Canada to Start Accepting PTE Academic for Student Direct Stream Applications

Starting from August 10, Canada will begin accepting the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic for all Student Direct Stream (SDS) applications.

This decision follows the earlier recognition by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) of PTE Core for proof of English language proficiency for Canadian permanent residency or citizenship.

PTE Academic tests taken before August 10 will be considered for SDS, provided they are submitted after this date and are within the expiry period stipulated by IRCC.

The SDS is a fast-track study permit process for students applying to study in Canada from specific countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.

Andy Bird, CEO of Pearson, expressed his delight at the recognition of PTE Academic for SDS purposes, stating that it would help more test takers achieve their dream of studying in Canada.

He also mentioned the recent approval of PTE Core for Canadian economic migration purposes, reflecting Pearson’s determination to make PTE the test of choice for everyone wanting to live, work, or study abroad.

Before the addition of PTE, IRCC accepted only the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training as proof of English proficiency for economic class candidates.

The governments of the UK, Australia, and New Zealand already accept PTE Academic for all visa applications. PTE Academic is also accepted by many universities across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, and the USA.

Latest IRCC figures for 2022 show that Canada reached an all-time high for international students. As of the end of October, IRCC had processed more than 750,300 study permit applications during the 2022 calendar year. To be eligible for priority processing under the SDS, the study permit application must have been made by an applicant who is a legal resident of the countries mentioned above.

In addition, applicants must provide the following documentation at the time they present their study permit application:

  • an acceptance letter from a postsecondary designated learning institution, evidence that the tuition has been paid to the postsecondary designated learning institution for the first year of study
  • a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAN$10,000
  • a medical examination
  • a police certificate
  • recent secondary or postsecondary school transcript(s)
  • a language test result

Applicants intending to study in Quebec must also have a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration.

For the SDS, the required scores are as follows:

  • IELTS General, CELPIP General, TEF Canada and TCF Canada; with a score that is equivalent to a Canadian Language Benchmarks score of at least 7 for each of the four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
  • IELTS Academic (minimum score of 6), CAEL (minimum score of 60), Pearson PTE Academic (minimum score of 60), TEF – 5 épreuves (minimum score of 400) and TCF – tout public (minimum score of 400), with results from each of the four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
  • Results from the academic language test from Educational Testing Service (ETS) TOEFL iBT Test (minimum score of 83), with results from each of the four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

Image Credits: Photo by Chivalry Creative on Unsplash

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