English and French are the two official languages of Canada. Therefore, Canada offers various working opportunities for skilled migrants who are proficient in both English and French. To integrate themselves into the Canadian labour force and society, it is the primary criterion. Canada’s immigration system reflects a good skill level in these languages increases the chance of obtaining permanent residence & Canadian citizenship.
Express Entry candidates are assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on human capital factors such as age, education, language skills and work experience.
In the Comprehensive Ranking System, the candidate is assessed with high proficiency in English and French languages in all four abilities reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Candidate without a spouse can earn up to 290 CRS points for language proficiency under the Express Entry system.
Maximum CRS Points required for Language Proficiency under Express Entry (Candidates without a spouse)
In the recent study it has been noted that throughout 2019, a candidate needs around 460 marks of CRS Express login as a competitive mark to get the Invited Register (ITA) for permanent residence. This means that language skills can make up to the 63 percentage points required to qualify for permanent residency.
| Points Category | CRS Points |
| Core/human capital factors: Official languages proficiency | 160 |
| Skill transferability factors: Good/strong languages proficiency and factors such as education and foreign work experience | 100 |
| Additional points: Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills | 30 |
| Total | 290 |
More International Students are becoming Immigrants with Strong Language Skills
More than 600,000 international students are studying in Canada. With surveys, it is indicating that half of them want to obtain permanent residence. International students who prefer Canada as their place of study require a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 7 (out of 12) to apply for immigration under a federal or provincial program.
Some federal and provincial immigration programs have lower language requirements as CLB4. Other immigration programs do not have language requirements at all like international students and people with job offers when it comes to obtaining an ITA.
Given that many international students come to Canada with at least CLB 7 or achieve this standard after improving their language skills while studying in Canada, immigration is an essential part of their core competency.
The Express Entry Report of Federal Government for 2018 revealed that 25 per cent of the approximately 90,000 people who achieved ITAS that year was former international students with Canadian degrees or diplomas.
Federal Government Research Demonstrate Language Proficiency Supports Economic Integration
Canada’s high language proficiency standards are enshrined in evidence that highlights the importance of language skills for immigrant integration into the labour force and the Canadian economy.
2015 Statistics Canada report 2015 found that language skills were among the best predictor of immigrant income in the short term when obtaining permanent residency. This means that migrants with greater language fluency such as former international students are likely to earn higher incomes in Canada than migrants with weak fluency in their early years.
Such evidence plays a significant role in shaping federal and provincial selection criteria and the weighting assigned to language skills.
CLB 4 can get you Canadian Citizenship
Canada considers the acquisition of citizenship necessary for the integration process. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) noted that around 91% of immigrants in Canada who had lived in the country for at least ten years had citizenship. Minimum language proficiency CLB level 4 or higher can secure Canadian citizenship.
Language proficiency is required to apply for citizens in Canada, as they work to become citizens, as well as in an effort to encourage immigrants to improve their language skills. At present, applicants between the ages of 18 and 54 must show that they meet CLB Level 4 or higher.
Conclusion
A major solution for those wishing to move to Canada is to keep working to improve their language skills. While the greater emphasis on language skills may discourage some, they may also use it as motivation to meet Canada’s clear and objective language standards.
