In adherence to the stringent requirements set by the Canadian government for immigrants seeking permanent residence through the Express Entry program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has implemented accommodations for individuals facing physical or mental disabilities hindering their ability to create an Express Entry profile or apply for permanent residence (APR).
As per the recent guidelines established by the Canadian government, foreign nationals aiming to demonstrate their eligibility for at least one of the three programs administered through Express Entry must furnish scores for each language proficiency area—comprising reading, writing, listening, and speaking—while completing their Express Entry profile and electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR).
However, recognizing that certain applicants with disabilities may face challenges in fully testing their language skills, provisions have been made for exemptions from providing assessment results in up to three out of four language skill areas, contingent upon the provision of notionalized (averaged) scores.
Under the new policy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept averaged scores generated either by designated language organizations or through the department’s language averaging tool.
A public policy is now in effect specifically addressing economic class permanent residence applicants and Express Entry candidates whose language proficiency evaluation in all four skill areas is impeded by physical or mental disabilities.
It’s important to note that exemptions on language evaluations are not universally offered by all testing organizations designated by IRCC. Notably, Pearson Canada Inc. (PTE Core) and Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada) currently do not grant exemptions on language evaluations.
To qualify for an exemption from testing in a specific language skill area due to a disability, individuals must furnish medical documentation to the language testing organization. These accommodations, while not standardized across organizations, typically include modified test materials, extended test duration, and the utilization of assistive technology.
Foreign nationals are advised to obtain their averaged scores through the department’s language averaging tool and utilize these scores when completing their profiles in the Express Entry Profile Builder and submitting their e-APR.
However, an exception to this rule exists for foreign nationals who have undertaken the IELTS test, as they will receive an already notionalized (averaged) score directly from IELTS based on the average of their other band scores.
In the event that a foreign national is invited to apply for permanent residence and submits an e-APR with averaged language test scores, the application will be considered complete but will undergo further review. The language test form will explicitly indicate the use of averaged scores.
IRCC officers retain the authority to verify the correct entry of applicants’ averaged language test scores using the department’s language averaging tool.