New Delhi: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will soon accept TOEFL Essentials scores for permanent economic immigration applications, Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced on Thursday.

The decision adds ETS to the list of designated language testing organizations for Canada's immigration programs. While IRCC has not yet started accepting TOEFL Essentials scores, updates will be published on its official website once the process begins, ETS said.

ETS, a global leader in education and assessment solutions, said the TOEFL Essentials test provides a reliable and practical measure of English proficiency for aspiring immigrants. The assessment evaluates all four language skills—listening, reading, writing and speaking—through real-life communication tasks and is completed in about 90 minutes at secure test centers.

“As a Canadian and a non-native English speaker, I understand the challenges of proving language proficiency,” said Omar Chihane, Global General Manager of TOEFL at ETS. “Now that TOEFL Essentials is approved, applicants have a trusted, high-quality option designed for those building a life in Canada.”

The move aligns with Canada's Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, which seeks to attract skilled professionals in healthcare, engineering, technology and trades. Once operational, the test will offer candidates an additional pathway to meet English language requirements for immigration.

TOEFL Essentials will be available across Canada and worldwide. Applicants can check updates on the IRCC website under designated language testing organizations.