How good does your French need to be for permanent residence in Canada?

Posted by Josh on 13th Oct 2026 in the blog in the tef category

While proficiency in French is not a requirement for most Canadian immigration pathways, the Canadian federal government is increasingly emphasising the importance of French-language skills. For certain pathways, such as Express Entry, knowledge of French can provide additional points and improve your chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence, while for others, including certain provincial nominee streams, it is mandatory.

French proficiency is scored according to the NCLC(Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens). There are twelve levels of the NCLC. The key thresholds are NCLC 4, 5, 7 and 9.

Each has significance for different immigration requirements or selection benefits. (Note that in most pathways, a certain level of proficiency is required in either NCLC (French) or CLB (English), but usually not both).

NCLC	Significance
NCLC 4	Minimum language level for certain requirements, including the language requirement for Canadian citizenship for applicants aged 18–54.
NCLC 5	Required for some immigration and work-permit pathways. It is also the minimum for speaking and listening under the Federal Skilled Trades Program, while NCLC level 4 is required for reading and writing.
NCLC 7	This is a key threshold for skilled immigration. NCLC 7 is required in all four skills for the Federal Skilled Worker Program when French is the first official language, and for Express Entry's French-language proficiency category.
NCLC 9	A key threshold for higher first-official-language points under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and can improve an applicant's Express Entry ranking.

The important thing to note is that you usually need the required level in all four skills. A stronger than required speaking score, for example, will not make up for a weak writing or reading result. There are exceptions, such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program, which requires only NCLC 5 in speaking and listening and NCLC 4 in reading and writing, but for most pathways you must meet the specified minimum in each individual skill.

Permanent residence pathways

Below is a list of permanent residence pathways with the required NCLC level for each

Permanent-residence pathway	Minimum French requirement (NCLC)	Must meet it in all four skills?
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)	NCLC 7 in all four skills if French is the first official language. NCLC 5 in all four skills to qualify for second-official-language points.	Yes, for the applicable threshold.
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)	NCLC 5 in speaking and listening; NCLC 4 in reading and writing.	Yes, but the thresholds differ by skill.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP)	NCLC 5.	Yes.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)	Varies by province, stream and occupation. Some streams have fixed French requirements, while others accept English. Find out more on our blog	Depends on the stream.
Quebec skilled-worker selection	Depends on the programme, occupation, applicant's circumstances and applicable selection criteria. Quebec uses its own French proficiency scale rather than NCLC directly.	Depends on the programme and criteria.

For certain programs, the required NCLC level also depends on the TEER (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities) classification.

There are five TEER levels. Professions in higher TEER levels generally require less expertise and fewer qualifications, while lower TEER level professions are often involved in management positions.

Below are some examples of pathways in which the NCLC requirement changes depending on TEER level.

Permanent-residence pathway	Minimum French requirement	Must meet it in all four skills?
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs	Yes
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)	NCLC 5 for TEER 0–3 job offers; NCLC 4 for TEER 4 job offers	Yes
Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)	NCLC 6 for TEER 0 or 1; NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3; NCLC 4 for TEER 4 and TEER 5	Yes

Which French tests are accepted for Canada Permanent Residence?

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) accepts both the TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French in Express Entry draws. Bear in mind that the results of these tests are only valid for two years.