Up from CLB 5 to CLB 7

Jun 10, 2025

Written by Eddy Ramírez

 

Do you need to improve your French quickly for permanent residence in Canada?! Well, you are not the only one! This urgency is more common than you might think.

In many cases, when an immigrant moves to Canada and begins the day-to-day of his or her new life, he or she will find that the reality is different. He begins to notice that the CLB 5 level in French helped him to immigrate and work through the Mobilité Francophone program, but it is not the language spoken by his boss or his colleagues in the work environment, as they speak English!

So, although he entered the country as a French speaker, the language does not serve him as he thought it would, and on top of that, there is the urgency of transitioning to permanent residency! So, when you start the process of Express Entry process to Canada, you realize that it is not enough with the CLB 5 with which you arrived is not enough! needs a CLB 7! That's where the competition competition against timeYou need to gain Canadian experience to apply for the Canadian Experience Class, while improving your level of French to raise your score. In short, many things to accomplish before your documents are due.

That's the way things are for immigrants in Canada! 

That's why, today we will talk about the time it takes to go from a CLB 5 to a CLB 7 and the strategies to achieve it and and compete with a chance of success in Express Entry. Let's get started!

 

How to go up from CLB 5 to CLB 7 in French?

If you are already in Canada, there are two factors that can help you in this process:

  • The first is to learn quickly by taking French classes with a structured approach, in a recognized and preferably Languages Canada certified academy.
  • The second is to creating a French-speaking social circleThis is something that many immigrants do not consider because they have the mistaken idea that the course is enough, but it is not.

I will take a brief moment to comment on a personal anecdote personal anecdote that made it clear to me how important language immersion is:

A few years ago, when I was already living in Canada and learning English, I remember I went to take a break and a French friend of mine, who was in class with me, disappeared for a few minutes. When I saw her, I blurted out a genuine and fluent: "Where were you?". That's when I realized that I was able to correctly conjugate "where" of location with "were in the past tense, without having studied it in class.

Of course, it is since I had created a Canadian social circle with which, almost without realizing it, I had been learning! It was a moment of mind-blowingbecause that's how we really learn in learn in real life. And in any language it's the same. Even in French.

Learning the structures in class is all well and good, but until we are exposed to the exposed to the way the language is actually spoken, we don't internalize the language. We call this language immersion and is achieved through constant practice and social interaction.

 

The importance of social interaction

A big mistake is to think that only by studying in a course you will be able to advance. The truth is that in order to reach a CLB 7you need to to listen, speak and live the language.. This can be achieved:

  • Surrounding himself with French speakers and asking them to correct him when he speaks.
  • Making friends on WhatsApp groups or social networks in French.
  • Consuming content in French: podcasts, short videos, movies.

If you can also integrate into a French-speaking French-speaking social circleIf he/she is able to integrate into a French-speaking social circle, progress will be faster, because he/she will be exposed to the language in a natural way.

Now then, the question of the topic.... 

How to improve your French quickly to qualify for permanent residency in Canada?

If you are consistent and really immerse yourself in the language, around 150 to 200 hours of study and practice can make all the difference. Depending on your dedication, in two months you could see significant progress.

If you are in Canada with a CLB 5 and need a CLB 7 for Express Entry, don't just focus on classes, but surround yourself with the language on a daily basis.. Create social circles, ask for corrections, consume French content and above all, make the language part of your life! Put it into practice and you will see good results!

I hope these recommendations will help you to advance your language skills and get your permanent residency in time. 

 

Study French with Planeta Immiland Education

Planeta Immiland is the first language school for immigration purposes in Canada, here we teach to speak the two official languages of the country: English and French. We are certified by certification from Languages Canada.

For students who want to speak French at a conversational level (CLB 5) French at a conversational level (CLB 5)the Mobilité Francophone is sufficient and will allow you to demonstrate basic communication skills at work. However, for programs such as the Express Entryprogram, a level of CLB 7 or higher is key, as it leads to additional points in the selection system.

Improving the level of French before applying to an immigration program can significantly increase the chances of success in the process; that is why we design specialized courses that help candidates reach the required level and strengthen their language skills.

If you need to go up from CLB 5 to CLB 7 in French for permanent residence in Canada, select the course General French (CLB 7 or higher) and start your way to Canada.

 

Thank you very much for reading us! See you soon!

 

With love, 

 

Planet Immiland

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