French glossary

A monthly transit pass loaded on the OPUS card — about $110 for adults in Montréal, with reduced rates for students, seniors and low-income riders.

In immigration law, mistreatment by an employer — physical, sexual, psychological, financial, or reprisals.

A free, personalized service run by Quebec's immigration ministry; an integration agent builds an action plan with you, even before you arrive.

A bilateral agreement that lets immigrants from certain countries skip the RAMQ waiting period.

The letter or email IRCC sends once it has received your application and checked that it is complete; online status updates start after it.

Association coopérative d'économie familiale — a community group offering budget help, debt support and consumer-rights defence.

Quarterly tax pre-payments to avoid a large bill at year end.

Canadian Thanksgiving — celebrated the second Monday of October.

Action items — concrete next steps with an owner and deadline. Quebec meetings almost always end with these. 'Qui prend ça en charge?' = who's taking ownership of that?

Meeting the conditions to qualify for a service.

Formally recognized as meeting the Charter's conditions for English-language public instruction. The declaration is issued by the Ministère de l'Éducation, not by the school itself.

Assurance-emploi — federal program covering job loss, parental leave (outside Quebec), and sickness.

A business that finds foreign workers for Quebec employers; in Quebec it must hold a licence.

The federal agency that collects taxes for the Government of Canada.

Money provided by the government to support you during your studies.

Government-funded legal representation for low-income individuals.

Short for the two federal laws that let you ask a government department for the records it holds, including the personal information in your own file.

The federal monthly tax-free benefit paid to families with children under 18.

The Quebec provincial family allowance paid by Retraite Québec to families with children.

A weekly payment to support living costs while studying full-time — not available for part-time courses.

A provincial financial aid for low-income households spending a disproportionate share of their budget on rent — paid by Revenu Québec.

A Quebec charity offering free homework help to students and parents, online and by phone.

An industrial plant that produces aluminum — Saguenay's iconic industry.

Smartphone apps connecting native speakers of different languages who want to teach each other. Free tier usually sufficient. The principle: you teach yours, they teach theirs.

A Quebec restaurant category where you bring your own alcohol and the restaurant serves it. The establishment holds a 'pour servir' licence option and does not itself sell alcohol.

Physical bills and coins, as opposed to card payment.

Frauds — someone tricking you into paying for something fake or that doesn't exist.

Quebec's online portal for economic-immigration expressions of interest and applications.

An administrative subdivision of a Quebec city — like a borough in Montréal or Saguenay.

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain — sets fares and coordinates transit across Greater Montreal.

Insurance offered by employers, often covering dental, vision, and prescriptions.

Mandatory in Quebec — either through employer's group plan or RAMQ's public plan.

A short-term health insurance plan covering the gap between arrival and RAMQ eligibility.

A non-public health insurance plan you buy to cover medical care.

A federal program providing temporary benefits during job loss, illness, or parental leave (outside Quebec).

Spoken contraction of 'à cette heure' meaning 'now'. Heard constantly in conversation. International FR uses 'maintenant'.

Group sessions where learners practice speaking French in a low-pressure setting.

Free language classes to help newcomers practice and learn French.

An official letter or certificate confirming a status, fact, or right. Slightly more formal than a simple 'lettre' — it carries legal weight.

A document from your home country's social security body confirming that you are covered; RAMQ uses it under a social security agreement.

A Quebec document showing you learned the democratic values and Quebec values set out in the Charter of human rights and freedoms.

An official certificate from your home country's social security agency.

The official document issued by FEI or CCIP-IDF that shows your scores on each part of the test; MIFI asks for a complete scan of it.

A warmer Quebec closing meaning 'until next time' or 'looking forward'. Slightly less formal than 'Cordialement', warmer in tone. Common in colleague-to-colleague emails.

A special hearing held when a claimant misses a deadline or their hearing; unless they give good reasons, the claim is declared abandoned and is not decided.

City buses serving short trips inside one municipality or agglomeration.

The generic term used by the Government of Quebec for the original peoples of the territory. It covers both the First Nations and the Inuit. Used as a noun it takes a capital A; as an adjective, lowercase.

Self-paced study with no scheduled class — you progress on your own.

An online entry document for visa-exempt travellers who fly to Canada; it is linked electronically to the passport.

The body, often a professional order, that decides who may practise a regulated profession in Quebec.

The agency that sets fares and coordinates transit across Greater Montreal.

The legal notice the landlord must send 3 to 6 months before the lease ends. You have one month to refuse, in writing, after receiving it.

The statement the Canada Revenue Agency sends after processing your tax return; it shows your income for that year.