Immigrating to Canada: A Step-by-Step Guide
For people of all economic classes, Canada has around 120 different immigration options. The most popular choices are shown below.
Do you wish to work as a skilled worker in Canada?
In 1967, Canada implemented the world’s first objective points system to determine whether immigrants will be successful in the Canadian labor market. This was accomplished through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), which remains one of Canada’s most well-known immigration routes.
The number of extra Canadian immigration options now accessible to skilled workers has increased significantly since 1967.
In today’s world, Canada has 120 separate economic immigration streams. The reason for this is that immigration is defined in the Canadian Constitution as a shared obligation between the federal government and the country’s ten provinces and three territories.
Because of the country’s size and diversity, the federal government and provinces run a variety of skilled worker programs to meet the country’s various economic and labor market demands. This implies that Canada has both broad immigration schemes that choose the best individuals and more tailored programs that select immigrants based on their professional backgrounds.
The Immigration Levels Plan serves as a guide for Canada. It aims to welcome the biggest levels of immigration in its history, with over 400,000 new immigrants arriving each year. Approximately 60% of these newcomers will come to Canada as skilled employees or business immigrants. About a quarter of those who arrive will be sponsored by their families, while the remaining 15% will be accepted as refugees.
Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular options for skilled professionals.
Express Entry
Express Entry is the primary method through which Canada oversees and welcomes skilled workers through the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Each year, the IRCC hopes to welcome 110,000 new immigrants through Express Entry.
To immigrate to Canada using Express Entry, you must first ensure that you are eligible for one of the three Express Entry-managed programs. The three programs are as follows:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
If you meet the eligibility requirements for one of these programs, you can build an Express Entry profile on the IRCC website. IRCC will ask you for details such as your age, marital status, education, employment experience, and English and/or French language skills. Based on this information, IRCC will assign you a CRS score.
The IRCC conducts Express Entry draws every two weeks or so. Candidates with the highest CRS scores are sent invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. You can then submit your permanent residency application to IRCC with an ITA in hand, and you’ll be well on your way to settling in Canada.
It’s worth noting that if you’ve never lived in Canada, the FSWP is likely to be your best option for gaining Express Entry eligibility. Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, you should apply to the Express Entry pool to increase your chances of receiving an ITA. By obtaining a provincial nomination (600 more CRS points) or a genuine job offer while in the Express Entry pool, you can gain additional CRS points (50 or 200 extra CRS points).
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Almost every province and territory has its own Provincial Nominee Program in place (PNP). This means they recommend qualified worker candidates who suit the needs of their local labor market. You can submit a permanent residency application to IRCC once you have received a provincial nomination. Overall, the PNP is expected to receive about 80,000 immigrants each year.
PNP streams that are aligned with Express Entry are available in many provinces. A province can send you a provincial nomination invitation while you are in the Express Entry pool if you are eligible for both Express Entry and the PNP stream. If you accept the invitation, you will receive 600 more CRS points. You’ll almost certainly get an Express Entry ITA if you do it this way.
In addition, you can apply directly to a PNP stream. This comprises researching the province or territory in Canada where you want to live and then following their PNP application requirements.
Quebec
Direct application to the province of Quebec is the third most common route to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. Quebec is unique in Canada since it is the country’s only Francophone province. As a result, it runs its own immigration system, with around 25,000 low-income immigrants expected to arrive each year. Quebec will offer you a Quebec Acceptance Selection Certificate if your application is approved. The certificate is then used to support your permanent residence application to IRCC.
Other Federal Initiatives
To meet regional and occupational demands, IRCC has increased the number of skilled worker programs it runs in recent years.
If you want to move to an Atlantic province (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia), the Atlantic Immigration Pilot may be a good option. The AIP is expected to welcome around 6,000 immigrants per year, according to the IRCC.
For instance, the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, which accepts up to 2,750 applications each year, is run by IRCC. The purpose of the pilot is to recruit talented workers who can help Canada’s multibillion-dollar agriculture and agri-food business meet its labor market needs.
Determine which course is best for you.
Immigrants are critical to Canada’s economic prosperity, which is why the country is raising its immigration levels and offering more immigration programs.
If you want to immigrate to Canada, you’ll have plenty of possibilities, as Canada has the most economic class pathways of any country in the world. Rather than being overwhelmed by researching all 120 or so economic class streams in Canada, you might want to take a Canadian immigration eligibility assessment to see which option is ideal for you.