Immigrate to Canada

It is relatively easy to immigrate to Canada, however, the process can be complicated in terms of determining which program to apply for; providing the required documents; filling out the forms correctly; getting an Education Credential Assessment (ECA); taking the English or French language evaluation exam; seeking Canadian employment; finding a place to live in Canada; etc. Canadian Visa Expert works with authorized immigration consultants and offers services to help make the process as easy as possible.

The fastest way to immigrate to Canada is through Express Entry, since most skilled immigrants receive a decision about their application in six months or less after it is filed.

There is no age limit for immigration to Canada (for example, parents and grandparents can be sponsored for Canadian permanent residency). Skilled foreign workers who are applying for Canadian immigration through the Federal Skilled Worker Program receive the maximum points for age between 18 and 35 years of age, but then fewer points are earned for age each year after 35 and no points for age are given to applicants older than 46.

The easiest way to immigrate to Canada is applying for Express Entry. After you file your Express Entry profile, and if you are placed in the pool of candidates, you simply wait to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada. If you can get a qualifying offer of employment in Canada or a Provincial Nomination or you have one of the highest scores in the pool, this could result in an ITA being issued. Once you have an ITA, you will file your Application for Canadian Permanent Residency within 60 days and should receive a decision in six months or less.

In general, a skilled foreign worker will need several thousand Canadian dollars (CAD) to immigrate to Canada. The amount of money required will depend on the size of your family, where you will be living in Canada and other factors. According to the Canadian immigration agency, the minimum amount needed to immigrate to Canada is: $13,310 CAD for one person, $16,570 CAD for two people, and $20,371 CAD for three people.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CSR) is used by the Canadian immigration agency to score an Express Entry profile. There are 1200 points possible, based on education, skills, work experience, factors related to a spouse/partner, receiving a provincial nomination, having a qualifying job offer, possessing good French language abilities, and having a brother or sister who is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. If you get one of the highest CRS scores, you could receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada.

No, you do not need an offer of employment in Canada for Express Entry. Receiving a qualifying Canadian job offer is, however, practical for a skilled immigrant who wants to work in Canada. You could get points toward certain Canadian immigration programs (such as the FSWP) for having an offer of employment in Canada and could also be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Express Entry.

You can create an online Express Entry profile for free on the Canadian immigration agency’s website. Your profile will include information about your education, English and French language skills, work experience and other relevant information. After you create your Express Entry online account, you will have 60 days to fill in and submit your details for review. If your profile is placed in the pool of candidates and you receive an Invitation to Apply, you will have 60 days to file your application for immigration to Canada.

As an international student living in Canada, you may have the opportunity to become a Canadian permanent resident after you graduate. International students are allowed to work in Canada while they are attending their educational program; there is an option to receive a temporary permit to work in Canada after graduation; and you may be able to apply for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class Program or other immigration program if you satisfy the criteria.

You need a minimum of one year of skilled work experience in Canada during the past three years prior to applying for the CEC Program. This must be full-time, paid work experience and you must have been permitted to legally work in Canada. “Skilled work experience” can be in a job in Canada that is listed at TEER Level 0, 1, 2 or 3 according to the 2021 National Occupation Classification (NOC).

A: If you are applying for immigration to Canada through the FSWP, and you received your education outside of Canada, you will need to get an Education Credential Assessment (ECA). The ECA must be performed from the designated organization that is relevant for your occupation, which will review your details to confirm if your education received outside of Canada is equivalent to an education obtained inside Canada. An example of a designated organization is World Education Services (WES).

If you satisfy the eligibility requirements, you may be able to immigrate to Canada through the Self-Employed Persons Program. In general, you need to have relevant experience in athletics or cultural activities, and be able and willing to contribute substantially to the athletic or cultural life of Canada. “Relevant experience” means a minimum of two years of experience in the past 5 years being self-employed in athletic or cultural activities. You will be evaluated based on your adaptability, age, education, experience, and English or French language skills.

As a Canadian permanent resident, you can travel to and from Canada whenever you want. When you travel outside of Canada, make sure that you have a valid Permanent Resident Card with you before you leave, since you will need to present it and your valid foreign passport when you return. In order to maintain your Canadian permanent resident status, you must be physically present in Canada a minimum of 730 days within a five-year time period.

The amount of time required to become a Canadian permanent resident depends on which immigration program you are applying for and other factors. For example, a skilled foreign worker who applies for Express Entry immigration to Canada could become a Canadian permanent resident in about 6-18 months. On the other hand, it may takes longer for a parent or grandparent to become a Canadian permanent resident through the Family Sponsorship Program.

It is faster and preferred to include your spouse or common-law partner in your Application for Canadian Permanent Residency, so the decision regarding immigration to Canada will be made at the same time for all immediate family members. If you get married, or you have been living with a common-law partner for 12 consecutive months, after you become a Canadian permanent resident, and you are at least 18 years of age and satisfy other criteria, then you will need to sponsor them through the Family Sponsorship Program.

If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen, at least 18 years of age, living in Canada and you meet all of the requirements, you can file an online interest to sponsor your parent(s) or grandparent(s) for immigration to Canada. You must prove that you are financially able to support your parent(s) or grandparent(s) while they are living in Canada. Your parent(s) or grandparent(s) must also meet all of the requirements for immigration to Canada.

If you have dependent children under 22 years of age who are unmarried/without a partner and living outside of Canada, or dependent children over 22 years of age who are unmarried/without a partner who cannot financially support themselves because of a physical or mental condition, and they have depended on you for financial support since they were younger than 22, you can apply to sponsor them for immigration to Canada through the Family Sponsorship Program.

Family members who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, at least 18 years of age and who meet all of the criteria, may be able to sponsor you for immigration to Canada if you also satisfy the eligibility requirements.

Most Canadian immigration programs do not require an offer of employment in Canada, however, there are some programs that do require a job offer. For example, an offer of employment in Canada is not required for Express Entry, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Provincial Nominee Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program, and Family Sponsorship Program. The Atlantic Immigration Program and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot do require a job offer in Canada.

Most Canadian immigration programs do not use a points system, but some do. For example, the Federal Skilled Worker Program requires at least 67 out of 100 points. The Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program requires at least 50 out of 103 points for a single applicant or 59 out of 120 points for an applicant who is married or has a common-law partner. Some Provincial Nominee Programs have their own points system. Points are given for education, work experience, language skills and other factors.

You may be able to immigrate to Canada at the age of 55 through the Family Sponsorship Program (for example, as the spouse/partner, parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident). If you are a skilled foreign worker, it will be very difficult to immigrate to Canada at 55, because Canada is seeking younger skilled immigrants who can contribute to the economy for many years, you will not receive points for age and it will be a challenge to qualify.

The term “job offer” in the context of Canadian immigration refers to a valid offer of employment in Canada made to a foreign worker by an eligible Canadian employer. In many cases, a valid job offer must include a favorable Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which the employer applies for with the Canadian government when asking for permission to hire a foreign worker. The LMIA is not, however, always required for an immigrant to work in Canada. A valid job offer will often require a minimum length of full-time employment (for example, at least one year).

Workers are needed for approximately one million jobs in Canada in all sectors of the economy. There are thousands of Canadian job openings in agriculture, business, construction, education, engineering, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, natural resources, retail, transportation and other sectors. The demand is especially high for managers, workers with university degrees and skilled tradespeople. Examples of high-demand jobs in Canada include accountants, construction managers, electrical engineers, registered nurses and software developers

Canada has a publicly-funded, universal healthcare system called Medicare which is administered by each province and territory and available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents for free or for a small subsidized charge. In general, Canada’s public healthcare system covers about 70% of healthcare needs of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Dental care, eye care and prescription medications are partially covered by Medicare, so a majority of Canadians have private supplemental health insurance to cover the remaining costs (many employers offer this supplemental insurance as a benefit).

The monthly cost of living in Canada will depend on the size of your family, where you live, your housing arrangements, and other factors. The average cost of living in Canada for a single person is about $1,200 CAD per month excluding rent and for a family of four it is around $4,300 CAD per month excluding rent. The average monthly rent in Canada for a one bedroom apartment is about $1,400 CAD and for a three bedroom apartment it is around $2,400 CAD.

People immigrate to Canada from all over the world, however, the top countries of origin for new immigrants include: India, China, Philippines, Nigeria, France, United States, Brazil, Iran, South Korea and Pakistan.

For Canadian immigration purposes, you may take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test or the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test. The scores from the English language evaluation test need to be less than two years old. The scores that are required depend on which Canadian immigration program you are applying for.

Yes! You can bring your spouse or common-law partner (opposite or same sex) and dependent children who are under 22 years of age and unmarried/without a partner to live in Canada with you. As a citizen or permanent resident of Canada who is at least 18 years of age and meets other criteria, you can apply to sponsor other family members to live in Canada. You and your family members must satisfy the criteria for immigration to Canada.