Canada funds English and French classes for many newly arrived adults, and the classes are free to those who qualify. This article summarises the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) page on government-funded language classes and the Ontario settlement information service Settlement.Org’s description of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) programme. It covers the federal programme as it is described on those pages, with Ontario as the example. Provincial arrangements can differ, and the pages read do not address Quebec, so those details are not covered. It is general information; eligibility should be checked with a local newcomer-serving organisation.
Two programmes, two languages
IRCC lists two government-funded programmes: LINC, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, which teaches English, and CLIC, Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada, which teaches French. Settlement.Org describes LINC as a free language training programme for eligible adult learners funded by IRCC, providing foundational language skills, and notes that the same arrangement operates in French through CLIC. Classes follow official national standards, the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English and the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French, according to IRCC.
Who can take the classes
IRCC says permanent residents and protected persons can take language classes at no cost. Settlement.Org gives more detail for Ontario: applicants must be permanent residents, protected persons, convention refugees or Ukrainian nationals admitted under the CUAET-AVUCU arrangements, must be at least 18 years old and must not be enrolled in CLIC at the same time. It lists as ineligible Canadian citizens, refugee claimants and temporary residents such as foreign students, workers and visitors. The IRCC page itself does not spell out the groups who are excluded, so the Settlement.Org list should be read as a description of Ontario delivery and rules can change, so the current position should be confirmed with IRCC or a local provider. In practice, this means many newcomers on temporary permits must look for other options, such as college language courses, tutors or community classes.
Cost, format and childcare
Classes are fully government-funded, at no cost to participants. Settlement.Org says LINC offers both full-time and part-time classes, and some centres provide free childcare during class time. IRCC says childcare is available in some places, with people who will mind a child while a parent attends. Whether care is offered depends on the location, so anyone with young children should ask when registering.
How to enrol
Enrolment follows the same steps on both pages:
- Visit an organisation that helps newcomers.
- Request a formal language assessment.
- Register for classes.
- Begin attending.
Settlement.Org says applicants take a test at a Language Assessment Centre, and that an online self-assessment tool is available through the National Centre for Language Benchmarks. Settlement agencies throughout Ontario help with enrolment, and the service points people to the 211 Ontario helpline for finding free English classes nearby. The assessment matters because it places the learner at a level rather than in a general beginners’ class.
Certificates and citizenship
IRCC says that on completing a CLB level, a learner receives a certificate that shows their proficiency. It adds that a certificate at CLB level 4 or higher can be used to meet the language requirement for citizenship. Because citizenship requirements are set separately and can change, anyone planning an application should check the current IRCC citizenship pages rather than relying on this summary. The site’s article on language tests for Canadian Express Entry covers the separate approved tests used for immigration applications, and its guide to CEFR levels explains a different framework used in Europe.
How this compares with other countries
Comparable publicly funded programmes exist elsewhere. For Australia, see the site’s piece on free English classes and the Adult Migrant English Program, and for England the guide to free ESOL classes. Each has its own eligibility rules, so one country’s entitlements should never be assumed to apply in another.
Common questions
Is LINC available to international students?
Settlement.Org lists foreign students among the temporary residents who are not eligible for LINC in Ontario.
Do I need a test before joining?
Yes. Both pages describe a formal language assessment as the first step before registration.
Can I learn French through the same route?
Yes. IRCC lists CLIC as the French-language equivalent, and the classes follow the NCLC.
Is childcare guaranteed?
No. It is available in some places or at some centres, so it should be checked with the provider.
The bottom line
LINC and CLIC give eligible newcomers in Canada free English or French classes, assessed and levelled against national benchmarks, with certificates that can count towards the citizenship language requirement at CLB level 4 or higher, according to IRCC. Eligibility centres on permanent residents and protected persons and excludes many temporary residents, so the first step is a formal assessment through a newcomer-serving organisation.
Sources
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “Language classes funded by the Government of Canada” (canada.ca)
- Settlement.Org, “What is the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program?”