France qualifications exempt from assessment

At a glance

This page sets out the French academic qualifications that are exempt from a New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) International Qualifications Assessment for the purposes of the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). An applicant may claim the points indicated if the qualification was awarded by a listed institution within the specified date range and meets all conditions. After 2017 the exemption no longer applies — any qualification awarded from 2018 onward must be referred to NZQA. [F-france]

Definition

A French qualification is exempt from NZQA assessment and qualifies for the indicated points under SMC only if all of the following are true: [F-france]

• the qualification appears in the Academic Qualifications Table;
• the awarding institution is listed in the Awarding Institutions Table;
• the qualification abbreviation matches the one shown in the table;
• the qualification was awarded within the year range shown for that institution; and
• the qualification is not excluded by the notes appearing under the Academic Qualifications Table.

The exemption is specific to this list; a qualification that does not meet every condition must be assessed by NZQA.

Academic Qualifications Table

Qualification	Abbreviation	Level in NZQF terms	Points under SMC
Licence / Bachelor	L	7	50
Licence Professionnelle	—	Requires NZQA assessment	0
Magistère / Mastères Spécialisés	—	Requires NZQA assessment	0
Maîtrise	M	8	50
Maîtrise de méthodes informatiques appliquées à la gestion	MIAG	8	50
Maîtrise de science et techniques	MST	8	50
Maîtrise de sciences de gestion	MSG	8	50
Diplôme d’Ingénieur	DI	9	70
Diplôme d'Études Appronfondies	DEA	9	70
Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées	DESS	9	70
Master / Master recherche	MM	9	70
Doctorat	D	10	70

Abbreviations are used for the purpose of this list only. “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” must appear on every award certificate. [F-france]

If an applicant believes their qualification is higher than the level stated in the table they must apply to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment. [F-france]

Application in decisions

Immigration officers use the Academic Qualifications Table and the Awarding Institutions Table to determine whether a French qualification can be awarded points under SMC without a full NZQA assessment. The officer must verify: [F-france]

• the qualification title and abbreviation match an entry exactly;
• the awarding institution appears in the table and the award date falls within the permitted range;
• the award certificate bears the required text; and
• none of the exclusions apply (for example, cross-credited courses, overseas study, honorary degrees, or award after 2017).

If all conditions are satisfied the qualification is recognised at its listed NZQF level and the corresponding points are granted. If any condition fails the applicant must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment. [F-france]

Interpretation & edge cases

Qualifications awarded after 2017: All listed qualifications where the award date is 2018 or later must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment. The exemption tables do not apply to any such qualification. [F-france]

Cross-credited courses or overseas study: If any part of the qualification was completed at an institution outside France — including an overseas campus of a listed institution — or if the qualification contains cross-credited papers, the qualification is not exempt and must be assessed by NZQA. [F-france]

Honorary degrees: All honorary degrees must be referred to NZQA and cannot be assessed under this exemption. [F-france]

Award certificate language: Award certificates must be provided in the original French. An official translation may be required separately. [F-france]

Multiple institutions or mergers: The Awarding Institutions Table records historical names and date ranges. An applicant who holds a qualification from a predecessor institution within the relevant date bracket is still eligible, provided the predecessor is listed (e.g., Université de Provence for awards before 2012). The table should be read in conjunction with the notes on previous names and dates of change. [F-france]

Licence Professionnelle and Magistère: These qualifications are not assigned points in the table and cannot be exempt; they always require an NZQA assessment. [F-france]

Citations

• F-france — France