In this post, I’ll tell you how to immigrate to Canada and become a permanent resident in this multicultural country that offers a high quality of life for its population and many opportunities for immigrants.
But why does Canada need immigrants?
Despite being the second largest in the world, only 0.5% of the world’s population lives in the country. For these and other reasons, Canada has been facing demographic challenges due to an aging population and low birth rates.
The solution the government found to solve this problem was to welcome immigrants from all continents to ensure that the economy continues to grow.
In 2021, Canada set a record for immigration, after more than 100 years, by receiving approximately 405,000 new permanent residents. The Canadian government also predicts that by 2036, immigrants could represent up to 30% of Canada’s population, compared to 20.7% in 2011.
I am currently going through the immigration process in Canada in 2024 and have conducted extensive research to summarize everything you need to know on how to immigrate to Canada.
One of the most effective ways is through studies. Canada highly values intellectual formation and offers quality education to citizens and immigrants, which also facilitates these students to find employment in Canada.
Moreover, some in-demand professions in Canada make it easier for professionals in those specific areas to immigrate. However, regardless of your field of expertise, there are various immigration programs that offer opportunities for people worldwide.Check out what Canada’s immigration programs are and what the requirements are for immigrating through each of them!
- 1- Express Entry: The fastest way to immigrate to Canada
- 2- Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
- 3- Atlantic Immigration Program
- 4- Quebec: Specific Immigration Programs of Canada's Francophone Province
- 5- Immigration Programs for Specific Professions
- 6- Family Sponsorship: Get Sponsored by a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen
- There are Lots of Opportunities to Immigrate to Canada
1- Express Entry: The fastest way to immigrate to Canada
The Express Entry (EE) program is a Canadian immigration program that helps skilled workers with experience in required professions to become permanent residents of the country in less than 6 months.
It was created by the Canadian government in 2015 with the aim of facilitating the express immigration of workers who are most likely to succeed and boost the country’s economy.
This includes temporary residents who are already employed in Canada, skilled workers from other countries who have received a job offer in Canada, and skilled trades professionals.
Therefore, Express Entry has 3 streams, each with different requirements. Check them out below!
Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class is the Express Entry program for immigrants with Canadian work experience to become permanent residents.
The two minimum requirements are:
At least 1 year of Canadian work experience
- Legal and paid work as a temporary resident in Canada;
- Self-employed work and work as a full-time student, such as Co-op, for example, do not count;
- The work must be listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) and fall within levels of training, education, experience, and responsibilities (TEER) 0, 1, 2, 3, with 0 being the most qualified level.
Proficiency in English or French
Presenting the results of an official proficiency test in at least one of Canada’s official languages.
- Accepted tests to prove English proficiency are: CELPIP, IELTS, and PTE Core;
- Accepted tests to prove French proficiency are: TEF Canada and TCF Canada;
- Minimum level: CLB/NCLC 7 for jobs in TEER 0 or 1 of the NOC;
- Minimum level: CLB/NCLC 5 for jobs in TEER 2 and 3 of the NOC;
- Tests are accepted if taken within 2 years of the application.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker is the Express Entry program for skilled workers from other countries who wish to live permanently in Canada.
The minimum requirements to be eligible for this program are:
At least 1 year of skilled work
Work experience in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 professions.
- The work must be paid and full-time or the equivalent in hours for part-time work;
- Only experience gained in the last 10 years is valid.
Proficiency in English or French
Proven with the result of an official test and valid up to 2 years before the application. Minimum level CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs of the NOC and CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 and 3 jobs of the NOC.
Education in the field
Educational credential to [roove completion of your studies.
- Canadian postsecondary credential;
- If your credential is not from Canada, you also need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
Job Offer
Valid job offer for a paid full-time work, between NOC TEER 0 and 3, and for at least one year in Canada.
- The company must have a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA);
- If you do not have a job offer, your profile may still be considered, but you’ll have to provide proof of funds.
Eligibility
In addition to having the minimum requirements, you need to be eligible for Federal Skilled Worker. They’ll assess your profile based on the following criteria:
- English and/or French ability: the more advanced, the better. If you have both languages, you receive more points;
- Education: the higher the level, the more points you will receive. For example: postgraduate > bachelor’s degree > college diploma;
- Work experience: the longer and more qualified, the better. Example: the maximum score is for 6+ years in a NOC TEER 0 profession;
- Age: over 18 years old and the maximum score is for 18 to 35 years old. Each additional year, minus 1 point;
- Job offer: if you have a job offer from a Canadian employer;
- Adaptability: evaluates adaptation in Canada (yours and your spouse’s, if applicable) based on proficiency in official languages, studies, work, and relatives in the country.
These 6 factors will be assessed when you create a profile in EE and a score between 0 and 100 will be assigned to you. To be eligible in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you need at least 67 points. But that doesn’t mean you can apply.
I will talk about the application further ahead. Keep reading!
Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades is an Express Entry program that facilitates the immigration of skilled trades workers to Canada.
Skilled trades are occupations that generally require specialized training, knowledge, and skills to perform specific tasks related to construction, manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and other hands-on work.
The minimum requirements for the Skilled Trades Program are:
At least 2 years of experience in the profession
- Full-time experience in skilled trades within 5 years before the application;
- Work experience must meet the requirements of one of the professions in the following NOC groups: 72, 73, 82, 83, 92, 93 (excluding 932), 6320, or 62200. Check the professions listed in the NOC here.
Job offer or qualification certificate
- Valid job offer for skilled trade full-time work for at least 1 year;
- Qualification certificate issued by a Canadian authority;
- If you do not have a job offer and do not have a work permit in Canada, you will also need proof of funds.
Proficiency in English or French
Proven with the result of an official test and valid up to 2 years before the application. Minimum level CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs of the NOC and CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 and 3 jobs of the NOC.
Education
Although education is not a requirement for this program, it is important to include if you have it. This will earn you more points for the overall rank of the Express Entry, which I’ll explain next.
How Does Express Entry Work and How to Apply
Express Entry operates as a selection process, where applicants receive points based on various qualification factors.
Periodically, the Canadian government conducts rounds inviting candidates with higher scores to apply. In other words, the more comprehensive and better your profile, the more points you will have and the greater your chance of receiving an invitation to apply for one of the three programs.
Therefore, the step-by-step process to apply for one or more Express Entry programs and attempt to obtain your permanent residency in Canada is as follows:
- Discover if you are eligible – Answer a few questions on this page to find out if you are eligible for any Express Entry program;
- Check your score – On this page, you can calculate your probable score before creating an Express Entry profile;
- Gather all documentation – Some documents may take time, so it’s best to arrange everything before receiving an invitation to apply, as you will have a time limit to apply;
- Create an Express Entry profile – Create an account and fill out the online form;
- Await an invitation to apply – If you receive an invitation, you’ll have 60 days to submit your application;
- Submit your application to immigrate to Canada and become a permanent resident.
>> If you want to get an idea of how many points you need to receive an invitation to apply, check out the minimum score from the latest rounds.
2- Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
The Provincial Nominee Class (PNC) is the immigration program that allows you to apply for permanent residence through the nomination of a Canadian province.
Each province has its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), with its own rules, which selects immigrants according to the economic needs of the province. After receiving the provincial nomination, you can apply through the Canadian federal government’s website.
PNPs also usually have at least one stream that connects to Express Entry. To receive a nomination in one of these streams, you need to create your Express Entry profile and wait. The nomination is worth 600 points, which usually guarantees your invitation in one of the three EE programs.
Although each province requires different criteria and offers different streams in their PNPs, they are all interested in skilled workers. This means that the common requirements in all are quite similar to EE requirements, such as work experience, education, proficiency in English and/or French, and a job offer.
Below are the provinces in Canada that offer nomination programs:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
3- Atlantic Immigration Program
The Atlantic Immigration Program is Canada’s immigration program that helps skilled workers and international graduates to work and live in one of the 4 Atlantic provinces:
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Prince Edward Island
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
The main requirement of this program is the job offer, meaning an offer of employment from a designated employer in one of the Atlantic provinces.
In addition to the job offer, other requirements to be eligible for the Atlantic Immigration Program are:
- For Skilled Workers: Work experience of at least 1 year in the same NOC as your job offer, full-time, or the equivalent in part-time;
- For International Graduates: Completed postsecondary education, of at least 2 years in duration, at one of the recognized institutions in the Atlantic provinces;
- Proficiency in English or French of at least CLB/NCLC 5 for job offers in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 or CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4;
- Proof of funds, if you are not already living and residing in Canada.
4- Quebec: Specific Immigration Programs of Canada’s Francophone Province
Quebec, Canada’s Francophone province, has its own immigration programs. They are intended for skilled workers proficient in French.
To become a permanent resident of the province of Quebec, you can apply through the following programs:
- Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP): for qualified workers already in the province or elsewhere in the world;
- Québec Experience Program (PEQ): for temporary workers or international students who have graduated from a Quebec institution;
- Permanent immigration pilot program for workers in food processing: for temporary workers in the food processing sector;
- Permanent immigration pilot program for orderlies: for temporary foreign workers working as caregivers;
- Permanent immigration pilot program for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies and visual effects sectors: for workers in these three sectors in demand in Quebec.
How Quebec immigration works and how to apply
Under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP), Quebec evaluates candidates based on various factors such as:
- Educational level;
- Work experience;
- Age: highest score between 18 and 35 years old;
- Proficiency in the official languages, French is a minimum requirement;
- Living arrangements and family in Quebec;
- All these factors are also assessed for the spouse;
- Valid job offer;
- Children: highest score if under 12 years old;
- Financial capacity.
To apply, first, you need to express interest through the online platform, Arrima, and wait for an invitation to apply, which will depend on your score. Upon receiving the invitation, you can apply for permanent residence with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) of the federal government.
For other programs, your profile needs to meet the general conditions required and apply through Arrima. It may also be necessary to participate in an interview with an immigration officer.
If your application is approved, you will receive the Certificat de sélection du Québec, which is a required certificate for the next stage, which is the application with the government of Canada.
5- Immigration Programs for Specific Professions
It is also possible to immigrate to Canada through immigration programs for specific professions that are in high demand.
These programs are:
- Caregivers: for caregivers;
- Start-up visa: for entrepreneurs;
- Self-employed: for self-employed professionals in cultural and athletic activities;
- Agri-Food Pilot: for professionals in this sector.
Proficiency in English and/or French is mandatory in all of these programs, as well as education in the field. In some, qualified experience is also required.
6- Family Sponsorship: Get Sponsored by a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen
If you have a family member who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, that person can help you immigrate to Canada and obtain your PR through the Family Sponsorship program.
This program requires that the permanent resident or Canadian citizen be over 18 and commit to sponsoring the immigrant, declaring to be responsible for their financial needs for the time required by the government.
The sponsor does not necessarily need to be your financial supporter, but legally, this person needs to sign a declaration for the application. It is also necessary to prove the relational bond with documents and references.
Family members who can be sponsored include:
- Spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children;
- Adopted children;
- Parents and grandparents;
- Orphaned siblings, nieces, or nephews.
There are Lots of Opportunities to Immigrate to Canada
It’s all up to you! If this is your goal, create a long-term plan, study extensively on the subject, and prepare yourself!
My plan to immigrate to Canada started back in 2019, and only now, in 2024, have I been invited to apply both by the province of Ontario, through one of the PNPs, and also through the Canadian Experience Class of the EE.
As I mentioned, I believe that through education is one of the most effective and guaranteed paths.
>> Check out this comprehensive guide on college in Canada for international students!
Education in Canada gives you a better chance of receiving an invitation to Express Entry, which is one of Canada’s fastest immigration programs. This was my case, and I chose to apply through this program.
What happens is that, after completing your studies, you can apply for a work permit called Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). Programs of 1 year entitle you to work in Canada for 1 year after completing your studies. Programs of 2 years, like mine, entitle you to 3 years of work permit and so on.
During this time, you can start working in one of the NOC professions, gain qualified experience, and consequently, earn points to apply for immigration. It’s worth the effort and money!
Of course, if you already have experience in one of the in-demand professions in Canada and have a high level of proficiency in English or French, perhaps the other programs might be advantageous for you to apply for without Canadian education.
But remember that all programs consider the job offer indispensable. With so many immigrants already in Canada, with education from here, looking for work, it’s quite rare for a company to want to hire a professional who is in another country.
Are you already eligible for any immigration program? It’s time to get your PR!
All the information I provided here is quite comprehensive on the official website of the Government of Canada! Choose your program, check the requirements, and the necessary documents, and start filling out the forms.
All programs charge an application fee and processing times vary greatly, ranging from 5 months to 4 years in some programs.
>> Instructions for each program and the application portal can be accessed through this link!
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, and I will answer!