The Accompanying Spouse or Common-Law Partner Factors – II: The Official Language Proficiency
Individuals would receive points for the level of proficiency in the official language factor. The authorities would issue points based on the proficiency of the foreign national’s accompanying spouse or common-law partner in their first official language.
The foreign national’s accompanying spouse or common-law partner would receive points for proficiency in the English language based on the results assessed. The assessing authority would need to assess the proficiency of these individuals based on the benchmarks outlined in the Canadian Language Benchmarks. Similarly, the foreign national’s accompanying spouse or common-law partner would receive points for proficiency in the French language based on the results assessed. The assessing authority would need to assess the proficiency of these individuals based on the benchmarks outlined in the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens.
To receive points in this category for the official language proficiency of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner, the foreign national would need to:
- Specify which official language the officers could consider as being the first official language of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner and,
- Have an organisation or institution assess the proficiency of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner in that particular language
- It is worth noting that this organisation or institution must have the relevant designation specified by the provisions mentioned under subsection 74 (3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
- This assessment will remain valid for a period of two years from the date on which the relevant authorities issued it
As mentioned earlier, the foreign nationals would receive points for the proficiency of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner in the English language based on the results assessed. The assessing authority would need to assess the proficiency of these individuals based on the benchmarks outlined in the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
Similarly, the foreign nationals would receive points for the proficiency of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner in the French language based on the results assessed. The assessing authority would need to assess the proficiency of these individuals based on the benchmarks outlined in the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens. The table below contains further details on this.
Proficiency Levels of the Accompanying Spouses or Common-Law Partners in the First Official Language |
Points Assigned to Foreign Nationals |
Maximum points assignable for each of the language skill areas |
5 points |
|
|
Maximum points assignable for all the language skill areas, taken together, in the first official language of the accompanying spouse or common-law partner |
20 points |
|
|
If the accompanying spouse or common-law partner of the foreign national is: |
|
Assessed at level 4 or less than level 4 |
0 points |
Assessed at levels 5 or 6 |
1 point |
Assessed at levels 7 or 8 |
3 points |
Assessed at level 9 or higher |
5 points |
Source: Citizenship and Immigration