[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-294807-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-294807-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","mandatory-language-testing-required-for-most-permanent-resident-applicants","Mandatory Language Testing Required for Most Permanent Resident Applicants","","Mandatory language testing was introduced for many Canadian permanent residence applications when Citizenship and Immigration Canada required submission of English or French proficiency test results. Effective June 26, 2010, applications lacking IELTS or TEF results are returned as incomplete, including for applicants educated in English-speaking jurisdictions. The requirement applies broadly across federal classes, with limited exceptions, and was implemented to reduce fraud and remove subjective assessments by officers. Test validity was extended to two years from the test date as of December 23, 2010.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/mandatory-language-testing-required-for-most-permanent-resident-applicants/294807/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/mandatory-language-testing-required-for-most-permanent-resident-applicants/294807.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Rizky","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"When did Citizenship and Immigration Canada make language testing mandatory for permanent residence applications?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Effective June 26, 2010, permanent residence applications required English or French proficiency test results, or they would be returned as incomplete.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Which permanent residence categories are generally subject to the mandatory language test, and what are the exceptions?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The requirement applies to Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Business Class. Family Class sponsorship applications and some Provincial Nominee Programs are exceptions.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why did CIC impose a written language test?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"CIC aimed to reduce fraud by ensuring the applicant’s work is verified at testing centres and to use standardized tests to eliminate subjective discretion in assessing language proficiency.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},294807,1789706141,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":22,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":30},962085564807,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","e x p e c t t h e b e s t  \nSuzanne practices within the firm’s Immigration Law group. She is a member of the Executive of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada section of the Ontario Bar Association and she is the Chair of the Port of Entry to Canada Sub-committee of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario section) . Suzanne is also a member of the HRSDC (Service Canada) Sub-committee of the Ontario Bar Association.  \nSuzanne may be reached directly at 416 .597.3903 or[sbailey@blaney.com](sbailey@blaney.com)  \nMandatory Language Testing Required for Most Permanent Resident Applicants  \nby Suzanne Bailey  \nOriginally published in Blaneys on Immigration Law (March 2011)  \nEffective June 26, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) made an important change to permanent residence applications by making it mandatory for the submission of an English or French language proficiency test. As of that date, if the principal applicant has not submitted International English Language Testing System (“IELTS”) or a Test d’Evaluation de Français (“TEF”) test results, his application will be returned to him, marked as incomplete. This is the case even for those applicants having been born, raised and educated in English speaking jurisdictions such as the United States, England and Australia.  \nThis mandatory language test applies to all permanent residence applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class and Business Class (investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed) . The only exception is Family Class sponsorship applications and some Provincial Nominee Programs.  \nCIC’s rationale for imposing a written language test was partially to eliminate incidences of fraud (for example in the past, some applicants fraudulently submitted another person’s written work as proof of their own English language proficiency) . Now when the applicant shows up at designated language testing centre, his personal identification is verified, so there is certainty that it is the applicant’s work (instead of the work of someone else) . In addition, as the language tests are standardized, it takes out the subjective element of an immigration officer using his discretion to decide a person’s level of language proficiency based on his written work. The new mandatory language test now provides an unbiased and objective way to ensure a person’s level of language proficiency.  \nMany people, particularly those born or raised in English or French language jurisdictions, are troubled by this change as it increases the cost of a permanent residence application (since the applicant must pay for the language test) and the location of the testing centres are not often convenient (particularly for those living in remote areas) .  \nThe above mandatory language test requirement was initially implemented by way of Ministerial Instructions. At the time, it was believed by many immigration practitioners that such a requirement was ultra vires, because Ministerial Instructions could not override the language of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (“IRPR”), which allowed alternative methods of establishing language proficiency. It would appear that the Canadian Government eventually came to the same conclusion because, on March 3, 2011, it amended the IRPR itself to specifically require mandatory language testing.  \nInitially, CIC made the English and French language tests valid for one year. However, very recently, they have relaxed the rule, such that effective December 23, 2010, those test results are now valid for 2 years from the time the applicant has taken his English or French language test.","cbCaie9NRk5HtnQK","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaie9NRk5HtnQK","pdf",111783,"English","# Mandatory Language Testing Required for Most Permanent Resident Applicants\n## Effective Change Date and Main Rule\n## Scope Across Applicant Classes and Exceptions\n## Government Rationale: Fraud and Subjectivity\n## Impact on Applicants and Test Validity Updates","[{\"question\":\"When did Citizenship and Immigration Canada make language testing mandatory for permanent residence applications?\",\"answer\":\"Effective June 26, 2010, permanent residence applications required English or French proficiency test results, or they would be returned as incomplete.\"},{\"question\":\"Which permanent residence categories are generally subject to the mandatory language test, and what are the exceptions?\",\"answer\":\"The requirement applies to Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Business Class. Family Class sponsorship applications and some Provincial Nominee Programs are exceptions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why did CIC impose a written language test?\",\"answer\":\"CIC aimed to reduce fraud by ensuring the applicant’s work is verified at testing centres and to use standardized tests to eliminate subjective discretion in assessing language proficiency.\"}]","Mandatory Language Testing Required for Most Permanent Resident Applicants | PDF"]