Back in August of ‘25, it was announced that the TOEFL Essentials test was “recognized” by IRCC. Most observers assumed that recognition would be followed by acceptance of the test for migration to Canada. And we all celebrated. Alas… seven months have passed and the test has yet to move past the recognition phase. It is still not accepted by IRCC for any purpose.
HOWEVER… I have spotted some movement on this front. According to a recent LinkedIn post, ETS is currently seeking to hire a “Business Development and Immigration Director” for Canada.
Says ETS’s new job listing:
“We are seeking a Director of Immigration Operations to own the execution and delivery of ETS’s immigration positioning in Canada. This role is accountable for ensuring TOEFL and TOEFL Essentials are effectively positioned, operationalized, and sustained across relevant immigration pathways, while enabling channel and strategic partners to support adoption within agreed commercial frameworks.”
I’m left wondering if ETS might pitch the standard TOEFL iBT as a test for immigration to Canada. As regular readers know, it is pretty much the same test as TOEFL Essentials.
In any case, testing for immigration to Canada has become more competitive in recent years. IELTS enjoyed something of a monopoly for many years, but that has been eroded by the folks at CELPIP, which is a surprisingly popular test among people already in the country. Pearson’s PTE Core is growing as well.