Yes, you must prove oral French at level 7, even if French is your first language. That proof takes the form of a recognized test or an accepted secondary school diploma. The requirement applies to investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed workers, and it is assessed as of the filing date.
The level required: 7 in speaking
The business programs require knowledge of oral French at level 7 or above. That level is measured on the Quebec scale of French language proficiency levels, which has twelve. Level 7 sits in the intermediate stage, which covers levels 5 to 8.
The requirement covers oral comprehension and oral production. It applies to self-employed workers, to entrepreneurs under stream 2 and stream 3, and to investors.
Accepted tests and recognized organizations
Only results issued by France Éducation international and by CCI Paris Île-de-France are recognized.
| Test | Organization |
|---|---|
| TCF-Québec, TCF-Canada, TCF | France Éducation international |
| DELF, DALF | France Éducation international |
| TEFAQ, TEF Canada, TEF | CCI Paris Île-de-France |
A test taken with any other organization will not be accepted. Check the exact name of the test before you register.
Validity, electronic versions and approved centres
Results must be two years old or less on the date of the application. The calculation is therefore made at filing. A test taken too early can expire while the file is being prepared.
Electronic versions of the tests are accepted. The test must nonetheless be taken in a centre approved by the organization that provides it. A test taken outside such a centre does not meet the requirement.
The organization
Check that the test is on the recognized list: France Éducation international or CCI Paris Île-de-France.
A result issued by any other organization will not be accepted.
The centre
The electronic version of the test is accepted.
The test must be taken in a centre approved by the organization that provides it.
The date
The result must be two years old or less on the date of the application.
Set the test date against the filing date, not the registration date.
The document
If you hold one of the accepted secondary school diplomas, the test becomes unnecessary.
Keep a complete and legible copy of whatever document you submit.
Accepted secondary school diplomas
Certain secondary school diplomas replace the test.
| Country | Accepted diploma | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| France | Baccalauréat général, professionnel or technologique | Issued under the authority of the Ministry of National Education |
| Belgium | Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur (CESS) | Issued by the French Community of Belgium |
| Switzerland | Certificat de maturité | Obtained in a French-speaking canton of Suisse romande |
Keep a complete and legible copy of the diploma.
Being a native French speaker is not enough
Being a native French speaker does not exempt you from the proof. The official pages say so for each of the business programs. If you do not hold one of the accepted secondary school diplomas, plan for a test.
The interview and the cost of weak proof
The Ministry may call you to an interview. A marked gap between the result submitted and your actual ease in French can raise doubts.
A refusal based on knowledge of French is excluded from administrative review, except for a rejection due to a missing document. The proof must therefore be solid at filing.
How MEKA AVOCAT works on this
We first check that your proof appears on the official list and that it will still be valid on the filing date. We then plan the timetable of the file around the date of the test.
We keep the French proof, the narrative document, the corporate evidence and the project consistent with one another. Where the Ministry issues a notice of intent, we structure the response within the time allowed. Our CPA partners handle the financial side of the file.
If your level does not yet reach the threshold, we will tell you so. Postponing the filing to take training is better than risking a refusal that cannot be reviewed.
Texts and sources
This article draws on the official condition pages of the Self-Employed Worker Program, of streams 2 and 3 of the Entrepreneur Program and of the Investor Program, on the Quebec scale of French language proficiency levels, on the immigration procedures guide applicable to self-employed workers and on the page devoted to administrative review.
Frequently asked questions
French is my first language: do I still have to take a test?
Yes, unless you hold one of the accepted secondary school diplomas. A first language is not itself proof.
Can I take the TCF in its electronic version?
Yes, provided you take it in a centre approved by France Éducation international.
My test result is three years old: is it accepted?
No. Results must be two years old or less on the date of the application.
Can a refusal based on French be reviewed?
No. That ground is excluded from administrative review, except for a rejection due to a missing document.
Will your French proof hold up at filing?
Checking before you file costs less than a refusal. We confirm the organization, the centre and the validity date of your proof, then set the timetable of the file against those constraints.
Next: the Start a business stream, the Self-Employed Worker Program and our work in business immigration.
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Lawyer, member of the Barreau du Québec since 2014, founder of MEKA AVOCAT. This text sets out general legal information: it describes rules that apply broadly, not the answer to a particular case, and does not replace advice on your own situation.
