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PTE will join IELTS and CELPIP as one of three English-language tests that skilled worker candidates use in their Canadian immigration applications.

The IRCC recently announced that it has approved the Pearson Test of English for Canadian immigration applications.

Beginning in "late 2023," the Pearson Test of English (PTE) will be one of three designated language tests that skilled workers will be able to complete to demonstrate their English language proficiency to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, alongside CELPIP and IELTS General Training (IRCC).

Pearson's PTE Essential is a new English language test designed to meet the IRCC's language proficiency requirements for Canadian immigration applicants. Because IRCC has different language criteria for study permit applicants, international students must generally take the "Academic" version of a language proficiency test.

With the approval of PTE Essential, there are now five total language tests available to economic class immigration candidates—in addition to the three aforementioned English language tests, IRCC has designated the TEF Canada and TCF Canada as French language tests.

To demonstrate their ability to economically establish in Canada, IRCC requires economic class candidates to complete language proficiency testing. According to Statistics Canada, strong English and/or French language proficiency is a strong predictor of economic integration in Canada.

IRCC has not specified when applicants will be able to submit PTE Essential in support of their Canadian immigration applications, but it has stated on its website that it expects to be able to do so by the end of 2023.

For economic class immigrants, Canada provides over 100 different pathways. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Express Entry are the leading admissions pathways under the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025. Other economic class pathways, such as IRCC pilot programmes, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and Quebec skilled worker programmes, require applicants to take an IRCC-designated language test.

Candidates must achieve the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score set for a given pathway in addition to passing an IRCC designated language test. Candidates for the popular Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), for example, must have a CLB of at least 7 in all four abilities (writing, reading, listening, and speaking). A CLB 4 is the minimum requirement for certain programmes.

Candidates receive more points for certain pathways, such as those managed through Express Entry and expression of interest systems run by provinces and territories, the higher their CLB score.

CIC News obtained an internal IRCC memo in 2022 that confirmed the department's approval of a new language test for Canadian immigration purposes. The memo also discussed potential language testing reforms that the department was looking into.

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