English and French are the two official languages of Canada and, therefore, one of the general eligibility requirements for most Canadian immigration programs is to demonstrate a certain level of English or French language proficiency.

With the exception of refugees fleeing conflict or other humanitarian crises and other exceptions to the rule, most main applicants for a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada will need to prove that they have a satisfactory level of English or French language abilities. This is usually done by receiving a certain score on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam for English or the Test d’Evaluation de Françs (TEF) for French.

Although a growing number of languages are spoken across Canada (especially in large, multicultural Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver), it is also practical for immigrants to known English or French for everyday activities and sociocultural integration into Canadian society.