On August 19, 2022, the government of Canada announced that applicants who possess the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) or Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) certificates that indicate the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) levels, can use them as proof of language skills in their application for Canadian citizenship. Effective September 1, 2022, LINC and CLIC certificates may also be issued to clients via email, following security protocols.
At the end of a reporting period, learners should receive LINC or CLIC certificates showing that they have met the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). Certificates should generally be issued at the same time as progress reports for recipients using Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) or Portfolio-Based Language Evaluation (ELBP). Occasionally, certificates are issued to learners when they leave a class or when they request one, as long as the teacher has collected sufficient evidence to determine whether the learner is proficient in the language.
Certificates for LINC and CLIC training should only be issued by recipients who meet the following criteria:
preceded by a CLB- or NCLC-based placement assessment or an instructor-led in-class assessment
aligned to the NLPPG
based on the CLB or NCLC framework
guided by LINC, CLIC, or provincial CLB- or NCLC-based curriculum guidelines
led by a qualified teacher (that is, trained in Canada—or by a recognized foreign educational institution—to teach English or French as a second language)
aligned with the PBLA approach (a task-based approach to language instruction and assessment integrated throughout the teaching and learning cycle)
concluded with an evaluation of evidence collected throughout the term to determine the learner’s progress on the CLB or NCLC scale
The certificate can be printed in black and white or in color on letter-sized white paper and signed manually or electronically by the recipient's LINC or CLIC coordinator. Therefore, the signed certificate may be delivered in person, mailed, or emailed to the client. Due to the fact that this document contains personal information, all efforts should be made to ensure that it is sent as securely as possible.