IRCC Updates Language Requirements Page in June 2026

IRCC updated its internal language requirements guidance on June 23, 2026. The main change consolidates all language requirement information onto a single page, making it easier for processing officers and applicants to find what they need. Several older standalone pages have been deleted and their content merged into the updated central page.

This update affects applicants applying for permanent residence, temporary residence, and Canadian citizenship. If you are preparing a language test submission or wondering which tests IRCC currently accepts, the consolidated page is now the single source of truth. Read on for a full breakdown of what changed and what it means for your application.

What IRCC Changed on June 23, 2026

The update was primarily administrative. IRCC merged several separate internal guidance pages into one. The deleted pages covered topics including language test scores for persons with disabilities (for Express Entry applications received on or after January 1, 2015), criteria for designating language testing organizations, the list of designated organizations, language test equivalency charts, integrity concerns around language test results, and guidance on issuing certificates for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) learners. All of that content now lives on the single updated language requirements page.

IRCC also added new guidance on how processing offices should access verification portals and handle integrity concerns. Outdated contact information that appeared on the old pages was removed entirely. For applicants, the actual rules have not changed. The designated testing organizations remain the same, the two-year validity rule still applies, and the exemption process for persons with disabilities continues to function as before. The consolidation is a housekeeping move, but it matters because officers now follow one set of instructions rather than cross-referencing multiple documents.

Which Language Tests IRCC Accepts Right Now

The Minister designates specific organizations and approves the exact tests they may use. Not every test offered by a designated organization is automatically accepted. The following breakdown is taken directly from the updated June 23, 2026 guidance.

For English, four organizations currently hold designation. Paragon Testing Enterprises (a Prometric company) offers the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP). The CELPIP-General test is accepted for both immigration and citizenship. The CELPIP-General Listening and Speaking (CELPIP-G LS) version is accepted for citizenship only, not immigration. Three organizations jointly administer the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Cambridge University Press and Assessment, IDP Australia, and the British Council. The IELTS General Training test is accepted for both immigration and citizenship. The IELTS One Skill Retake test is accepted only under the Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot, and no other program. Pearson Canada Inc. offers the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core, accepted for both immigration and citizenship. Educational Testing Service offers the TOEFL Essentials test, but IRCC does not currently accept it. The guidance notes that the page will be updated once IRCC begins accepting it.

For French, two organizations are designated. The Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris Île-de-France administers the Test d'évaluation de français pour le Canada (TEF Canada). Candidates must complete the grammar and structure module (lexique et structure) as part of the reading and listening modules, but IRCC does not require that module for immigration or citizenship purposes. France Éducation International administers the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada). Both French tests are accepted for immigration and citizenship.

One rule applies to all of the above: your language test results must not be more than 2 years old when IRCC receives your application. This applies to both temporary and permanent residence programs. If you need to submit a copy of your test, electronic versions such as PDFs and online scoring reports are acceptable. You can verify accepted tests and current processing timelines on the IRCC processing times page.

Exemptions for Persons with Disabilities

Most applicants must submit scores for all four language skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. However, if a physical or mental disability prevents you from being tested in one or more of those areas, even after the testing organization provides reasonable accommodations, a public policy exemption exists for economic class permanent residence applicants and Express Entry candidates.

Under that public policy, both the principal applicant and their accompanying spouse or common-law partner may be exempt from submitting language test results for up to three of the four skill areas. IRCC does not simply waive the missing scores. Instead, officers use the department's language calculator tool to calculate notionalized (averaged) scores based on the skills that could be tested. Officers must verify that both the actual test scores and the averaged scores are entered correctly using this tool. The resulting scores, whether real or notionalized, are evaluated the same way as any other language results when determining program eligibility and selection. This guidance was previously housed on its own deleted page covering applications received on or after January 1, 2015. It now sits within the consolidated language requirements page.

How IRCC Now Handles Language Test Fraud

The June 23, 2026 update added explicit steps for processing offices dealing with integrity concerns. Where a photograph of the test taker is available in the verification portal, processing officers must cross-reference that image with the photograph submitted with the application. Any discrepancies must be documented in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Officers must also review all information under an applicant's Unique Client Identifier (UCI) and check GCMS case notes. They must run integrated searches in GCMS to check whether an Info-Alert exists. An Info-Alert or case note may confirm that a language testing organization has already reported that an applicant's results are not genuine or were obtained fraudulently. This verification must happen at every stage of processing, not just at the end, and must be completed before a final decision is made.

If an officer confirms with the designated testing organization that results were misrepresented or belong to a different person, the application may be refused for misrepresentation under paragraph 40(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Procedural fairness requirements must be met before that refusal is issued. Officers cannot use an interview alone to evaluate language proficiency, and they cannot adjust language scores or make pass/fail language assessments based on interview observations. However, if a significant gap between claimed and actual language ability appears during an interview held for another reason, that gap can trigger an integrity review. If an officer suspects widespread or systemic fraud, they must report their concerns to the Tips and Reports Management Unit (TRMU). The TRMU then follows up directly with the designated language testing organizations. You can find more detail on admissibility rules through the IRCC home page.

LINC and CLIC Certificates for Citizenship Applications

IRCC accepts Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) and Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) certificates as proof of language ability for citizenship applications. This makes the certificate issuance process consequential, and the updated guidance consolidates the rules in one place for the first time.

The guidance applies to all IRCC-funded LINC and CLIC recipients since February 11, 2017. Certificates should be issued to learners at the end of a reporting period, reflecting completed Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) levels. For recipients using the Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) or the Évaluation linguistique basée sur le portfolio (ELBP) approach, certificates should align with progress reports. A CLB or NCLC level is considered complete when a learner has demonstrated communicative ability meeting most or all descriptors, traditionally 70% to 100%, across all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This standard comes from the National Language Placement and Progression Guidelines (NLPPG), which were first issued in 2013.

Certificates must only be issued by recipients who meet all seven criteria set out in the guidance. The training must be preceded by a CLB or NCLC-based placement assessment, aligned with the NLPPG and the CLB or NCLC framework, guided by LINC, CLIC, or provincial CLB-based curriculum guidelines, led by a qualified teacher trained in Canada or by a recognized foreign institution to teach English or French as a second language, aligned with the PBLA task-based approach, and concluded with a full evaluation of evidence collected across the term.

Certificates can be printed in black and white or colour on letter-sized white paper. They may be signed manually or electronically by the organization's LINC or CLIC coordinator. The recipient organization's name, as recognized by IRCC within the Grants and Contributions System Partner Portal, must appear in the Training Provider section. Certificates may be distributed in person, by mail, or by email. Because the document is classified as Protected A, it contains personal information and must be sent as securely as possible. If a learner loses their certificate, the recipient may reprint it with the original issuance date, provided they still have access to the client's record.

After issuing a certificate, recipients must update the client's language results in the Immigration Contribution Agreement Reporting Environment (iCARE) system. For Ontario recipients using the History of Assessments, Referrals and Training system (HARTs), data from HARTs is uploaded to iCARE automatically. IRCC authenticates LINC and CLIC certificates submitted with citizenship applications through iCARE. In the iCARE system, users must confirm "Yes" to the question asking whether a certificate was issued to the client. Questions about certificates should go to the SRO Functional Guidance mailbox, submitted by a supervisor or manager. If a program officer submits directly, the supervisor or manager must be copied. You can explore citizenship language requirements further on the IRCC citizenship page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the June 23, 2026 update change which language tests IRCC accepts?
No. The list of designated tests and organizations is the same. The update consolidated existing guidance onto one page and added steps for integrity verification. No new tests were added or removed on this date.

My language test is almost 2 years old. Can I still submit it?
Yes, as long as the results are not more than 2 years old when IRCC receives your complete application. If your test expires before IRCC receives it, you need to retest. The two-year rule applies to both temporary and permanent residence programs.

Can IRCC refuse my application based on what an officer observes in an interview?
An officer cannot assess language proficiency through an interview alone and cannot adjust your language score or make a pass/fail decision based on the interview. However, if a major gap between your claimed proficiency and your actual proficiency becomes visible during an interview held for a different reason, that can trigger a fraud review under the integrity rules.

Is a LINC certificate enough to prove language ability for citizenship?
IRCC does accept LINC and CLIC certificates as proof of language ability for citizenship applications. However, the certificate must come from a recipient organization that meets all seven delivery criteria, must reflect completed CLB or NCLC levels based on a full term of evidence, and must be authenticated by IRCC through the iCARE system.

Sources: Government of Canada (canada.ca), IRCC Help Centre. Last verified: June 24, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult IRCC or a qualified legal aid service for guidance on your specific situation.