Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
Last Verified:
2003-07-28
The provinces of Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia have assumed responsibility for the design, administration and delivery of settlement programs and services with federal funding. Settlement programs and services are to be reasonably comparable to those provided across the country.
The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program provides basic language instruction in one of Canada's official languages to adult immigrants as soon as possible after their arrival in Canada, so that they may acquire the necessary language skills to integrate into Canadian society. Through the continued co-operation between CIC and other partners, quality training can be offered to the broadest range and largest number of newcomers. Organizations interested in becoming partners in the LINC Program may obtain applications for funding by contacting their regional Citizenship and Immigration office.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Service Providers
To be eligible under LINC, service providers must be:
- businesses;
- non-profit groups;
- non-governmental organizations;
- community groups;
- educational institutions;
- individuals;
- provincial, territorial or municipal governments.
Eligible Clients
To be eligible under LINC a person must be:
- an adult immigrant (older than legal school leaving age);
- either a permanent resident or a newcomer who has been allowed to remain in Canada, to whom CIC intends to rant permanent resident status and who has not acquired Canadian citizenship.
Summary
Before language training can be provided, clients must be rated to determine their level of language proficiency. The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA) is used for this purpose. It is based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks, a set of task-based level descriptors of English language ability. The CLBA provides an indication of the amount of training which may be required for clients to achieve the LINC Program outcome competency level. LINC training consists of a number of instruction levels and may be full or part-time, workplace or community-based, and uses alternative methods such as distance education and computer-assisted education. Where necessary, transportation and childminding assistance may be made available to LINC participants for whom language training would be otherwise inaccessible.
Clients may participate in LINC for up to three years from the time they start training. LINC aims to have the same proportion of women and men participating in its program as is reflected in the local immigrant population.
Term of agreement
Agreements for any funding component may be signed for a period of up to twelve months.
To find out more about LINC, contact your nearest Canada Immigration Centre or see the Handbook for Service Provider Organizations on the CIC Web site.
More Information
Nova Scotia Contact(s):
See National Contact.
National Contact(s):
Mr.
Sébastien
Goupil
Acting LINC Senior Advisor
Settlement
Integration Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
5th Floor
Jean Edmonds Tower North
300 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Telephone: (613) 954-1646
Fax: (613) 9527416
Web site:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca
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