• Education
• Adult Education
• ESL for Adults

What is the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program?

LINC is a free language training program for eligible adult learners.

The LINC program is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You do not have to pay to for LINC classes. LINC provides basic language skills. If you need specific language skills, you may want to consider a program that better fits your educational or career goals.

In Ontario, the Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC) program is generally offered in English. However, there are a few institutions that offer it in French. To find out more, read Can I take the LINC program in French?

LINC offers both full- and part-time classes, and some centres have free child-minding while you attend classes. Remember, every adult in your family can take LINC classes if they are eligible.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for the LINC program in Ontario, you must

• Be a permanent resident of Canada, or Convention Refugee, or be a person in Canada whose application for Permanent Resident status is being processed in Canada and who has been informed by a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada of the initial approval of your application subject to an admissibility assessment (this means you have approval-in-principle);
• Be at least 18 years old; and
• Take a language assessment test at a Language Assessment Centre, to figure out which level is right for you.

You are not eligible for LINC if you are a:

• Canadian citizen
• Refugee claimant
• Temporary resident (such as foreign student, foreign worker or visitor)

Many community agencies can help you find LINC classes. To find help, go to Services Near Me and search for "LINC" in your area.

For More Information

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) - The nationally recognized standard for assessing of Adult English as a Second Language in Canada.
• CLB - Online Self-Assessment - This tool will assess your CLB levels in reading and listening. Your test results are for your information only - they are not official results.