There are many reasons why Canada is always popular with immigrants.
For one, it is a country that not only welcomes but also thrives in diversity. Depicted as a cultural mosaic, Canada has been welcoming migrants from all around the world since the 17th century. In fact, diversity played a crucial role in the making of the French- and English-language nation people know today.
On top of that, Canada is also hailed as one of the most prosperous countries in the world. In 2019, it ranked 14th out of 167 nations rated by the Legatum Prosperity Index, with education as its biggest asset.
Considering all these, it isn’t surprising that the number of Canadian visa applications and immigration rates continue to rise. If you’re among those looking to migrate here, you might be looking for the best way to enter the country and become a permanent Canadian resident.
Lucky for you, there are four great routes to becoming a Canadian immigrant, as follows:
1. Immigrate as a Skilled Worker
Most Canadian immigration applicants are skilled workers and professionals.
With the list of applications getting longer every year, the country’s immigration department decided to expedite the process through the Express Entry System. Initiated in 2015, this program aims to streamline the immigration process for skilled foreign workers who wish to work and live in Canada.
Under this immigration application pathway, you’ll be able to apply for permanent residency even without a job offer.
Processing of applications under Express Entry has also been hastened. Today, you can already get approved for Canadian immigration in about four to six months from the date of application.
There are three Federal Immigration Programs under the EES:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
If you’re planning to try this immigration method, you should keep in mind the different factors that Canadian immigration consider when rating applicants. This includes your age, work experience, educational background, and adaptability (language proficiency).
Candidates are scored based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Then, they are pooled and ranked to determine the best person to be granted permanent residency in the country. These “draws” typically happen every two weeks and narrows the immigration list down to the highest-scoring applicants.
2. Become a Provincial Nominee
Another way to become a Canadian citizen is through the Provincial Nominee Program. Under this pathway, each of the country’s 13 provinces (except Quebec) conducts its own immigration process to remedy the shortage of workers for specific occupations, as listed in their In-demand Occupation lists.
For example, the Saskatchewan province saw higher demand for skilled IT workers, so they increased the number of nomination slots for computer programmers.
Since it is targeted toward providing what the country needs, getting a provincial nomination almost guarantees you permanent Canadian residency. Plus, it is equivalent to a whopping 600 additional points in your CRS score, boosting your chances even more.
Some PNPs also offer Express Entry streams, which means you can express your interest in a particular province to help immigration agents pick out your profile from the applicant pool. Among the PNP streams that you can try out are:
- The British Columbia PNP Express Entry
- The New Brunswick PNP Express Entry Labor Market System
- The Northwest Territories PNP Express Entry for Skilled Workers Streams.
3. Get Family Sponsorship
Having a Canadian citizen for a family member can also help you become an immigrant through a sponsorship visa. Canadian citizens aged over 18 years can submit a sponsorship for their common-law partner, spouse, or dependents who wish to work and live in the country.
There are four categories under this pathway to Canadian residency:
- Spousal and Family Sponsorship Visa
- Spousal and Common-law Sponsorship Program
- Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program
- Super Visa
It is worth noting, however, that the marriage should be real for you to qualify for a spousal visa. The country is strict and has even made it a point to crack down on marriage fraud to prevent people from using a fake marriage to gain entry into the country easily.
4. Work on a Holiday
Another means to enter Canada and get a better chance of becoming a permanent resident is by working on a holiday. This gives you the privilege not only to bask in the wondrous beauty of the country but also to work part-time in cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Working holiday visas under the IEC program is accessible to select nationalities whose origin countries have a consensual youth mobility arrangement with Canada. This option also has several programs under it, all of which only offer temporary working permits lasting between 12 and 24 months. However, the experience you’ll gain from this can make applying for permanent residency much easier.
This option is open for students and young professionals through the International Co-op Internship and Young Professionals programs, respectively.
Find Your Path
Pathways that lead to Canadian citizenship are paved in such a way that it would be beneficial for both the applicant and the country. However, this doesn’t always mean that the journey would be easy. Make sure you choose the right path using this article as a guide and seek help from immigration consultants when necessary.
AUTHOR BIO
Bevan Berning is an Immigration professional and owner of Pathway Visas, an Immigration Agency dealing mostly with skilled immigration to Canada and Australia. Bevan’s enthusiasm for the industry has kept him in the Immigration field for the past seven years. Bevan is South African by birth and has been residing in Dubai for the past eight years.