Pathways & policy
What level of French do you need to immigrate to Canada?
The bar is lower than most people assume. You don't need to sound French, you don't need a degree in French, and you don't need to have grown up with it. You need to show a solid intermediate level, NCLC 7, roughly B2, in four separate skills on one test.
Updated November 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
- Express Entry's French category requires NCLC 7 in listening, reading, writing and speaking. That corresponds roughly to CEFR B2, an upper-intermediate level, not fluency.
- At B2 you can follow a conversation at normal speed on familiar topics, read a news article, and argue a point with reasons, while still making mistakes.
- Native and fluent English speakers start with a large advantage: thousands of shared words, a similar alphabet, and the same logic for most sentence structures.
- Starting from zero, most English speakers need 9 to 18 months of steady study to reach NCLC 7, depending on weekly hours.
1The bar: NCLC 7 in all four skills
For the Express Entry French-language category, IRCC requires NCLC 7 or higher in each of the four abilities, measured on the TCF Canada or TEF Canada. On the TCF Canada that is 458 in listening, 453 in reading and 10 out of 20 in both writing and speaking. The NCLC guide has the full conversion table.
Lower levels still count for something
Even NCLC 5–6 French earns a few second-language CRS points. But the two big rewards, French-category draws and the 50-point bonus, both start at NCLC 7 in every skill.2What B2 looks like in real life
B2 is often described as "independent user". In practical terms, at NCLC 7 you can:
- Follow a radio interview or a work meeting on a familiar topic without subtitles, even if some details escape you.
- Read a newspaper article and tell the writer's opinion apart from the facts they cite.
- Write a structured email or a short opinion piece with an introduction, two arguments and a conclusion.
- Explain what you do at work, describe your plans, and defend a view when someone disagrees.
What B2 does not require: a perfect accent, no mistakes, literary vocabulary, or understanding fast slang between friends. Examiners grade whether you communicate clearly and precisely enough for the task, not whether you sound native.
3Why English speakers start ahead
Thousands of words you already know
After 1066, French became the language of England's ruling class for three centuries. Words like information, situation, important, gouvernement and environnement are nearly identical. More on cognates.
Familiar sentence logic
Subject–verb–object order, articles, auxiliaries for past tenses, and many prepositions behave in familiar ways. You learn the differences, not a whole new system.
Bilingual bonus
With CLB 5+ English, NCLC 7 French earns the full 50-point bonus. Strong English plus intermediate French is exactly the profile the system rewards.
The flip side: what's hard for English speakers is predictable. Listening is the biggest surprise, because spoken French links words together and drops many written letters. Grammatical gender, verb endings and the subjunctive take deliberate practice. Plan for them from the start. Why English listening skills don't transfer automatically.
4How long it takes from zero
| Weekly study | Typical time to NCLC 7 | Who this fits |
|---|---|---|
| 20+ hours | 6–9 months | Career break, intensive course, or a deadline |
| 10–15 hours | 9–14 months | Full-time job with daily evening study |
| 5–8 hours | 15–24 months | Busy parents, shift workers |
The single biggest factor is consistency. Five hours spread across six days beats a ten-hour weekend binge. See how long it takes to reach B2 for a breakdown by starting point.
5The realistic goal: pass the test, then keep improving
Learning French well and passing the TCF Canada at NCLC 7 overlap, but they are not the same project. The test rewards specific skills: catching the answer in a one-time recording, structuring a 150-word argument, keeping a conversation going for four minutes. Training those directly, once your foundations reach about B1, is the fastest route to the score. Learning French vs passing B2 explains the difference.
Start here
If you are at zero, read your first step in French. If you already have some French, take a timed mock to see your NCLC level per skill before choosing a plan.6Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be fluent in French to immigrate to Canada?+
No. Express Entry's French category requires NCLC 7, which is roughly CEFR B2: a solid intermediate level where you can communicate clearly on most everyday and work topics while still making mistakes.
Is A2 or B1 French enough for Express Entry?+
Not for the French category or the 50-point bonus, which both require NCLC 7 (about B2) in all four skills. NCLC 5–6 (around B1) earns only a few second-language points.
Can I learn French from zero to B2 in a year?+
Yes, many English speakers do it with 10–15 hours of focused study a week. Faster is possible with intensive study; slower is normal if you can only manage a few hours a week.
Do I need to speak Canadian French?+
No. The TCF Canada uses standard international French. Examiners accept any clear, correct French, and Canadians understand standard French perfectly well.
Keep reading
Turn the method into points
Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.