Express Entry

Language Proficiency Test — Complete Guide

You must pass a language test in order to participate in the federal and provincial skilled worker immigration programmes in Canada. This holds true for Canada’s several additional skilled worker streams as well as the federal Express Entry system and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

It’s crucial to remember that you have to pass a language exam that has been approved by the Canadian government.

More on Language Proficiency

The following language examinations are accepted by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for applications for skilled workers:

English

• IELTS General Training
• CELPIP General Test

French

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

Language Test Requirements

Each skilled worker immigration programme has different requirements for language test results. The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is a standardised method used by the Canadian government to assess your language proficiency. A CLB level of 4 is required for some skilled worker programmes, while a CLB level of at least 7 is required for others. To determine what CLB level you will need to be eligible for your desired skilled worker immigration programme, it is crucial to carefully analyse the program’s eligibility requirements.

Additionally, the validity period for language test results is two years according to the Canadian government. This means that the time frame between passing a test and submitting your application for Canadian immigration cannot exceed two years. If two years have passed and you have not yet submitted an immigration application, you will need to retake the language test.