31-01-2014
This week, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander made an announcement that affects individuals who have completed, or are planning on completing, Ontario’s provincial language training program. Beginning January 30, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will accept certificates from the program as proof of language ability when applying for citizenship. This new measure greatly facilitates the Citizenship attainment process for Ontario applicants.
Language requirements have been in place for Canadian citizenship applications since 1947. At present, the nationally recognized benchmarks to measure adult proficiency in both English and French is the Canadian Language Benchmarks / Niveau de compétence linguistique canadiens (CLB/NCLC). The minimum required score is a 4.0 in both speaking and listening. Starting January 30, 2014, if an applicant has a certificate from the Ontario provincial language training program, he does not need to complete additional tests or meet any other language criteria.
A list of the acceptable evidence for language as per CIC’s requirements can be found at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website
FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law firm that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For more information about the many immigration opportunities available to prospective immigrants, arrange your consultation by phone at 1.855.316.3555 (Toll Free), or 1.514.316.3555 (international). For more tips and updates on Canadian immigration, follow FWCanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
