What language level do I need for these pilots, and is French handled differently?

For the Rural pilot, your required Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level is tied to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category of your job offer, so higher-skilled jobs require stronger language results. You must test in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot is specifically for French-speaking newcomers settling in French-minority communities outside Quebec, and it sets a minimum of NCLC 5 in all four abilities in French. For both pilots, your test results must be less than two years old on the date your application is received.