For Canada Immigration, Prove Your Language Ability

Although all applications for Canadian Permanent residency are unique, a major part of the principal applicants share in common, is to prove their language ability. As fluent communication in either English or French, which are official Canada languages, is the key to secure employment and ensure a smooth adaptation of the Canadian lifestyle.

All current immigration programs in Canada require that applicants have to prove their ability to communicate in English/French or in both by submitting their results of a standardized language test recognized by the Canadian Government.

Proficiency Assessment: Canadian Language Benchmarks

For Canada immigration requirements, the analysis of the English and the French language proficiency is followed by the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) system. This system ranks the language proficiency for all the language skills, namely speaking, reading, writing and listening. CLB rank ranges from 1 – 9 levels which are as below:

Any individual’s language proficiency is decided by the results of a test that has been issued by  the designated organizations which are stated as below:

                     1)  IELTS - International English Language Testing System

                     2) ELPIP - Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program

tests are only taken within Canada, but, IELTS tests are taken across the world, Canada included. The only designated test for federal economic Canadian immigration programs for French language testing is the Test d’Evaluation de Francais (TEF).

Language Proficiency required for Canada Express Entry:

The applicants for the Canadian immigration program through  Canada Express Entry are required to prove their language ability. If any of the applicants prove their language ability in both English and French languages, they will be awarded with additional ranking points under Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Applicants through the Federal Skilled Worker Program must have to prove their language proficiencies in all the four language skills exceeding a threshold of CLB 7 which is defined as “adequate-intermediate” proficiency.

Immigrants who land in Canada with appropriate language skills will help them to take the benefits of all the opportunities, Canada will offer. Thus, language would play an extremely cruicial role in their application, eligibility, selection and acculturation process.