FRENCH MANDATORY FOR SPOUSES: QUEBEC [PEQ]

As of July  22, 2021, de facto spouses or spouses included in an application for permanent selection under the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ – Québec experience program) must demonstrate minimum proficiency in spoken French, corresponding to Level 4 on the Échelle québécoise des compétences en français des personnes immigrantes adultes (in French) or its equivalent.

The changes to the PEQ came into effect on July 22, 2020. However, a transitional measure allowed for a period of one year before the French proficiency level requirement was applied to de facto spouses or spouses, in order to grant them enough time to continue learning French. 

This condition, intended to promote job integration in Québec, can be met, in particular, through the free francization services offered by the Ministère, on a full-time or part-time basis, while receiving a support allowance.

Other transitional measures have been added to the ones already in place for some foreign nationals already in Québec:

• The de facto spouse or spouse included in the application for permanent selection of a foreign temporary worker who held a valid work permit on July 21, 2020, and who was living in Québec on this date, does not have to demonstrate knowledge of oral French, regardless of the date of submission of the application.
• The de facto spouse or spouse included in the application for permanent selection of a Québec graduate who completed a study program on December 31, 2020, does not have to demonstrate knowledge of oral French.