Canada has updated its instructions to immigration officers on how to review language test results in immigration applications, with new procedures focused on detecting possible fraud before a decision is made.
The updated instructions were published online on June 23, 2026. They require officers to cross-reference applicants’ photographs when validating language test results.
Officers must also conduct a more detailed review of case notes and testing provider-issued Info-Alerts for signs that could indicate fraudulent language test results. Any potential concerns must be documented and forwarded to the Tips and Reports Management Unit, a dedicated fraud investigation team, for further review.
The instructions state that officers must perform this verification “at all stages of application processing and prior to rendering a decision.”
These procedures were not specified in the previous version of the officer instructions. The updated version also no longer mentions giving applicants the option of taking a second language test under visa office supervision.
If officers conclude that fraud occurred, the application may be refused for misrepresentation, subject to procedural fairness requirements.
Language tests in Canadian immigration
Canada requires many economic immigration applicants to prove minimum language ability through a government-approved third-party language test.
Test results are converted to a standardized 12-point scale:
- Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English
- Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French
In general, immigration programs require a minimum score of:
- 7 for workers in management occupations or occupations requiring university education
- 5 for workers in skilled trades or occupations requiring college education
Proposed reforms to Express Entry would set a minimum score of 6 for candidates across all occupations.
Most programs also award additional points for higher language scores, meaning stronger test results can increase a candidate’s chances of being selected.
Official language test results are valid for two years from the test date. They generally must still be valid when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada receives the application.
TOEFL still not accepted
Plans were announced in August 2025 to add the Test of English as a Foreign Language as an accepted immigration language test in the future.
However, IRCC’s updated instructions confirm that TOEFL is still not accepted at present.
PGWP applicants and language test results
In late 2024, Canada expanded language test requirements to international student graduates applying for post-graduation work permits.
The required level of language proficiency depends on the applicant’s level of study.
A post-graduation work permit is an open work permit issued for up to three years. It allows eligible international student graduates to work in Canada after completing studies at an eligible Canadian institution.
Despite the introduction of language requirements for PGWP applicants, the PGWP application portal has not yet been updated to include a dedicated field for language test results because of “system limitations.”
In May 2025, the government said it was working on a dedicated field, but no implementation date has been provided.
For now, PGWP applicants must upload their language test results under the “Client Information” section of their online account.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
