Canadian Immigration: If it’s been your dream to move to Canada, and 2022 is lending you an opportunity to do so, read on for a few ways to make your wish a reality! Here, we will discuss a few pathways to becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Though there are many ways to immigrate to Canada, the methods we will discuss today are Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec Immigration, and family sponsorship.
As we all know, however, 2022 has continued to pose additional obstacles, especially when it comes to foreign travel. Beginning on January 15, Canada will require most foreign travellers to be fully vaccinated, in addition to the existing requirement to receive a negative PCR test prior to your arrival. Be sure to check the Canadian government website for the most up-to-date information regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Getting back to the focus of the article, the first entryway into Canada that we will discuss is Express Entry.
Express Entry is the online system used to support the immigration of skilled workers to Canada. The three programs that it manages are the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Once you determine your eligibility for Express Entry, you may also be able to apply for a Provincial Nominee Program that aligns with Express Entry. This is not required for all PNPs, though, as some are managed by the province’s own application system.
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If it is determined that you are eligible, you will be scored and ranked in the Express Entry pool. Things such as a high language score, one or more years of skilled work experience, post-secondary education, and age (being between 20 and 29 years old) will increase your score. You might also grab some additional points if you have a sibling that already lives in Canada, a valid Canadian job offer, or if you are proficient in the French language. Canadian Immigration
Only those with the highest scores will be able to apply through bi-weekly draws. This means that just because you’ve submitted an Express Entry profile doesn’t mean you are guaranteed an immigration application. In 2021, the only ones who were allowed to apply were those who were eligible for the Canadian Experience Class or who had previously received a provincial nomination form a PNP. Canadian Immigration
You also might end up waiting a bit longer than usual for your application to be processed. The standard processing time for an Express Entry application is six months, but in 2020 the average time jumped to nine months. Throughout the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has experienced quite the backlog and currently has 1.8 million applications waiting for review, 140,000 of which are for Express Entry. Be prepared for the additional time that this application route may require.
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One last tidbit regarding Express Entry – If you’re looking to relocate to Quebec, you’re going to want to disregard this section (and the next, for that matter). Express Entry allows you to apply for immigration to all provinces except for Quebec.
The next method of immigration that we will discuss is the Provincial Nominee Program. If you don’t qualify for Express Entry or if you’d just like to score some extra points to increase your odds of getting selected, PNP might be the program for you!
For Canadian Immigration, With the exception of Nunavut and Quebec, all Canadian provinces have a PNP. Each provincial and territorial government tailors these programs to fit their own economic and population growth strategies.
The PNP immigration process consists of two steps: First you apply to the province or territory, then (if you get a nomination) you can apply to the federal government. PNPs are also broken down into two categories: enhanced PNPs and base PNPs. Enhanced PNPs draw candidates from the Express Entry pool, and base PNPs operate independently from Express Entry.
Receiving a provincial nomination through an enhanced PNP can seriously boost your Express Entry score – you’ll receive an automatic 600 points! This will elevate your profile to the top of the pool and primes you to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
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If you have connections to one province in particular but are not eligible for Express Entry, a base PNP might be your best bet. Since they are more focused on recruiting to support regional economic and population growth strategies, any local study or work experience will increase your eligibility. You might also be eligible if you are a worker whose professional experience falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC), skill levels C and D.
Now, we will move on to immigration to Quebec immigration. The federal government may get the final say on who gets permanent residency, but unlike other regions, this primarily French-speaking province has its very own immigration program.
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In order to immigrate to Quebec, you need a a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). This is administered by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI). The following list includes a few immigration programs that you can apply to in order to obtain a CSQ, along with their eligibility requirements.
- Quebec’s Regular Skilled Worker Program – For French-speaking foreign workers in skilled occupations.
- Quebec Experience Program – Popular amongst French-speaking international student graduates from Quebec institutions, as well as skilled workers
- Quebec Permanent Immigration Pilot Programs – For food processing workers, orderlies, and tech workers in certain occupations.
Using one of these programs, you can apply for your CSQ. Once you get it, it confirms to the federal government that Quebec has selected you for Immigration. Then, you can use it to apply for permanent residence to IRCC.
The last method of immigration that we will discuss in this article is Family Sponsorship. This method requires you to have a family member that currently resides in Canada.
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For Canadian Immigration, Current residents of Canada are able to sponsor their common-law partners or spouses, adult relatives or children, and parents or grandparents. If you fall outside of these categories, though, you may still be able to obtain a family sponsorship. In some cases, Canadians are eligible to sponsor other family members, too.
In order to sponsor a family member, the Canadian resident may first have to prove that they are able to financially support both of you. You, as the applicant, must pass criminal and medical admissibility criteria. You will also both need to demonstrate that your relationship is genuine. This is particularly applicable in the case of spouses. In other words, don’t get married solely for the purpose of immigration – they will look further into your relationship to prove its legitimacy!
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Hopefully, reading this article has given you a general understanding of a few different ways to obtain Canadian residency. It’s time for you to choose the best fit and begin your journey to the Great White North!