The chances of immigrating to Quebec without knowledge of French have become even slimmer
A work invitation won't save you.
Over the past few months, Quebec's immigration ministry has taken a number of measures to strengthen French-speaking immigration. One of the most notable was the addition of a French language criterion for applying for the skilled worker program (RSWP).
As of June 2023, all applicants must certify a level of spoken French at least at level 7 on the NCLC scale. However, those with a confirmed job offer outside of the Greater Montreal area (Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal) can still receive an invitation without speaking French — but not for long.
The ministry announced further changes as a new phase in the franking of the province.
Immigration to Quebec in 2024
During the first immigration screening in 2024, applicants with a confirmed job offer outside of Greater Montreal submitted up to and including January 3, 2024 will be considered.
Similar applications sent after January 3, 2024 will only be considered if the candidate meets the general language requirements. This means that, even with a job invitation, a conversational French language proficiency of level 7 or above on the Quebec scale is required.
Employers are now advised to make sure that a potential employee is able to demonstrate the required level of knowledge of French before issuing a job invitation.
