The Easiest Way to Immigrate to Canada

Looking to immigrate to Canada but don’t know the easiest way to follow? This article discusses that in detail.

Immigrating to Canada – An Overview

It’s not surprising that Canada is one of the world’s most popular destinations for immigrants. The country is filled with many opportunities for foreigners that only a few other countries can boast of. Canada ranks among the countries with the best quality of life, from the world-class educational system to the healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing industries. 

With millions of people looking for immigration opportunities to Canada, the country has created several possible pathways to follow.

What is the Easiest Way to Immigrate to Canada?

The Express Entry Program is the easiest way to immigrate to Canada. The Canadian government created this pathway in 2015 to bring skilled workers into the country.

It uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to award points to applicants based on their age, education, work experience, and language. Once points are given, the immigration office conducts express entry draws, usually once every two weeks, and invites those who made the cut-off to apply for permanent residence (PR). Once you’ve received an invitation to apply (ITA), you have 60 days to complete and submit an official electronic application for permanent residence.

Categories for Immigration to Canada through the Express Entry Program

These are the three pathways for immigration to Canada through the Express Entry Program:

The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSW)

This program is for those with work experience in managerial, professional, and technical jobs. This refers to legislators, human resources, financial, purchasing, and senior managers in construction, broadcasting, communications, and business services companies.

To qualify for ITA through this program, you must have a minimum of 12 months of continuous, full-time work experience in a skilled job in the past ten years. It would help if you also had a minimum score of 67 out of 100 in the FSW eligibility points grid.

Furthermore, it’s also essential to meet the language proficiency, education, and financial support criteria.  

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)

The FST program is for those with work experience in skilled trade jobs – skilled in industrial, electrical, and construction trades, and maintenance and equipment operation trades. Supervisors in processing, manufacturing, natural resources, utilities, and agricultural companies are also included. Chefs and cooks, butchers, and bakers are also not left out.

You must have a minimum of two years’ work experience in a skilled trade within the past five years to qualify for this program. This claim is only valid for the work experience gained after you’ve received a certificate to practice the trade in your country of residence. Any work experience gained before then is not considered.

Furthermore, you must also have a valid offer of full-time employment from a Canadian province and meet the language proficiency requirement to be issued an ITA through this program.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Unlike the FSW and FST, the Canadian Experience Class is a program for those with Canadian work experience. However, the work experience acquired while studying in Canada doesn’t count.  Furthermore, you must also meet the language requirement to qualify for ITA through this program.

Steps to immigrating to Canada through the Express Entry Program

The application process for Canada’s permanent residence through the Express Entry Program is straightforward. Here are the exact steps you need for a successful application:

Gather the Required Documents

Ensure you have the essential documents ready before beginning the application process. You need your passport, an Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA) report, and a language proficiency test result.

The IELTS exam (for English speakers) and the TEF (for French speakers) are the only accepted language proficiency results.  

Submit Your Express Entry Profile

Once the documents are ready, complete and submit your Express Entry Profile. Though this isn’t a guarantee that you’ll receive the ITA, it officially marks the beginning of your Canada immigration application process. 

Once you’ve submitted your profile to the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) portal, you’ll be assigned a CRS score. This score is assigned based on your age, education, work experience, and language proficiency. Your number of points determines how quickly you are chosen in the Express Entry Draws.

If you’re in the FSW category, you must also meet the minimum eligibility points of 67 out of 100. 

Receive an Invitation to Apply

The IRCC conducts a biweekly Express Entry draw. The applicants who meet the minimum CRS score are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Submit Application for Permanent Residence

Once you’ve been sent an ITA, you have 60 days to prepare and submit an electronic application for Canadian Permanent Residence.

Receive Visa Approval

If your application meets the requirements, the Canadian Immigration Office will approve your request for a permanent residence visa.

Other Ways to Immigrate to Canada

These are other ways you can immigrate to Canada:

Provincial Nominee Program

If you’re looking to immigrate to a particular province or territory in Canada, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is your easiest pathway. You can also use this pathway if you didn’t meet the minimum CRS score for Express Entry.

Canada allows its provinces to invite skilled workers to apply for permanent residence. This enables each province to invite only those workers that meet their labor demands. They assess their workforce, figure out the skills they lack, and invite immigrants to fill up the positions. However, the permanent residency permit is issued by the Canadian government. The provinces can only nominate. 

Provincial nomination adds 600 points to the CRS score of applicants and increases their chances of getting an ITA for permanent residence.

Steps to applying for a Canadian PNP

• Consult the provinces offering PNP in Canada and determine where you want to immigrate. Check their requirements and ensure you meet them.
• Submit a direct application to your chosen province or territory through their PNP
• If your application is successful, the province will issue you a provincial nomination certificate.
• Using the certificate, apply to the IRCC for permanent residence. This can be done through the same Express Entry portal or a paper-based application.

Business Investor Program

The Business Investor Program is another easy way to immigrate to Canada. However, unlike the Express Entry and PNP pathways, which are economic pathways, the Business Investor Pathway is for people with money to invest in Canada. It is for business owners and managers from foreign countries looking to set up a business in Canada.

If you’re looking to immigrate through this pathway, you can apply directly through the Canadian government or a provincial government.

Steps to applying for permanent residence through Canada’s Business Investor Program

• Fill and submit the Generic Application Form for Canada
• Print and sign all documents presented in a document checklist
• Pay the application fee of $CAD85 if you’re applying as an individual or $CAD170 if you’re applying as a family.
• Gather all documents in a sealed envelope and mail them to the address.

Student Visa

Studying in Canada is one of the easiest ways to get permanent residence. Canada welcomes over a hundred thousand international students every year. To immigrate to Canada through this program, you have to secure an admission letter from a school in Canada and apply for a study permit with it. The study permit, however, isn’t a visa. Once your study permit application is approved, the Canadian government will issue you a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). And the application process for a study permit is simple.

Here are the steps to immigrating to Canada as a student:

• Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements to study in Canada. This includes having the necessary academic documents and proof of financial support.
• Receive an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI)
• Gather your documents and submit a study permit application to IRCC. You can submit your application online or send a paper-based application through the visa application center in your country.
• If your application is approved, the Canadian government will issue you a Port of Entry (POE) letter. This is the document you’d submit at the immigration office in Canada to receive your study permit.

Family Sponsorship

If you have a family member who is a permanent resident of Canada, you can immigrate to Canada through the family sponsorship program. This program allows individuals 18 or older to sponsor their relatives to join them in Canada. However, they must show proof of financial ability to take care of them until they find something to do.

Steps to applying for immigration through family sponsorship

• Download the application package from the immigration website
• Fill out the forms attached
• Pay the application and processing fees
• Send your application to the address provided in the application guide.

Are You Ready to Immigrate to Canada?

Canada has one of the most straightforward immigration processes in the world, but it can be challenging if you don’t have the right information. Hopefully, this article has provided you with the information you need for a seamless application process.