Who can apply
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Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP), you must meet the following criteria:
- be a citizen of an eligible country
- have a letter of acceptance from a participating designated learning institution (DLI) that says you’re applying under the FMCSP
- Your study program must meet the requirements of the pilot.
- have enough money to pay for
- your tuition fees
- living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada
- live outside of Canada when you apply
- get a medical exam (if you need one)
- get a police certificate (if you need one)
- be able to prove that your French speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are at a level 5 or higher in the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) scale
Depending on where you’re applying from, you may also need to provide other documents.
We may ask you to give additional documents to support your application. In this case, your application may take longer to process.
If you’re not eligible for the FMSCP
If you don’t meet the eligibility requirements, you may still be eligible for a study permit through the regular study permit application process. Check the documents you need to apply for a regular study permit.
Eligible countries of citizenship to apply for the FMCSP
To be eligible, you must be a citizen of one of the following countries that are members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
Eligible countries
- Bénin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haïti
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Niger
- Rwanda
- Saint Lucia
- São Tomé and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Togo
- Tunisia
Requirements for your study program
You must have a letter of acceptance from a participating DLI that says you’re applying under the FMCSP. Your study program must meet the following criteria:
- be at the post-secondary level
- be full-time
- be 2 years of study or more
- lead to a degree or diploma
- have French as the primary language of instruction (over 50% of the classes are taught in French)
Bringing your family members with you to Canada
You may be able to bring your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children with you to Canada. They may be eligible for
They must
- submit their application through their IRCC secure account, even if they apply at a different time, and
- provide proof that you’re applying under the FMCSP. For example:
- the letter of acceptance from a participating DLI that says you’re applying under the FMCSP, or
- your study permit that says you’ve applied under the FMCSP