On November 19, the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) published in the Gazette officielle du Québec the Regulation amending the Québec Immigration Regulation, which will come into effect on December 17, 2025.
These regulatory changes aim specifically to meet the following objectives:

1. Introduce a French-language requirement for temporary foreign workers

• The linguistic integration of Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) contributes to the long-term vitality of the French language. It is also an essential condition for their full participation in Québec society.
• The new regulation introduces a requirement of oral French proficiency at Level 4 of the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français for workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
• This measure will apply to TFWs when they submit a temporary selection application to obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), after having accumulated one or more work permits totaling three years or more in Québec.
• Agricultural workers, as well as foreign nationals employed at an office of a political division of a foreign state or of an international non-governmental organization recognized by the Québec government, are exempt from this measure.
• Although the regulation will come into effect on December 17, 2025, a three-year transitional period is planned to help TFWs currently in Québec obtain and demonstrate the required level of French. As such, French-language verification for obtaining a CAQ for work will begin on December 17, 2028.
• This French-language requirement also aims to ensure that TFWs acquire a functional linguistic foundation enabling them to understand safety instructions and to know and assert their rights.

2. Strengthen employer engagement toward French-language learning for their staff

As of the regulation’s effective date:

• Employers must commit to informing the foreign workers they hire about the francization services available to support them in learning French. Employers will make this commitment as part of their Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application with the Québec government.

• Furthermore, since companies must comply with the requirements of the Charter of the French Language, LMIA applications from businesses with 25 or more employees that fail to comply with any step of the francization process will be refused. Agricultural businesses are exempt from this requirement.
  This refusal ground will also apply to applications for job offer validation under the Québec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).

Letendre – Immigration Consulting Firm remains available to assist you with the implementation of these new measures.