Québec — Financial Assistance Program for Skills Recognition (PAFFARC)

What you will need

• ✓ Proof that you are at least 18 years old
• ✓ Copy of your diploma or training certificate obtained outside of Canada
• ✓ Official instructions from a regulatory body prescribing the refresher training
• ✓ Proof of required French language proficiency for the training
• ✓ One of the following: Social Insurance Number (SIN), Individual Tax Number (ITN), or Temporary Tax Number (TTN)
• ✓ Proof of eligible immigration status (e.g., Permanent Resident card, IRCC work/study permit, or CAQ exemption)

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact Gouvernement du Québec — Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. This is for you if you are an internationally trained professional or tradesperson moving to Québec and need to upgrade your skills to get licensed. Deadlines depend on your program stream. For sub-streams 2A, 2B, or 3B, you must apply as soon as you begin your training, but no earlier than three weeks before it starts. For sub-streams 1A or 1B, you must apply within eight months of arriving in Québec. For sub-stream 3A, you must apply within six months of finishing your training. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — email, portal, or phone. You must meet all of the program's conditions for the entire duration of your refresher training or internship. Ask Gouvernement du Québec — Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Gouvernement du Québec — Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

The profession or regulated trade you want to practise must be on the program's list of eligible professions or regulated trades, and you must be able to show the level of oral and written French needed for your training. You must be at least 18 years old at the start of your refresher training. You must have a diploma or training from outside Canada that allows you to practice an eligible profession or trade in Québec. Your training must be taken in French and prescribed by a regulatory body. You must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN), Individual Tax Number (ITN), or Temporary Tax Number (TTN). You must have one of these immigration statuses: a naturalized Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a person authorized to apply for permanent residence, a temporary resident with a work or study permit from IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — the federal agency that manages visas), or an exemption from the CAQ (Certificat d’acceptation du Québec — the Québec government's acceptance certificate) and a work permit exemption from IRCC. You are NOT eligible if you are an asylum seeker, agricultural worker, tourist, Canadian citizen by birth, domestic helper, or member of a diplomatic or consular corps. You also cannot receive this if you already get benefits from Employment Insurance, Social Assistance, the MFOR-I (Workforce Training Measure Program), CNESST (the agency for workplace health and safety), the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, SAPU (financial assistance for Ukrainian nationals), SAAQ (the public auto insurance plan), MIFI financial assistance for French language courses, a scholarship from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, or financial assistance for studies from the Québec Ministry of Education.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person or international student
• ✓ Open to certificate or trades students
• ✓ Resident of Quebec

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• French ProficiencyAvoid assuming your general French skills are enough. Instead, ensure you can prove you have the specific oral and written level needed to complete technical training in French. Gather your language certifications before applying.
• DocumentationAvoid forgetting the regulatory body's instructions. Instead, include the official document that prescribes your refresher training in your application package. Contact your licensing board to get these instructions in writing.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the end of your course to apply. Instead, apply as soon as you start, especially for sub-streams 2A, 2B, and 3B, to ensure you get the maximum retroactive funding. Mark your calendar for three weeks before your start date.
• RealismAvoid ignoring the training duration limits. Instead, check that your Québec-based training is 62 weeks or less for institutions, or 45 hours per course for regulatory bodies. Verify the course length with your school before enrolling.

Questions students ask

Similar awards

• Gouvernement du Québec — Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI)Québec — Financial assistance for full-time French courses for immigrants$230
• Gouvernement du Québec — Aide financière aux étudesAFE Loans and Bursaries Program (Programme de prêts et bourses)$14,000
• Algonquin College / Canerector FoundationAlgonquin College Canerector Foundation Scholarship (Skilled Trades)$8,000
• Government of SaskatchewanSaskatchewan Student Aid + Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship + Rural-Service Loan Forgiveness
• Government of Manitoba via Manitoba Student AidManitoba Bursary
• Health Match BC, on behalf of the Province of British Columbia (BC Ministry of Health)Internationally Educated Medical Laboratory Technologist (IEMLT) Credential Assessment and Education Bursary$6,153
• Calgary FoundationJeanne Henuset-Fraser Memorial Bursary for Rural Manitoba Students$2,500
• Autism OntarioEleanor Ritchie Post-Secondary Scholarship