When an international student wants to apply to study in some of the developed countries in the world like the UK, Canada, Germany, Norway, etc, they are required to meet language proficiency requirements. Language proficiency is developed to test candidates’ listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities.
For most English-speaking countries and universities whose medium of instruction is the English language, IELTS is the generally accepted proficiency test. In simpler terms, if you want to study abroad, you will be required to provide an IELTS test score to be offered admission and be issued a study visa.
This requirement usually hinders many from studying abroad – the IELTS test is difficult and expensive. Though IELTS is the most accepted English proficiency test throughout the world, there are alternatives to IELTS for students who cannot go through the stress of the test. There are careerareanguage proficiency tests like TOEFL, Duolingo English Test CanTEST, PTE, CAEL, CPE, Cambridge English Exams, etc. There are also some special programs created by universities instead of IELTS. So, you can study abroad without having IELTS.
Since you are aware that there are alternatives to IELTS, how can you apply for a study visa without IELTS especially in Canada, the UK, and Europe? Just sit back and go through this article as it explores the possibilities of getting study visas in the aforementioned countries/regions without IELTS.
Ways To Study Abroad Without IELTS
In the introductory part of this article, we have made it known that it is possible to gain admission abroad without an IELTS exam, so let’s examine how you can study abroad without IELTS
1. Proof of English Medium Education: One of Our term, “Anna” had explained the same point on this page. One of the ways to get admission abroad without IELTS is to have proof that your previous education experience was taken with English as a medium of instruction. You must have at least five years of a consecutive experience, for your claim to be considered.
2. Proof of Being a Native of an English-speaking Country: If your first language is English, you don’t need to provide IELTS or any other test to be offered admission. Also, some countries in which English is their official might be exempted from the language proficiency requirements by the admission department, if you are in this category, you won’t need IELTS for admission.
3. Special English Language Course: Many universities abroad offered international students special English language programs, especially for individuals who don’t meet the IELTS requirements. These programs usually last for some months and once it’s being completed, you will be able to begin your program without IELTS.
4. Alternative English Proficiency Tests: IELTS is though the most widely accepted language proficiency test but there are some other language proficiency tests like TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE, etc which are also being accepted by universities around the world. Producing any of these tests works just like IELTS.
Is It Possible To Apply for Study Visa Abroad Without IELTS?
This answer to the question: can you apply for a study visa abroad – Canada, UK, and Europe without IELTS is affirmative. Since you can study abroad without IELTS, you can apply for a study visa/permit without IELTS.
To apply for a study visa/permit without IELTS, you must first apply to the university of your choice, and once your admission is completed, you must collect proof that the university has offered you admission without IELTS. This will be used at the embassy while applying for the study visa/permit. It is advisable to contact the nearest embassy to ascertain if they will process your study visa without having an IELTS test.
How To Apply for Study Visa Abroad Without IELTS
I have just briefly looked at the possibility of applying for a study visa abroad without IELTS and I now understand that since it is possible to get admission to study abroad without IELTS, it is then possible to apply for a study visa without IELTS.
Let’s now examine how to apply for a study visa in Canada, the UK, and Europe without IELTS.
Applying for Canadian Study Permit Without IELTS
The reason for migration to Canada determines if you will need IELTS or not. For a study permit, you will generally be required to provide IELTS for your application to be accepted. However, you can be exempted from providing the IELTS proficiency requirement if you can:
- Provide other language proficiency exams like TOEFL, Duolingo English Test CanTEST, PTE, CAEL, CPE, Cambridge English Exams, etc.
- Submit proof that you have studied in an English medium school for at least 4 years as the replacement for English proficiency scores.
- Proof that your university will make you go through English language courses like the Intensive English Language Program (IELP).
- Proof that you are from an English-speaking country.
- Applying through Canadian universities that doesn’t request for an English proficiency test.
But understand that before applying for the study permit visa to Canada, you must have been offered admission to study in Canada by any Canadian university. Since you will be applying for a study permit without IELTS, the school that offered you admission will give you a certificate that you have met their language proficiency should in case the embassy required for IELTS.
Some of the universities that can offer you admission in Canada without IELTS are the University of Winnipeg; Brock University; University of Saskatchewan; Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; Cambrian University; Okanagan College; Concordia University; Seneca College, Toronto; Carleton University; etc. See Full list of Universities in Canada to secure an admission without IELTS or TOEFL >>here<<.
Applying for UK Student Visa Without IELTS
Since the United Kingdom is no more part of the European Union, if you or your family member(s) are a citizen(s) of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, and started living in the UK before 1 January 2021, you could be eligible for the free EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), other than that, you will need to apply for study visa to be able to live in the UK for study purpose.
In applying for the UK student visa, you must have been offered admission by any of the UK’s tertiary institutions that have met the language proficiency requirements. The language proficiency test which is generally accepted is IELTS, but you can bypass the IELTS requirements if:
- English was the primary medium of instruction in your school.
- Your university considers X and XII English marks to assess language skills.
- Your university conducts its interviews to assess your language skills.
- You have taken another English language assessment like TOEFL, Duolingo, Cambridge English Exams, etc.
- Your university will allow you to take a pre-sessional English course
Once you have proof of any of the above, you will need to proceed with the study visa. Endeavor to contact the nearest embassy to be sure if it will process your visa without IELTS. They usually don’t reject applications once your school has cleared you.
Not all universities in the UK offered admission without IELTS. Some of the universities you can explore to bypass IELTS in the UK are the University of Central Lancashire, University of Greenwich, Swansea University, University of Northampton, University of Plymouth, Portsmouth University, Northumbria University, Robert Gordon University, University of Bolton, etc.
Applying for Student Visa Without IELTS in Europe
Europe is the most developed continent in the world, and it is also home to the most visited countries – France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Finland, and others. It is one of the top destinations for international students with many world-class universities which accept applications without IELTS.
In Europe, if you want to pursue a program, you need to research and shortlist the courses and universities you want to apply to. Once your admission is being accepted, you may have to give a Personal Interview.
If that was successfully done, you will get a letter of acceptance from the university you have applied to. Then you can apply for a Student Visa and begin your study.
Just like in other places, if you want to study in Europe, you will need to provide IELTS as language proficiency proof. However, you can be exempted if you are from an English-speaking country, or have taken other language proficiency exams.
The following are some of the universities in Europe which you can study without IELTS
Germany
- Free University of Berlin
- University of Siegen
- University of Koblenz and Landau
- Esslingen University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Esslingen)
- University of Kaiserslautern
France
- American Business School, Paris
- EBS Paris
- ESAIP School of Engineers
- EPITA Graduate School of Computer Science
Poland
- Medical University of Gdansk
- Kozminski University
- Medical University of Warsaw
- University of Bialystok
Norway
- University of Oslo
- University of Bergen
- Norwegian University of Science And Technology
Italy
- University of Bologna
- Polytechnic University of Milan
Conclusion
It is possible to apply for a study visa abroad – Canada, the UK, and Europe without IELTS. The possibility depends on the university that offered you admission. If the university accepts an application without IELTS, the embassy will process your study visa based on that.
You don’t need a separate language proficiency test for study visa processing once you have been cleared by your desired university. We hope this article has helped in understanding how to process a study visa abroad without IELTS. Kindly drop a comment below, if you need additional information regarding this piece.