In Panjab, high scores in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) have become an unexpected form of social capital for young women, driving marriage proposals and offering a pathway for families seeking to emigrate abroad. Harman, a 19-year-old from Jalandhar, experienced a surge in marriage proposals after scoring 7.5 on her IELTS, with families even overlooking caste and class barriers in favor of her English proficiency. This growing trend reflects Panjab’s intense aspiration to migrate, where marriage has become a strategic tool to secure visas. Many families promise to sponsor a woman’s education abroad, hoping that once she obtains a spouse visa, her husband can join her. With marriage adverts in Panjabi media specifically requesting IELTS-clear brides, marriages driven by IELTS success, are largely transactional in nature, focused on economic mobility. Professor Manvinder Kaur of Panjab University notes that these marriages can help women escape subordination but also reflect societal pressures in a state with limited opportunities. Many IELTS coaching centers have become quasi-marriage bureaus, with families seeking eligible girls who excel in the exam. However, on 29 Mar, changes to Canada’s visa rules significantly impacted the practice of so-called IELTS Brides. The new policy prohibits spouses of international students on undergraduate courses from obtaining work rights, jeopardizing this practice.
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