Which Canadian economic immigration programs require a language test?

According to IRCC, 12 economic immigration programs currently require candidates to take a language test to qualify*. They are:

• Agri-food pilot
• Atlantic Immigration program
• Caregivers
• Economic Mobility Pathways pilot
• The three programs managed under the Express Entry application management system
  • The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
  • The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
  • The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Internship for Newcomers Program
• Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents
• Rural and Northern Immigration pilot
• Self-employed Persons program
• Start-up visa program

*Each program may have different standards regarding the score that a candidate must obtain on their language test to qualify for that specific program

What should I do if I need a language test?

Applicants for economic immigration programs that need a language test must fulfill the following requirements:

• Plan their exam with a recognized organization.
• Cover the language test fee*

*A language test’s price may change based on the organization that offers it.

Which language exams do the IRCC accept?

Overall, the IRCC accepts five different language tests: two for French language test takers and three for English language exam takers. They are as follows:

English

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

• Economic immigration candidates must take the CELPIP-General test

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

• Economic immigration candidates must take the IELTS General Training option

Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core

• Economic immigration candidates must take the PTE Core option

French

• Test d’evaluation de francais (TEF) Canada
• Test de connaissance du francais (TCF) Canada

In both scenarios, test results used to apply for Canadian immigration are only considered valid if they are less than two years old when a candidate applies for permanent residence.

Note: Candidates with test results that expire soon should consider re-taking their test and updating their Express Entry profile with the new test results.