Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for Canadian immigration?
There are a number of different Canadian immigration programs being offered for aspiring immigrants. These immigration programs have different requirements and criteria which applicants must meet.
Generally, skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in Canada must have good French or English language skills. Many Canadian immigration programs require a certain age range, work experience, educational background, good character, good health, etc.
Certain Canadian visa programs follow a points-based policy wherein points are granted for various factors such as English/French language skills, work experience, education, age, etc. Programs that follow a point-based policy require applicants to meet the minimum points score requirement.
In order to help you figure out which Canadian immigration program suits you best, seeking the assistance of a certified Canadian immigration consultant is a big help.
What are the advantages of immigrating to Canada?
Aside from being one of the most immigrant-friendly countries, Canada is one of the best nations to live in the world. The country is also renowned worldwide for having an exceptional standard of living.
Canada’s economy competes with the world’s other well-developed countries. The country also offers thousands of good-paying jobs for immigrants, has free or subsidized public healthcare and its education system is world-class. This explains why the country is favored by many who are seeking a job abroad.
Furthermore, Canada is also undoubtedly a very beautiful country. Apart from being one of the top destinations for job-seeking immigrants, the country also attracts millions of tourists. Lastly, it’s a peaceful country that embraces democracy, equality and freedom.
What are the benefits of being a permanent resident of Canada?
Permanent residents of Canada enjoy numerous advantages in terms of living and working in the country. They can work and live in Canada for as long as they want. They also become eligible to participate in educational programs, buy a house and other property, and start their own business within the country.
Additionally, permanent residents of Canada can receive public healthcare for free, acquire a driver’s license in their territory or province, open a bank account, as well as sponsor qualified family members for a Canadian visa.
Lastly, they become eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship after living in the country for at least 3 years while complying with other requirements.
What are the costs involved when immigrating to Canada?
There are non-governmental fees and governmental fees that must be paid at different stages of the Canadian immigration process.
Medical exams, the Educational Credential Assessment, French and English language assessment tests, and other prerequisites come with a non-governmental fee. There may also be costs when acquiring police certificates if required. Moreover, documents that are not written in French or English will require translation, thus the applicant may need to pay for the service.
Governmental fees include the Canadian visa application fee. Once you get approved for a Canadian permanent resident visa, you and your spouse are also required to pay for the Right of Permanent Residence Fee or RPRF. When you relocate to Canada, you will pay a small fee to receive the plastic Canadian Permanent Resident Card, which you will carry as identification while living in Canada.
Of course, you will need to pay for travel to Canada and have enough money to pay the living expenses (e.g., housing, food, transportation, etc.) for you and any accompanying family members.
Will my family and I receive healthcare benefits in Canada?
Yes. When you and your family become permanent residents of Canada, you are given the right to acquire free or subsidized public healthcare from Canada’s universal healthcare program. Healthcare assistance is among the many benefits you and your family can enjoy once you get Canadian permanent residency.
Once you and your family immigrate to Canada, you must apply for a health insurance card that is issued by the province or territory where you are living in Canada. Moreover, take note that some provinces have a certain waiting time of up to three months before you and your family can acquire free public healthcare. Thus, be sure to check with your province or territory’s health ministry and sign-up as soon as possible.
How do I find a job in Canada?
Just like with every other country these days, searching for jobs in Canada is made a lot easier and more convenient through the help of the Internet. As long as you have a computer and Internet access, you are bound to find listings of jobs in Canada that fit your skills and work experience.
Job Bank is an excellent website that is run by the Canadian government and it is free. This website is essentially a Canadian jobs directory that is catered towards job-seeking individuals. The site also allows job-seekers to search for specific occupations in particular locations or anywhere in Canada.
There are also numerous private Canadian job portal websites where you can further search for job openings in the country.
What does Express Entry mean and how does it work?
Express Entry is a Canadian immigration system that is based on a points system. It is used to pick out eligible foreign skilled workers to be given an ITA or Invitation to Apply for a Canadian permanent resident visa.
To apply for Express Entry, aspiring immigrants must be qualified for one of the Canadian immigration programs that are eligible for Express Entry to Canada. These immigration programs include the Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Provincial Nominee Program.
After the applicant has filled out the required information on his/her Express Entry profile, the Canadian immigration agents will then evaluate the details to see if the applicant meets the requirements for one of the Canadian immigration programs that qualify for Express Entry.
What are the programs available for skilled foreign workers?
A Canadian immigration program called the Federal Skilled Worker Program or FSWP is catered to skilled foreign workers as well as their families who meet the eligibility requirements. The FSWP is one of the Canadian immigration programs that qualifies for Express Entry.
This program follows a points-based system and requires at least 67 out of 100 points. The points are given based on factors like age, English/French skills, work experience, education, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability.
In order to apply for Express Entry via the FSWP, the applicant must have a minimum of one year of full-time work experience in an eligible occupation in Canada and meet all of the criteria.
Are there programs available for foreign tradespeople?
Yes. Qualified foreign tradespeople may apply for Express Entry to Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). As Canada is constantly needing experienced tradespeople in a wide range of jobs across the country, the FSTP was established.
In order to live and work in Canada through this immigration program, a foreign tradesperson must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in the last five years in an eligible trade. Numerous trades are considered eligible for FSTP such as carpenters, butchers, bakers, mechanics, crane operators, welders, plumbers, and chefs.
Furthermore, aside from having qualified work experience, the applicants must also possess good character, French or English language skills, and must satisfy the health requirements.
What is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and how does it work?
As there is an ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the different provinces and territories in Canada, the Provincial Nominee Program was introduced to help fill job vacancies throughout the country.
The PNP includes a two-step process that foreign skilled workers must comply with. For the first step, the foreign workers must send an application for the PNP to a selected territory or province where they want to work and live in Canada. Once the applicants have satisfied the PNP requirements and received a provincial nomination, they will then proceed to the final step which is the application for a permanent resident visa through the national Canadian immigration office. If approved for permanent residency, the foreign worker and his or her family will relocate to Canada to live and work in the province or territory that nominated them for its PNP.
How can I work and live in Quebec?
Skilled foreign workers who would like to live and work in Quebec together with their families may send an application for the Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program or QSWP.
The QSWP is a points-based Canadian immigration program wherein the points are granted for several factors including work experience, education or training, French or English language skills, job offer, age, connection to the province of Quebec, and more.
Just like any other points-based program, the QSWP also requires applicants to reach a minimum total points score.
The QSWP involves a two-step process. First, the foreign worker must send an application to the QSWP and if approved, the applicant will be given a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). The next and final step is the application for a permanent resident visa through the national Canadian immigration office. If approved for permanent residency, the foreign worker and his or her family will relocate to Canada to live and work in Quebec
Can you tell me more about the Education Credential Assessment (ECA)?
Skilled foreign workers who received their education or training outside Canada and are applying to immigrate to Canada through the FSWP are generally required to acquire an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) from a certified third-party evaluation agency.
The ECA is generally used to evaluate a particular education that is acquired outside Canada and determine if it is equivalent to a degree, certificate, or diploma in a Canadian secondary school or a post-secondary learning institution.
A satisfactory ECA will be required when the foreign worker completes his or her Express Entry online profile through the FSWP. Furthermore, other foreign workers who are applying for Express Entry through the FSTP or Federal Skilled Trades Program are sometimes recommended to obtain an ECA.
Who is given the Invitation to Apply (ITA)?
The Invitation to Apply (ITA) is the official invitation given by the Canadian immigration office to a foreign worker inviting him or her to apply for a Canadian permanent resident visa through the Express Entry system.
Generally, an ITA is given to foreign workers in the pool of Express Entry applicants who possess the highest scores based on the Comprehensive Ranking System. An ITA is also given to applicants who are given a nomination from a territory or province in Canada under the PNP (Provincial Nominee Program). Lastly, foreign workers who received a qualifying job offer in Canada are also given an ITA.
Once an ITA is issued, the foreign worker is then given up to 60 days to file his or her Canadian visa application to the national immigration office. A decision of whether the foreign worker’s application for Express Entry is approved or not is usually given within six months.
What are the general health requirements for Canadian immigration?
The foreign worker as well as all of his or her family members who are applying for a Canadian permanent resident visa must meet the “good health” requirement to immigrate to Canada.
Generally, the applicants must not pose any threat to the safety and health of Canadians, and they must not pose any risk of excessive need to use the country’s social and health services.
To determine whether or not the applicant passes the “good health” criteria, the Canadian immigration authorities will require a medical examination conducted by a certified physician at the end of the entire process.
What does the "good character" requirement mean?
Similar to the “good health” requirement, the foreign worker and all of his or her family members who are applying for a Canadian permanent resident visa must meet the “good character” criteria when immigrating to Canada.
The “good character” criteria essentially means that the immigrants should not pose any threat to the general safety of Canadians. In order to conclude that a foreign worker meets the good character requirement, he or she, as well as all of his or her family members who are 18 years and older and are applying for a Canadian permanent resident visa are required to obtain a police certificate.
The police certificate must be acquired from the applicant’s province or territory of residence where he or she has lived for an accrued total of six months or more since he or she turned 18.
How long does the entire Canadian immigration process take?
The amount of time it takes to go through the entire Canadian immigration process depends on the specific immigration program an individual applies for. Each immigration program comes with its particular procedures and requirements.
Generally, foreign workers who are eligible to apply for an immigration program under the Express Entry system could complete the entire Canadian immigration process within the span of 8 to 12 months.
Furthermore, the amount of time essentially depends on several factors that are unique to each applicant as well as the particular Canadian immigration program that he or she is applying for.
What are the advantages of getting an assessment from a Canadian immigration consultant?
Certified immigration consultants can professionally evaluate applicants’ eligibility to apply for a Canadian permanent resident visa. The immigration consultants typically evaluate foreign workers based on their background (e.g., education, work experience, English and French language skills, age, etc.) and the current regulations for Canadian immigration. There are several Canadian immigration programs and each one has different eligibility requirements and application procedures. Thus, a certified immigration consultant will take all of this into account and let you know which Canadian immigration program(s) you are most likely to qualify for.
The immigration consultants can also guide applicants through every stage of the entire Canadian immigration procedure. They can explain what you need to do and when it needs to be done, make sure your application is completed and filed correctly and includes all of the necessary documents, answer your questions as they arise during the process, etc. Thus, you get the guarantee of being on the right track with your Canadian visa application.
Is Canada an immigrant-friendly country?
Canada is undoubtedly one of the most immigrant-friendly nations across the globe. The country welcomes over 300,000 immigrants worldwide every year. In addition to that, Canada is also known for being one of the best countries to work and live in, especially for immigrants.
The country prides itself on being accommodating to various cultures. In fact, Canada has numerous large and small communities of immigrants who account for about 22% of the country’s population. Canada’s economy is also flourishing, and the majority of jobs offered to immigrants are well-paying. Furthermore, the country is one of the safest and most environmentally-conscious nations in the world.
These are only a few of the many reasons why job-seeking individuals favor relocation to Canada over other developed countries.
Will I be allowed to travel in and out of Canada?
Yes. Given that you are the holder of a Canadian permanent resident visa, you are allowed to travel in and out of Canada anytime you want. You can go for trips for either a long or short duration for vacation, business travels, and more.
You can travel in and out of Canada and keep your Canadian permanent resident status as long as you lived in the country for an accrued total of two years within a five-year period. You are also required to comply with the Canadian permanent residence requirements within this period.
What are the benefits of becoming a Canadian citizen?
Foreign workers who hold a Canadian permanent resident visa are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship after living in Canada for at least 3 years within a five-year period whilst complying with the other relevant requirements.
Canadian citizens enjoy a wide range of additional benefits including the eligibility to apply for a Canadian passport, being able to vote in elections and having the option to run for public office.
