LINC Programs In Canada

The Government of Canada, in cooperation with local school boards, community colleges, immigrant and community organizations, offers French and English language training across Canada. The name of the program is LINC, which stands for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada.

The LINC assessment centres across Canada can assess your French and English language training needs and refer you to LINC ESL English classes from benchmark levels 1 to 5. You can contact LINC providers directly for more information and remember to ask about fees, since some of these courses may not be free.

• Who Is Eligible? (this criteria is often changed by the Government)
• If you are 18 years or older or have a high school diploma you are eligible with any of the following categories:
• Canadian Citizen born outside of Canada
• Permanent Resident
• Convention Refugee/Protected Person
• Persons in Canada whose applications for Permanent Resident status are being processed in Canada and who have been informed by a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada of the initial approval of their application subject to an admissibility assessment:
• Refugee Claimant
• Temporary Worker or Student who has obtained initial approval for a concurrent Application for Permanent Residence
• Foreign domestic worker admitted under the Live-In Caregiver program

• What Is the Procedure?
• An appointment for language assessment must be scheduled in advance.
• During the assessment, a certified language assessor will determine your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and the most appropriate class level to help you find the most suitable language training.
• The YMCA of Greater Toronto does not offer any language training, just the assessment that is needed for it. Instead, language classes are offered by many different partner organizations in the community. The Language Assessment and Referral Service will provide the information you need to find the class that is right for you.

LINC Programs In Canada

• Toronto Link Assessment Centers - Call for Bookings: (416) 925-5462
• YMCA, Milner Business Court,
• YMCA, Albion Road,
• YMCA, Dufferin St.
• YMCA, Consumers Road
• YMCA, Grosvenor Street,

• Newfoundland
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Association for New Canadians, St. John's, Newfoundland

• Nova Scotia
• Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement, Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Prince Edward Island
• PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada, Charlottetown, PEI

• New Brunswick
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Saint John, New Brunswick
• English Language Program University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Saint John, New Brunswick

• Ontario
• Community Development Council, Durham, Ajax, Ontario
• Guelph Multicultural Centre, Guelph, Ontario
• Kingston and District Immigrant Services, Kingston, Ontario
• Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA Language Assessment Centre, Kitchener, Ontario
• London Cross Cultural Learner Centre, London, Ontario
• YMCA-YWCA Language Assessment and Referral Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• New Canadians' Centre, Peterborough, Ontario
• The Career Foundation, Richmond Hill, Ontario
• LINC Assessment and Outreach Services, St. Catharines, Ontario
• LINC Assessment Centre, Sarnia, Ontario
• Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association, Sudbury, Ontario,
• Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, Thunder Bay, Ontario,
• YMCA of Greater Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• English Testing Centre, Windsor, Ontario

• Manitoba
• Citizenship Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Saskatchewan
• The Assessment Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

• Alberta
• ILVARC, Calgary, Alberta
• LARCC - Language Assessment and Referral, Edmonton, Alberta
• LINC Assessment Centre, Red Deer, Alberta

• British Columbia
• Kamloops Immigrant Services Society, Kamloops, BC
• Multicultural Society of Kelowna, Kelowna, BC
• Okanagan University College, Revelstoke, BC
• Vernon and District Immigrant Services Society, Vernon, BC
• Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC

• Yukon/Northwest Territories/Nunavut
• Aurora College, Yellowknife, NWT

We recommend the FREE LINC programs for all new Canadians that are French or English language beginners and qualify for the LINK program.

Individuals who have completed LINC level 5 will have an English language level generally classified as lower intermediate. LINC level 5 graduates may find that upper intermediate and advanced ESL English training is necessary to qualify for Canadian jobs requiring upper intermediate to advanced English Language fluency or Canadian college and university admission which requires the equivalent of LINC level 9.

This intermediate and advanced ESL English training is available from some LINC schools as an ELT Enhanced Language Training program or private ESL English tutors and ESL English language schools at a fee of $10 to $15 per English class or $25 - 60 per hour for professional ESL English tutoring.

Original Post: ESL in Canada Directory