- Master's program of 16 months or longer.
- Doctoral program.
- Some university professional degrees (medicine, law, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, education and others).
- Some pilot programs, including the Francophone student pilot outside Quebec (even at college).
- Most college and bachelor's programs do not qualify.
Which language level do I need?
Every program asks for its own level (CLB in English, NCLC in French). Find yours, then convert your test scores.
By program
The minimum level for each program
The minimum makes you eligible. A higher level earns more points in Express Entry.
| Program | Minimum level | Abilities | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry: Federal Skilled Worker | CLB 7 | All four | canada.ca |
| Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class | CLB 7 (TEER 0 or 1 job) / CLB 5 (TEER 2 or 3 job) | All four | canada.ca |
| Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades | CLB 5 speaking and listening, CLB 4 reading and writing | As shown | canada.ca |
| Express Entry: French-language category | NCLC 7 | All four, in French | canada.ca |
| Post-graduation work permit (PGWP): university degree or programPGWP applications from November 1, 2024. Flight schools: no language test. | CLB 7 / NCLC 7 | All four | canada.ca |
| PGWP: college, polytechnic or other non-university program | CLB 5 / NCLC 5 | All four | canada.ca |
| Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot | NCLC 5 | All four, in French | canada.ca |
| Francophone Mobility work permit | NCLC 5 | Speaking and listening, in French | canada.ca |
| Francophone Community Immigration Pilot | NCLC 5 | All four, in French | canada.ca |
| Canadian citizenship (ages 18 to 54) | CLB 4 | Speaking and listening, English or French | canada.ca |
Conversion
Your test scores as CLB / NCLC levels
Minimum score for each level, from IRCC's equivalency tables. Only IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada are accepted for permanent residence.
IELTS General Training
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 8+ | 7.5+ | 8.5+ | 7.5+ |
| 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 |
CELPIP-General
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
PTE Core
| CLB | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 88+ | 90+ | 89+ | 89+ |
| 9 | 78 | 88 | 82 | 84 |
| 8 | 69 | 79 | 71 | 76 |
| 7 | 60 | 69 | 60 | 68 |
| 6 | 51 | 60 | 50 | 59 |
| 5 | 42 | 51 | 39 | 51 |
| 4 | 33 | 41 | 28 | 42 |
TEF Canada: Équivalence ancien score (Express Entry)
| NCLC | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 263+ | 393+ | 316+ | 393+ |
| 9 | 248 | 371 | 298 | 371 |
| 8 | 233 | 349 | 280 | 349 |
| 7 | 207 | 310 | 249 | 310 |
| 6 | 181 | 271 | 217 | 271 |
| 5 | 151 | 226 | 181 | 226 |
| 4 | 121 | 181 | 145 | 181 |
TEF Canada: score /699, test after Dec 10, 2023 (PGWP)
| NCLC | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 546+ | 558+ | 546+ | 556+ |
| 9 | 503 | 512 | 503 | 518 |
| 8 | 462 | 472 | 462 | 494 |
| 7 | 434 | 428 | 434 | 456 |
| 6 | 393 | 379 | 393 | 422 |
| 5 | 352 | 330 | 352 | 387 |
| 4 | 306 | 268 | 306 | 328 |
TCF Canada
| NCLC | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+ | 549+ | 16+ | 549+ | 16+ |
| 9 | 524 | 14 | 523 | 14 |
| 8 | 499 | 12 | 503 | 12 |
| 7 | 453 | 10 | 458 | 10 |
| 6 | 406 | 7 | 398 | 7 |
| 5 | 375 | 6 | 369 | 6 |
| 4 | 342 | 4 | 331 | 4 |
Source: Express Entry: Language test results and PGWP: Language test results, IRCC. For TEF Canada, Express Entry uses the "Équivalence ancien score" and the PGWP uses the score out of 699. CELPIP: the CELPIP level equals the CLB level. The CRS calculator converts your scores automatically.
Family
Can your spouse or partner work?
Since January 21, 2025, a spouse's open work permit depends on your study program or your job.
- Your job is TEER 0 or 1, or a TEER 2 or 3 occupation on IRCC's list (for example early childhood educators, electricians, nurse aides, truck drivers).
- Your work permit is still valid for at least 16 months when IRCC receives your spouse's application.
- Dependent children are no longer eligible under this measure.
Official lookups
Your NOC code, TEER and school
A job's TEER (training, education, experience and responsibilities) comes from its National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. The job is classified by its main duties, not by your own degree: compare what you actually do with the NOC description.
To study, your school must be a designated learning institution (DLI). Also check whether your program leads to a PGWP.
Not sure which applies to you?
An RCIC checks your program, job and test results and tells you exactly which level you need.