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Immigration Law

New English Language Test Approved by IRCC

February 17, 2023 by FH&P Lawyers


Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has approved a new English Language Test that will be officially accepted later this year.

Jasmine Somal, an FH&P Associate practising Immigration Law, provides an overview of the new test and who will be eligible to take it when applying for Canadian immigration.

What is the New Test?

On February 1, 2023, the IRCC announced the addition of the Pearson English Test (PTE) as one of five accepted tests for Canadian immigration.

The PTE is a new English language proficiency test that has been approved by the IRCC to meet the language proficiency requirements for Canadian immigration applicants applying under an economic class, including the following: Express Entry categories, BCPNP, Caregivers, Agri-Food Pilot, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, Economic Mobility Pathways Project, Atlantic Immigration Program, Quebec Skilled Workers and Business).

The PTE test is administered by a designated language-testing organization, Pearson Canada Inc. The PTE test is fast, computer-based and typically results are made available to exam takers within 48 hours.

The PTE will be the newest addition to Canadian language tests available to Canadian immigration applicants. Prior to this recent approval by the IRCC, there were only four English language tests available to applicants through which they could show their English language proficiency skills to immigrate to Canada under the economic class. These four English Proficiency Tests include: IELTS General Training, CELPIP, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. It is important to note that the TEF and TCF are the French language proficiency tests available to Canadian immigration applicants.

When Can Applicants Begin to Submit PTE Results with their Applications?

According to the IRCC, the PTE will begin being accepted in “late 2023”. The IRCC has yet to set an exact date.

PTE and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)

Depending on the pathway chosen by each candidate, they must achieve the minimum CLB score required for their Canadian Immigration. To put this into perspective, the minimum requirement for a CLB score is 7 in each of the following abilities: speaking, writing, reading and listening. We will provide an update once we know the minimum CLB score required, as updates become available from the IRCC with respect to the PTE.

PTE Test and Study Permits

Please note that Canadian immigration applicants looking to apply for a study permit will likely have to write the academic version of a language proficiency test. We hope that more information will be provided by the IRCC towards the end of 2023.

How We Can Help?

We understand that navigating Canadian Immigration can be a confusing process and we are here to help make the process simpler for you.

In order to assess whether you can immigrate to Canada under the economic class, please click HERE for a free assessment.

If you have any further questions with respect to the PTE or would like our assistance in navigating the Canadian immigration process or questions, please contact us today to schedule an initial consult.