Language requirements

Your French proficiency is considered adequate if you meet one of the following three conditions:

• You have studied in French for at least three years full-time, at the secondary or post-secondary level, in a French-language educational institution (high school, CEGEP, university). Please note that credits earned for research and writing are not taken into account.
• You have passed the French as a first language exams, in the 4th or 5th year of high school in Quebec.
• You obtained a high school diploma in Quebec as of the 1985-1986 school year.

You can provide one of the following documents to attest to your French language skills:

• A high school diploma or transcript issued by the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec.
• A transcript proving a minimum of three years of full-time courses in French.

If you don’t meet any of these conditions, you’ll need to pass the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) French exam, a test that evaluates your oral and written skills.

If you have completed your training outside Quebec and meet all the criteria for obtaining a permit, except for the language requirements, you can obtain a permit on a temporary basis. This permit is valid for one year and can be renewed up to three times, subject to OQLF renewal conditions and payment of applicable fees.

Holders of this permit must take the OQLF exam at least once a year. Passing the exam demonstrates that they meet the language requirements. If they fail the exam, the temporary permit may be renewed, up to a maximum of 3 times.

The Office québécois de la langue française’s (OQLF) language evaluation is offered to candidates of Quebec’s professional orders. This free, three-hour exam assesses your oral and written skills in French. The same requirements apply to all professions governed by an order. The exam is standardized to ensure that all professionals practicing in Quebec have a sufficient command of the French language to offer their services in accordance with the law. The exam is designed to assess your knowledge of French, not your professional skills.

McGill and Concordia graduates must provide proof of proficiency in French, or pass the OQLF French exam. They are not eligible for temporary permits on the basis of language requirements.

Members of First Nations communities can obtain a permit even if they do not meet the language requirements. This permit will only authorize them to practice on a reserve, in a settlement where an Aboriginal community lives, or on Category I and Category I-N lands as defined in the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. To obtain this permit, they must reside or have resided in one of these locations.