Archive - Practice for your IELTS on CanadaVisa

Certain Canadian immigration applicants are required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a standard test that is recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as an indication of English language ability. New to CanadaVisa are free IELTS practice tests where visitors can get an idea about to expect.

As part of the Canadian immigration process, economic applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient English and/or French language abilities to successfully integrate into Canadian society and the Canadian workforce. IELTS is one way to do so. Not everyone is required to take the IELTS, but for those who are, practice and preparation are highly recommended.

IELTS practice tests and an online preparation course are now available through CanadaVisa. Visitors can take up to eight practice tests (2 in each section - Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) and receive approximate band scores for the Listening and Reading tests based on their results. These online tests are a relatively accurate representation of what to expect on an IELTS test. CanadaVisa has also teamed up with an online preparation course for those in need of additional training and instruction.

At present, IELTS results are not mandatory for the submission of a Canadian immigration application. Applicants may instead submit a Statement of English Language Ability, along with supporting documents. It is then up to the visa officer to decided whether these documents are sufficient or whether an IELTS test is required.

However, with amendments to the Canadian immigration process on the way, there is talk that CIC may be considering making the IELTS mandatory at the time of application. That would mean that most applicants would need to take the test before they submit their immigration applications.

The federal and provincial governments have been making significant investments in language training for newcomers; courses are offered at little or no expense to new Permanent Residents. Specialized English and/or French language training programs, tailored for the profession in which newcomers plan to work are becoming increasingly common as well. Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canadian professional organizations have been creating and funding these programs, which give immigrants the vocabulary and knowledge necessary to work in Canada in their field.

But the first step is to convince Canada that you have the required level of English and/or French language ability to be granted Permanent Residency, and for that, you may need to practice. Click here to check out the new IELTS practice tests on CanadaVisa.