Atlantic Immigration Program: Language testing

On this page

• How to prove your language ability
• Language tests we accept
• How to find your language level based on your test results

How to prove your language ability

To immigrate through the Atlantic Immigration Program, you must prove your language skills in English or French. To do so, you must take an approved language test. The test shows your abilities in writing, reading, listening and speaking.

To measure your levels, we use the

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French

You must

• schedule your test and pay the fees
• have results that are less than 2 years old when you apply
• include the results of your test when you apply
  • if you don’t include them, we’ll send your application back to you without processing it
• meet the minimum language requirements of your job offer when you apply

The minimum language requirements are based on the NOC 2021 TEER category of your job offer

• CLB/NCLC 5 for job offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
• CLB/NCLC 4 for job offer in TEER 4

Don’t ask for your language test results to be sent directly to us. Submit your test results with your application. Keep your original test in a safe place as we may ask for it later.

Language tests we accept

You can take any of these approved language tests:

English

• General Training: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
  • you must take the CELPIP–General test
  • we don’t accept the General–LS test
• General Training: International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • you must take the General Training test
  • we don’t accept the Academic test

French

• Test d’évaluation de français (TEF Canada)
  • you must take the TEF Canada test
  • we don’t accept the TEF Études, Naturalisation, Carte de résident or the Québec versions of the test
    • We’ll accept TEF results if you wrote your test before March 1, 2020. If you wrote the test on or after March 1, 2020, you need to provide TEF Canada test results.
• Test de connaissance du français (TCF Canada) (French only)
  • you must take the TCF Canada test
  • we don’t accept the TCF, DAP, ANF, Carte de résident or the Québec versions of the test

How to find your language level based on your test results