Qin, Yiwei2026-01-082026-01-082026-01-08http://hdl.handle.net/10393/51236https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-31658Through this study, I aimed to understand how Chinese immigrants make sense of their experiences with English language testing in the Canadian immigration system. To this end, I first examined the rationales and discourses that shape Canadian immigration policy, particularly those related to language requirements. I then explored how Chinese immigrants perceive and interact with language tests, and how these experiences shape their choices, emotions, and sense of belonging in Canada. By placing these two strands of analysis in dialogue, the study revealed how official framings of language both constrain and are contested by immigrant voices. Drawing on a poststructuralist orientation, the study was guided by policy archaeology (Scheurich, 1994) for the analysis of policy and media documents, and the findings were also viewed through the lens of the model of investment (Darvin & Norton, 2015) to interpret participant data. I adopted a qualitative methodology that foregrounded participants’ voices. Participants took part in focus group discussions and collaborative co-analysis sessions. Rather than treating participants solely as data sources, I invited them to contribute as co-researchers, prioritizing their interpretations and amplifying their perspectives on language, identity, and belonging. Document and media data analysis revealed policy trends that emphasize language as a measure of economic potential and cultural fit, often under the guise of fairness and meritocracy. These discourses reflect neoliberal narratives that privilege “ideal immigrants” who can demonstrate both productivity and adaptability through language scores. Themes from focus group data were organized primarily according to three dimensions of the model of investment—identity, ideology, and capital (Darvin & Norton, 2015). Themes related to identity revealed tensions between external perceptions and participants’ internal sense of self, shaped by their migration histories and cultural background. Themes related to ideology reflected how participants engaged with dominant discourses of legitimacy, often navigating contradictions between policy expectations and lived realities. Themes related to capital illuminated how participants’ linguistic, cultural, and symbolic resources were recognized, devalued, or transformed through the immigration process. Cross-cutting themes included reflections on fairness, emotional labor, and systemic exclusion. The findings contribute to the growing literature on language testing and migration by centering immigrants’ perspectives and offering a critical account of how assessment practices shape social inclusion and exclusion in Canada.enlanguage assessmentimmigration policylanguage testingChinese immigrantsco-analysispolicy archeologymodel of investmentThesis