Oftentimes, I get this question “Is it possible to move to Canada without IELTS?” from people who are interested in moving to Canada either to study or live and work.
Language skills are a highly important requirement for Canada Permanent Residence. With English being the first official language of Canada and French the second, language skills are very important for settling and integrating into the Canadian lifestyle.
To establish yourself in Canada, you are expected to be able to communicate in any of the Canada’s official languages.
For this reason, the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires foreigners coming into Canada to meet a certain language test benchmark to be allowed to come into Canada.
Every year, tens of thousands of people around the world sit the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General exam as part of their Canadian immigration process.
The IELTS exam which is divided into listening, speaking, reading, and writing has proven to be one of the real challenges a lot of people who are looking to move to Canada are facing.
A testimony by someone who recently moved to Canada revealed she sat for the IELTS exams nine (9) times before she was able to meet the minimum language skill to move to Canada.
The IELTS exam fees can range between $140 – $310 USD. A lot of people cannot afford to register and sit for the exam multiple times to meet the required language proficiency to go to Canada.
This has become a problem for a lot of people who are trying to move to Canada hence, the search for how to move to Canada without IELTS.
Is It Possible To Move To Canada Without IELTS?
The simple answer to this question is YES! It is very possible to move to Canada without IELTS.
This depends on your reason for immigration. If you are just visiting Canada as a tourist, then you do not necessarily need to take IELTS exam.
Another scenerio where you don’t need to take IELTS is if you are going to Canada for a job and you have a work permit. This may also depend on the company’s rules.
IELTS only becomes necessary when you are applying for permanent residence in Canada.
Can I Work In Canada Without IELTS?
Many people dream to work in Canada because the employee services are good and the country is an amazing one.
You do not really require an IELTS to work in Canada except your employer requests for it, in which case you may have to take the IELTS exam. Many employers don’t usually need IELTS.
Can I Study In Canada Without IELTS?
While some institutions especially the higher institutions require language proficiency scores to determine your eligibility to study in their institutions, there are some colleges that do not require IELTS for you to study there.
They grant admission based on the applicant’s English score at the school level. Ensure to check the website of any institution you want to apply to find out if they require an IELTS score before you can study with them.
What Immigration Options Do I Have Without IELTS?
It is quite possible to immigrate to Canada without IELTS for those who are coming to visit or work. But oftentimes, a language proficiency test is required for Permanent residence application.
Express Entry is not the only way to immigrate to Canada. There is also a range of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), with many PNP streams managed entirely outside Express Entry.
The IELTS is a key selection parameter in the Canadian immigration system. The immigration authorities verify the English proficiency level of an applicant based on their IELTS Test result.
Saskatchewan Province of Canada accepts applicants with low IELTS score requirements for its Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). The SINP requires a minimum CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 4 score in IELTS.
Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) of Manitoba Province also needs a low IELTS level, i.e. CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 4 score.
