IELTS requirements
What IELTS score do you need for Canada?
Canada is unusual in how precisely it converts IELTS into immigration outcomes. IRCC does not ask for a band directly — it converts your IELTS General Training scores into Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), and the programmes set CLB minimums. That makes the target unusually knowable: you can work backwards from the CLB level your programme needs.
Express Entry — the official CLB conversion
Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training only. IRCC publishes the per-ability equivalency, so each of your four scores is converted separately — your weakest ability sets your CLB level.
- CLB 9
- S 7.0 · L 8.0 · R 7.0 · W 7.0Competitive CRS territory
- CLB 8
- S 6.5 · L 7.5 · R 6.5 · W 6.5
- CLB 7
- 6.0 in all four abilitiesFederal Skilled Worker minimum
- CLB 5
- S 5.0 · L 5.0 · R 4.0 · W 5.0
Programme minimums
IRCC sets a language floor per economic programme. Meeting the floor makes you eligible; it does not make you competitive, since higher CLB levels earn more points.
- Federal Skilled Worker
- CLB 7 in all abilities= IELTS 6.0 across the board
- Canadian Experience Class
- CLB 7 (TEER 0/1) · CLB 5 (TEER 2/3)
- Federal Skilled Trades
- CLB 5 speaking & listening · CLB 4 reading & writing
After you graduate — the work permit
Since 1 November 2024, the post-graduation work permit carries its own language requirement, which caught out a lot of graduates who assumed studying in Canada was enough.
- University graduates (bachelor's/master's/doctoral)
- CLB 7 — IELTS 6.0 in each ability
- College / polytechnic graduates
- CLB 5 — R 4.0 · W 5.0 · L 5.0 · S 5.0
What we don't claim
The Student Direct Stream, which required 6.0 in each ability, ended on 8 November 2024 — ignore any guide still quoting it as a live route. Canadian university admission minimums are set by each institution and are not published by IRCC, so we do not state one here.
Sources
Every figure above comes from the body that sets it. Requirements change — check the source before you rely on a number.
- 1canada.caCLB↔IELTS equivalency table; FSW, CEC and FST minimums; General Training only
- 2canada.caPGWP language requirement, CLB 7 university / CLB 5 college
- 3canada.caPGWP CLB to IELTS conversion
- 4canada.caStudent Direct Stream ended 8 November 2024
Retrieved 22 July 2026
Now find out where you actually stand.
Knowing the number is the easy half. Sit a full mock under real exam conditions — timers that don't pause, audio that plays once — and find out which skill is holding your band down, before it costs you an application.