Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in Canada will soon have a new avenue to demonstrate their English proficiency. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that it will start recognizing the TOEFL Essentials test, administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), for certain immigration applications.According to a CIC News report, while the test is not yet available for official immigration submissions, IRCC has indicated that its web portals will reflect the update once the rollout begins. ETS, officially designated as an approved testing organization on August 21, is collaborating with Canadian authorities to implement the next steps.

Who can use TOEFL Essentials

The new option will apply to candidates applying under IRCC’s permanent economic immigration programs, including key Express Entry streams such as:

The test will also be recognized under the Atlantic Immigration Program and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), although adoption may vary by province. Each provincial authority can decide whether to accept TOEFL Essentials as part of its requirements.

About TOEFL Essentials

TOEFL Essentials evaluates candidates across listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills through short, practical exercises designed to mirror real-life communication. The test takes approximately 90 minutes and is administered at secure test centers in Canada and internationally.Candidates receive instant unofficial results for the listening and reading sections, while official scores are typically available within six days. Score reports can be shared with multiple institutions without additional charges.

Current language testing framework

At present, IRCC recognizes three English proficiency tests for immigration purposes:

The introduction of TOEFL Essentials aims to provide applicants with greater flexibility and additional choice in fulfilling Canada’s language requirements, potentially making the immigration process smoother for a wider range of candidates.