanying spouse or common-law partner has successfully completed at least three years of study;
    • At the secondary or post-secondary level;
    • Full-time study;
    • Conducted entirely in French.

    Your de facto spouse or spouse must also provide an attestation from his or her educational institution that indicates the duration of his or her program of study and the language of instruction if:

    • The national language in his or her country of origin is not French;
    • His or her educational institution is not entirely Francophone.

The documents that are accepted are:

Your de facto spouse or spouse who is accompanying you must submit attestations of French test results or diplomas that are accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration. These are:

Important

  • Electronic versions of the above-mentioned tests are also recognized. These exams must be taken in a centre approved by the organization that provides them.
  • Only results issued by the providers of these tests (France Éducation international and the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France) are accepted by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration.
  • The date of the results of your de facto spouse or spouse who is accompanying you must be within two years of the date of submission of your application.
  • The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration may at any time verify or assess your de facto spouse’s or spouse’s knowledge of oral French in an interview.

Your de facto spouse or spouse who is accompanying you must submit an attestation that he or she has successfully completed a French course:

Exceptions

If you submit your application under the temporary foreign worker stream, your de facto spouse or spouse will not have to demonstrate knowledge of French if you had a work permit that is valid on July 21, 2020, and you were living in Québec on this date.

If you submit your application under the Québec graduate stream, your de facto spouse or spouse will not have to demonstrate knowledge of French if you obtained your admissible diploma by December 31, 2020.

Contact the ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration

Last update: November 24, 2023

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