Lack of language tests in NWT adds barrier to immigration, MLAs say

Two MLAs say people who require a language test as part of their immigration process must now travel outside the NWT to take one.

Collège Nordique was the only NWT venue for the tests but stopped offering them earlier this fall, Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse told the legislature last week.

Morse said the test program loses money and the college “can no longer absorb” that after losing $2 million in annual federal funding.

The test is the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program, or CELPIP. It is one of the approved tests the federal and territorial governments require as part of immigration programs like the Northwest Territories Nominee Program and Federal Skilled Workers Program.

It had been offered in Yellowknife since 2021.

“Access to local language testing is not merely a convenience,” said Morse. “It’s an important part of supporting immigration, workforce retention, and the long-term vitality of NWT communities.”

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said people looking to take the test must now travel to Edmonton.

If the territory is serious about retaining workers and growing its population, “we must keep this language testing accessible” and affordable, Hawkins said.

Education, culture and employment minister Caitlin Cleveland said her department has been in touch with Collège Nordique and is “looking for solutions.”

“This is funding that I simply don’t have at my fingertips,” said Cleveland.

She said her department is working to understand the college’s needs and searching for additional funding to help bridge the gap, whether it be from the federal government, industry partners or other organizations within the NWT.

‘There’s a huge need’

Patrick Arsenault, executive director of Collège Nordique, told Cabin Radio the institution requires $50,000 a year to offer the test.

However, French language instructor Leanne Robinson – who coordinates the testing – said the company that owns the test recently updated its requirements for facilities that deliver CELPIP.

Arsenault said the school needs an extra $20,000 to make the necessary computer and security camera upgrades.

He said the Department of Education, Culture and Employment offered the college $30,000 in annual funding to continue to offer the test, but that isn’t enough to recover its costs.

“We would have to take a hit every year,” said Arsenault.

Robinson said the closest testing centres are in Grande Prairie or Edmonton, requiring hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars in travel.

Arsenault said someone might have to make the trip more than once if they don’t pass on their first try. Robinson added some people need extensive time away from work to do that, whereas a test in Yellowknife requires only “the afternoon off.”

“If it’s a test that’s done here [in Yellowknife], then they can just take the afternoon off, or they can work around it,” said Robinson.

Arsenault said 430 people took the test in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

That means “430 people per year would be travelling or not taking the test,” he said, noting that skipping the test could affect someone’s immigration and employment.

He said the program was growing, despite failing to recover its costs. According to Arsenault, 144 people took the test in Yellowknife when it was first offered in 2021.

“There’s a huge need in the community and I think it’s going to impact newcomers, employers, and it’s going to cause a lot of costs,” said Arsenault.

“It would be great to be able to resume offering the test again locally here in Yellowknife, especially after having so much success over the past few years.”