Canada Approves TOEFL Essentials for Immigration Applications
Canada Approves TOEFL Essentials for Immigration Applications
What Happened?
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has approved the TOEFL Essentials test as an accepted English language proficiency test for permanent economic immigration applications.
- Until now, applicants could only use IELTS General, CELPIP, and PTE Core for Canadian immigration.
- This move introduces competition into the English testing market.
Why Is It Important?
- More Choice & Competition
- Previously, test-takers had limited options and high costs (up to $350+ tax per test).
- TOEFL Essentials offers an alternative that could force existing providers to lower prices or improve services.
- Affordability & Accessibility
- ETS (the company behind TOEFL) aims to make Essentials shorter, cheaper, and more accessible.
- Although prices recently rose to $199, it’s still cheaper than most other options.
- New test centres in Canada will improve geographic access, reducing travel for applicants.
- Test Features
- Duration: 90 minutes (shorter than IELTS/CELPIP).
- Uses AI scoring alongside human scoring.
- Broader purpose: can be used for immigration, professional pathways, and academics (e.g., already accepted by the University of Ottawa).
- This makes it unique, as it can serve both academic and immigration needs, unlike IELTS (which has separate Academic & General versions).
Context in Immigration Policy
- Canada’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan emphasizes attracting skilled workers in healthcare, engineering, and technology.
- By adding TOEFL Essentials, IRCC is expanding pathways for these professionals.
- Even though the government is trying to reduce temporary migration, it is still encouraging permanent skilled migration in key sectors.
Expert Opinions
- Michael Goodine (English testing expert) called it a “big win for consumers” because:
- Prices may become more competitive.
- Customer experience may improve due to competition.
- It provides a modern alternative to IELTS and CELPIP.
- He noted that TOEFL Essentials will now directly compete with PTE Core, another newer, tech-driven test.
✅In short:
Canada now accepts TOEFL Essentials for permanent economic immigration. This gives test-takers more affordable, faster, and modern options, while also putting pressure on established providers like IELTS and CELPIP to improve. It’s a consumer-friendly step that also aligns with Canada’s plan to attract skilled immigrants in high-demand sectors.
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