Moving to Canada is on the bucket list of many people: some people want to go there for educational purposes, and many others want to live and work in a North American country. Canada, known for its stunning landscapes, vibrant cities, and welcoming culture, attracts immigrants from around the world seeking a better life and abundant opportunities.
If you’re considering traveling to Canada as an immigrant, you’re not the only one thinking about that, there are millions of other people wanting to go there too. This article explains all the possible viable ways to get into Canada from your home country. Of course, it all revolves around getting a Visa pass, but some countries do not need a visa to enter Canada.
This is the commonest Canada visa method. If granted, you’d also become a permanent resident in the country, which means you’d get Canadian PR. But the requirements for this Canadian visa entry method are quite high. Available programs under this visa entry method include Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades.
2. Provincial Nominee Program
This method will grant you instant permanent residency, but you are not the one to apply for it. Provincial Nominee entry mode is based on an invitation – a Canadian province will send you an invitation to come and live in their territory because they believe you have what it takes to improve their economy or government.
3. Quebec
Here’s another quick route to get into Canada. Quebec is one of Canada’s top cities and it runs a strict immigration program to allow top-level immigrants into its province. One of the requirements to migrate to Quebec is that you must learn how to speak and converse in French. The province runs different immigration programs you can benefit from, and you’d get Canadian PR with this visa entry.
4. Business Immigration
If you intend to launch a startup or new business in Canada, you can apply for one of the two business immigration categories: Self Employed and Startup. This visa entry type is for business-oriented people who are looking to come to Canada to expand their business or start a new one.
5. Sponsorship
Another common to get into Canada easily is through sponsorship. This means that you have a family member or spouse who is already in Canada, so the family member will act as your sponsor and bring you to Canada. But before someone can sponsor you to Canada, they must meet certain requirements.
6. Work Visa
It’s a “Work permit” that allows you to stay and work in Canada over a specific time frame. Once the permit elapses, you’d need to revalidate it to keep working in Canada. If you secured a job with a Canadian firm, your employer should be able to assist you in renewing your work permit.
7. Student Visa (Study Visa)
To read in a Canadian institution as a foreign student, you need a study permit, which is commonly referred to as a student visa. This visa will be available to you if you satisfy the requirements of the institution you’re applying to and pay the necessary fees. You must have this permit before entering Canada for your studies.
8. Investor Programs
These programs are based on your business prowess and net worth. Investor programs are among the fastest ways to earn a Canadian visa because the government believes that allowing more investors will improve the country’s economy. There are different major types of investor programs: Federal Investor Program, Federal Venture Capital Program, Quebec Investor Program, and Provincial Nominee Programs for Investors.
9. Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)
This visa entry method is for parents and grandparents. PGP immigration allows native Canadians and Permanent Residents to bring their parents or grandparents over to live with them in the country. This visa can be filed under family sponsorship, whereby the sponsor must meet specific requirements, including age and income requirements.
10. Employer-Driven Pilot Programs
This is a type of visa given to you by a qualified Canadian employer. The Canadian government allows some companies in specific sectors to scout for talents and employ them in their business, then issue a work visa to the selected employees.
Typically, these programs are set up to improve the country’s economy in specific regions with chronic labor shortages. You can’t apply for this visa type directly, instead, a qualified company will identify their needs and pick an immigrant that fulfills the need.
11. Refugee Immigration
Yes, Canada allows refugee immigration as part of its humanitarian effort to help disadvantaged people around the world. Many people from war-torn countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukrainian have benefitted from Canada’s refugee immigration programs. The Canadian government reportedly spent $6.2 million on a new Economic Mobility Pathways Project to bring skilled refugees to the country.
12. Temporary Foreign Worker Program
As the name hints, this is a temporary visa, but it’d keep you in Canada for quite a long while depending on the exact program you followed. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to work in their firm within a temporary time frame; this is granted to employers so they can fill shortages in Canada’s labor force. The TFWP is jointly operated by two bodies: Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
13. Agri-Food Pilot
This immigration option was started in 2020 and is expected to last for five years, which means it is set to expire in 2025. Agri-Food Pilot is a program aimed at filling labor shortages in Canadian agricultural industries. So, the Agri-Food pilot offers permanent residence for agricultural workers in Canada. It is one of the easiest ways to live and work in Canada with your entire family.
What More?
These are the top 13 ways to migrate to Canada from any country you’re located in. Of course, each of these immigration options has its specific requirements. If you do not qualify for one, check the other ones.