Immigration Announcement
The IRCC Approves Pearson Tests of English As a Requirement for Canadian Immigration
The Pearson Test of English has now been approved by IRCC for use in Canadian immigration applications. The Pearson Test of English (PTE) will be one of three recognized language exams that economic class candidates will be able to pass to prove their English language competency to IRCC in 2023 along with CELPIP and IELTS General Training.
According to data from Statistics Canada, strong language skills in either English or French are a significant predictor of economic integration in Canada. International students typically need to take the “Academic” version of a language competence test. This has been confirmed by the memo within the IRCC from 2022 which approves a new language test for Canadian immigration.
With the acceptance of PTE Essential, there are now a total of five language tests accessible to applicants for economic class immigration, including the two French language tests that IRCC has designated (TEF Canada and TCF Canada) in addition to the three English language exams already stated. Although the IRCC has not specified a deadline. However, it has stated on its website that it expects to be able to accept PTE Essential in support of applicants’ applications for Canadian immigration by the end of 2023. For immigrants from lower socioeconomic classes, Canada offers more than 100 alternative routes.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Express Entry are the top admissions options under the Immigration Levels Plan 2023–2025. A language exam chosen by IRCC must also be passed by applicants for other economic class channels such as IRCC pilot programs, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and Quebec skilled worker programs.
Minimum Requirements for PTE Essential
- Candidates must pass the minimal Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score required for a particular pathway in addition to passing an IRCC-designated language test.
- For instance, applicants for the well-known Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) must achieve a CLB of at least 7 in each of the four language groups (writing, reading, listening, and speaking).
- A CLB 4 is the minimum requirement for several programs. Candidates gain more points the higher their CLB score is for some pathways, such as those controlled by Express Entry and the expression of interest programs run by the provinces and territories.
