Language testing FAQs

To meet the eligibility criteria for one of the skilled worker programs under Express Entry:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• Canadian Experience Class, or
• Federal Skilled Trades Program

When creating your Express Entry profile, you must fill in all the information related to the language test you took for your first and, if applicable, second official languages.

The test must be a third-party language test from an agency approved by IRCC.

If you apply under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in a semi- or low-skilled job, the province will require you to complete a third-party language test before they nominate you.

This does not apply if you are a temporary foreign worker in a semi- or low-skilled job who:

• entered Canada on or before July 1, 2012, and
• has been nominated in a PNP employer-driven stream by July 1, 2013.

A test will show if your language skills meet a minimum standard in each of these four abilities:

• listening,
• speaking,
• reading, and
• writing

You must be prepared to submit a copy of your test results when you apply for permanent residence. If IRCC requests a copy of your test results and you do not submit them, your application will be considered incomplete and they will send it back to you.

If you apply as a Self-employed Person under the Business Immigration Program, you must include the results of a third-party language test or you will not be given points for your language skills.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

Canada assesses everyone using the same standards, no matter their language of origin, nationality or ethnicity.

Every candidate must take a standard test by an objective third party. This is to make sure your language skills are assessed in a fair and unbiased way.

Even someone from an English-speaking country, who speaks English as a first language, needs to take a test. Likewise, someone from a French-speaking country, who speaks French as a first language, needs to take a test.

You need to submit third-party language results for all programs under Express Entry. You will have to include the results of your test(s) in your Express Entry profile.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

IRCC only accepts these tests for Express Entry:

For English

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program – CELPIP-General
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System – General Training

For French

• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada : Test de connaissance du français

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

You must prove your language skills by taking a third-party language test from an agency designated by IRCC.

When creating your Express Entry profile, you must fill in all the information related to the language test you have taken in English and/or French for your first and second official language.

You also need to make sure that you meet the minimum language threshold in order to be eligible for the program.

Your language test results must be valid (written in the last two years) when you submit your application for permanent residence. If they expire, you should retake the test and provide IRCC with valid results. Otherwise, your application will be rejected as incomplete or may be refused.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

No, there are no exceptions to this rule. Each of the programs under Express Entry requires the submission of third-party language results. You will include the results of your test(s) in your Express Entry profile. Canada wants to assess all applicants against the same standards, no matter their language of origin, nationality or ethnicity.

Even someone from an English-speaking country, who speaks English as a first language, would need to take the test. Similarly, someone from a French-speaking country, who speaks French as a first language, needs to take a test.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

To be selected as a federal skilled worker, you need a minimum skill level of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in each of the four abilities (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). You must meet the threshold in all four abilities or your Express Entry profile will not be considered under the Federal Skilled Worker program.

In the case that you have a proven medical disability preventing you from being able to obtain a score in one or more of the four skill areas, you are required to include the average score based on your assessed abilities. Use the Comprehensive Ranking System – Language tool to find out on how to do this.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

You need to make sure that you meet the minimum language threshold in order to be eligible for the program.

You must meet the minimum level of:

• CLB 5 (English) or NCLC 5 (French) for speaking and listening, and
• CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) for reading and writing.

You must prove your language skills by taking a third-party language test from an agency approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

When creating your Express Entry profile, you must fill in all the information related to the language test you have taken for your first and, if applicable, second official languages.

If you are invited to apply, your test results must not be more than two years old on the day you submit your application for permanent residence.

This rule applies to all applicants who want to be considered under the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

If you apply under the Provincial Nominee Program in a semi- or low-skilled job, the province will require that you have a third-party language test before they will nominate you.

This test will show whether your language skills meet a minimum standard in each of these four categories:

• listening,
• speaking,
• reading and
• writing

To meet the eligibility criteria for one of the following skilled worker programs under Express Entry:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• Canadian Experience Class, or
• Federal Skilled Trades Program

When creating your Express Entry profile, you must fill in all the information related to the language test you took for your first and, if applicable, second official languages.

You must be prepared to submit a copy of your test results when you apply for permanent residence. If IRCC requests a copy of your test results and you do not submit them, your application will be considered incomplete and they will send it back to you.

The test must be a third-party language test from an agency approved by IRCC.

You should check the website of the province you want to nominate you to find out more about whether you need to take a test.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

Yes. All applicants must provide proof of language ability in one of Canada’s two official languages. You must give IRCC official test results designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/

The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is the Canadian standard used to describe, measure and recognize language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants who plan to live and work in Canada. To apply under the Canadian Experience Class you will need to take a language test that is approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and demonstrate that you meet the language requirements for your occupation. Your test results need to be included with your application.

If your work experience is in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0 or skill level A occupations, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 7 in each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening). If your work experience is in NOC skill level B occupations, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 5 in each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening). If you do not meet the minimum language skills needed for your NOC category, your application will not be processed.

source: https://www.cic.gc.ca/