PSTQ French Requirements by Stream and Spouse: Québec Guide
See Québec's current PSTQ oral and written French levels by stream and FEER, the accompanying-spouse rule, accepted documents and invitation caveats.
Québec's PSTQ French requirement depends on the stream and, in Stream 3, the occupation's FEER category. The numbers below refer to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, not federal NCLC. An accompanying spouse has a separate oral threshold in Streams 1 to 3. Read the invitation criteria and accepted-document rules as well as the baseline stream page.
Baseline French levels by stream
| PSTQ stream | Principal applicant | Accompanying spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - Highly qualified and specialized skills | Oral level 7 or higher and written level 5 or higher on the Québec scale. | Oral level 4 or higher on the Québec scale. |
| 2 - Intermediate and manual skills | Oral level 5 or higher on the Québec scale. | Oral level 4 or higher. |
| 3 - Regulated professions, FEER 0, 1 or 2 | Oral level 7 or higher and written level 5 or higher. | Oral level 4 or higher. |
| 3 - Regulated professions, FEER 3, 4 or 5 | Oral level 5 or higher. | Oral level 4 or higher. |
| 4 - Exceptional talent | The current stream-requirements page does not state a general French minimum for this stream. | Check the applicable invitation criteria and application instructions. |
Here “oral” means the required speaking and listening evidence, and “written” the required writing and reading evidence as applicable in Québec's result tables. Do not substitute an NCLC number because it has the same digit. Québec's invitation exercises may use additional or stricter criteria; the actual invitation round and the applicant's stream must be checked. Meeting the language baseline does not guarantee an invitation.
Which documents can prove French?
Québec's PSTQ evidence page lists TCF Québec, TCF Canada, general TCF, TEFAQ, TEF Canada, general TEF, DELF and DALF, plus specified diploma evidence. It says French proof is required even if French is your mother tongue. Test results must be at most two years old when applying for permanent selection, and only results issued by the approved test providers from approved centres are accepted. Québec's result correspondence tables, linked from that page, determine the Québec scale level for each test result.
Professional-order documents have a narrow rule: on the current PSTQ evidence page, they are accepted only for Stream 3. Do not treat a professional permit as a universal substitute for test results in another stream. The ministry may also call an applicant for an interview to verify declared French.
Three examples to prevent wrong-scale decisions
- Stream 1: A fictional applicant has Québec-scale oral 7 in both oral abilities but written 4 in one required written ability. The written part of the baseline is not demonstrated merely by a strong oral result.
- Stream 2 with an accompanying spouse: The principal applicant checks the oral level 5 rule; the spouse separately checks oral level 4. The spouse's result does not replace the principal's result.
- Regulated profession: Two occupations may enter Stream 3 but have different FEER categories. The principal's French requirement follows the FEER split, so the NOC and relevant stream must be checked before choosing proof.
First identify the main occupation's NOC and stream on the Québec requirements page. Then compare each required ability with the ministry's current correspondence table, verify document age and scan requirements, and read the invitation criteria. For a test choice, see our TCF Québec versus TCF Canada and TEFAQ versus TEF Canada guides. Québec selection is distinct from federal Express Entry; neither program grants permanent residence from a language result alone.