Canada is one of the most preferred countries in the world with multicultural communities and breathtaking natural beauty.
If you plan to study or work in Canada, then you must have considered applying for the Canada Permanent Resident Visa. One of the crucial steps when applying for the Canada PR is to prove that you have adequate language skills in either English or French.
The proportion of prospective immigrants who take the English test is far higher than those taking the French test. To prove your English language skills, you must take the IELTS General Training test.
What is IELTS?
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most popular English-testing system for immigration and higher education abroad. Leading Experts have helped developed this testing system after it was first established in 1989.
For Canadian immigration, you need to either take the CELPIP or the IELTS exam to prove your English proficiency. However, the popularity of IELTS far outweighs that of CELPIP.
IELTS, simply put, tests how well you understand and speak the English language. It assesses your English language skills on four parameters- Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. For each module, you are scored between 1 and 9; 1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest.
Canada follows a points-based system for its Permanent Resident Visa program. Getting a good IELTS score can significantly improve your score required for Canadian immigration.
How can you get Canada PR?
The fastest way to get Canada PR is through the Express Entry Program. The program manages applications for the following streams:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
It is important to have a valid IELTS score before you can apply for the Express Entry Program.
The Canada IELTS requirement for the Express Entry Program is minimum CLB 7 which is at least a 6 on each module of the IELTS test.
The IELTS requirement for each program is different. You will need to score according to the program that you are applying for.
Here is the IELTS requirement for the different programs under the Express Entry Program:
Federal Skilled Worker Program
If you apply with English as your first official language, scoring CLB 4 does not get you any points for your language skills. If, however, you score CLB 10 or higher, you get the maximum points which are 32 for married applicants and 34 for single applicants.
| CLB Level | Points per module | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| 7 | 4 | 6.0-7.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 8 | 5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 9 | 6 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 10 or higher | 6 | 8.5-9.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 |
If English is your second official language, you will earn 4 points for meeting the below score or higher:
| CLB Level | Total points | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| 5 and above | 4 | 5.0-9.0 | 4.0-9.0 | 5.0-9.0 | 4.0-9.0 |
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Here are the test results for each module:
| CLB Level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 10 and above | 8.5-9.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 |
Canadian Experience Class
If you have worked in Canada for at least 1 year in the recent three years in an occupation in the NOC 0, A or B category, you may be eligible for the CEC program. You must score CLB 7 or higher for NOC 0 and A jobs. For NOC B jobs, the requirement is at least CLB 5 or higher.
Here are the CLB levels according to the per-section IELTS scores:
| NOC | CLB Level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| A | 10 and above | 8.5-9.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 |
| A | 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| A | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| A | 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| B | 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| B | 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Even though language proficiency is a crucial part of the Canada PR Visa process, you will also be assessed on other factors. These factors primarily include your education, work experience and your age.