Canada has one of the most positive Immigration policies in the world.

The country is so eager to attract talented and entrepreneurial people within its borders, that they admit over 200,000 immigrants annually.

Canada allows dual citizenship.

In most of the cases free education and medical care is available to people of different ages.

You can migrate with your family.

There are very few government regulations to stop you from starting your business as soon as you have landed in the country.

Even the United Nations confirms that Canada is the best country to live in the world.

If you go with permanent resident Visa to Canada, you are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship within three years of arrival.

In this section we are going to tell you all you need to know about immigration to Canada.

Do you qualify to immigrate to Canada?

This is the most important question you need to take care before you can initiate the process of immigrating to Canada.

Whether you qualify to immigrate to Canada or not, depends on the type of visa you intend to obtain.

The qualification is a point-based system. You need to answer certain questions and then based on the answers that you provide, you will be allocated “points”. The broad distribution of these points is:

• Age: maximum 12 points
• Education: maximum 25 points
• Work experience: maximum 15 points
• Language skills: maximum 28 points
• Adaptability: maximum 10 points
• Arranged employment: maximum 10 points

Is it easy to migrate to Canada?

It depends on how well you are prepared. Just like any other country, Canada is selective about what type of people get to enter the country for the sake of living and having a job.

The great thing about Canada is that it is an immigrant-friendly country. This means, it is easier to go to Canada than, let’s say, USA or England. Many countries are hostile towards accepting immigrants, but Canada is not.

Nonetheless, you need to follow a procedure, and this is why it is necessary that you work with an experienced consultant or an immigration agency. They will ensure that you meet all the requirements. Also, even if there are some discrepancies, corrective measures, they will take actions on time to avoid delays and extra costs.

You need to know under what circumstances it is the easiest to move to Canada. You can apply for Canadian in and under the following schemes and programmes:

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program (also known as Express Entry): This allows the overseas skilled workers to submit an “Expression of Interest” in the Express Entry Program. The Canadian government wants to attract skilled workforce that can contribute to the Canadian economy. If you satisfy their selection criteria, it is one of the easiest ways of migrating to Canada.
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program: Applications are accepted from skilled candidates who are interested to move to Canada as permanent residents. This program comes under the Federal Economic Class.
• The Canadian Experience Class: If you have already gotten experience working in Canada, or if you have studied in Canada, immigration visa is easily given to you. Since you may already be familiar with the job market, the language (French or English, or both), and the norms of the society, it will be easier for you to assimilate yourself into the country’s culture and economy.
• Startup visa: This category of visa comes under the business immigration program. This is to encourage the immigrant entrepreneurs to establish businesses in Canada to generate more employment and work opportunities for other Canadian citizens. This program or immigration facility is promoted by the federal government of Canada.
• Canada Student visa: Not just one of the best education systems in the world, there are also thousands of colleges and universities vying with each other to get quality students on their rolls. In fact, Canada is considered to be a perfect destination for students seeking higher education. Canada Student visa is one of the easiest ways of getting an immigration visa to Canada.
• The QSWP and other PNP Programs: The Québec province of Canada has a separate immigration policy which is easier compared to other provinces. Just as there are states in India and America, there are provinces in Canada, in many cases, with their own ways of government functioning. If you can get an immigration visa into one of the provinces, later you can move to anywhere you feel like in Canada.

How can you settle in Canada?

You can settle in Canada as a skilled worker, as an entrepreneur or as a student. There are also many other ways you can settle in Canada, but these are the most prominent and also, among the easiest ways of settling in Canada.

Canada has two official languages, namely English and French. You will need to obtain the required IELTS points score for English Language Proficiency or proficiency in French. You will need to get your credentials assessed and submit all the needed documents.

You can also settle in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program. This program allows the provinces of Canada and various other Canadian territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to the country for the purpose of settling in becoming its citizens. Québec has one of the friendliest immigration policies especially for individuals who want to move to the country for the purpose of setting up a business.

Other immigration-friendly provinces in Canada are Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

How much does it cost to get a Canadian visa?

The total cost of getting a Canadian visa depends on what type of visa you are getting and how complicated or easy it is to get the visa processed in your particular case. There are some immigration programs that do not ask for any settlement amount aside from the visa fee. But some do.

Good thing about Canadian immigration is that you only pay once you are selected for immigration. The Express Entry Program is free to apply.

But of course, it isn’t just the visa fee that is needed, there are many other expenses you will need to incur in the process of getting the visa you are looking for. Depending on your consultant and the Canadian department concerned, you may have to pay a fee for the following activities and requirements:

• Educational Credential Assessment
• IELTS test fee
• Permanent residence fee (separate fees for primary applicant, secondary applicant and minor applicant)
• Medical fee
• Consulting and document processing

Just to give you an estimate, the Canada permanent resident visa involves C$ 1040 per applicant over 18 years. Education credential assessment will be C$ 285 per applicant.

How long does it take to get a Canadian visa?

You can get a Canada tourist visa in two-four weeks.

For work and permanent residents, the following may affect how much time it takes to get a Canadian visa for you:

• Your total CRS points
• CRS score required by the IRCC
• The accuracy or inaccuracy of the documents that you have submitted
• Your background check (depends on where you live and where you have worked)
• How fast you respond to the queries submitted by the immigration office
• The efficiency and experience of your immigration consultant

One of the best ways to speed up your Canadian visa processing is to get the invitation to apply (ITA). You get a comprehensive ranking system score based on your age, education, language skills and work experience.

If your CRS score is higher you get the invitation to apply earlier and this can get you a PR visa quite fast

You may also need to get all the needed documents and get them attested and verified by the concerned department and authorities.

How much time does it take to get a permanent resident (PR) visa in Canada?

The processes that are involved in getting any other visas for Canada, whether you are applying as a skilled worker, a caregiver, a close family member or a dependent, also apply for the permanent resident visa.

You may be able to hasten the process by carefully choosing the visa type.

Your local visa processing office may also have an impact on how fast or slow you get your PR visa. The more applications the immigration office has to process (with the staff and other resources remaining the same), the longer they’re going to take.

Can all citizens move to Canada?

In one way or another, yes. It depends on what sort of visa you are trying to get, to go to Canada.

If you are going for a PR visa with a job, then the maximum age limit is 40 years. Other than this, there are many criteria for all age groups.

Regarding qualifications, you need to be qualified in a particular skill or profession if you’ve specified it as your career preference. If you are going as a doctor, for example, you need something equivalent to MBBS.

For parents and other dependents, no specific qualifications are needed.

If you have no criminal record, there is nothing to stop you from getting a Canadian visa.

How can you get your immigration application processed faster?

As mentioned above, you can get your immigration processed faster if you get the “Invitation to Apply” from one of the provinces like Quebec. Get a higher CRS score for that.

Another way is to make sure that you meet all the requirements and you give no reason to the immigration office to evaluate your documents multiple times. This can be ensured by closely working with an immigration consultant because he knows exactly what it takes to get your visa application processed faster.

What are the different immigration options available to you if you’re planning to move to Canada?

Many. These options include

• Canadian experience class: Allows you to become PR if you have the requisite experience.
• Family sponsorship: Citizens and permanent residents over 18 can sponsor their relatives.
• Live-in caregiver program: You can go to Canada if you are qualified to provide care to the elderly, persons with disability and children, preferably in private homes.
• Federal skilled workers program: If you are a skilled person who can contribute to Canada’s economy, you can easily get the visa under this option.
• Federal skilled trades program: Being a skilled trader you can create job opportunities in Canada and hence, get quicker visa under this option.
• The self-employed persons program: If you will be self-employed once you move to Canada you can apply for a visa under this category.
• Startup visa program: Aiming to attract startup entrepreneurs to the country, many Canadian provinces give preference to individuals with innovative ideas.
• Temporary foreign worker program: Under this option, you can go to Canada to fill short-term labour and skill shortages.

How many points do you need to be able to migrate to Canada?

Broadly, 67 points out of 100.

When you create a profile for evaluation, you submit details like education, skill, age, work experience, bank balance and language proficiency, and based on all these bits of information, a Comprehensive Ranking System (CSR) gives you the points.

The points are most important if you are applying through the Express Entry System, under the following programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

The point system evaluates you based on every capability and attribute you have. For example, if you are between 18-35 years old, you get 12 points, but on the other hand, if you are a minor or over 47, you get 0 points. But you can make up in other spheres.

A PhD level degree can straightaway get you 25 points.

You can get 13 points if your work experience is 4-5 years.

For speaking, listening, reading and writing proficiency you can earn 6 points each.

If you’ve previously worked in Canada, you get 10 points.

This way, you can try to maximize your points in many ways.

Is it easy to get a job in Canada?

Although the job situation in Canada might not be as dire as in your own country, for example India, there are always less jobs and more people who want those jobs, and this situation also holds true in Canada.

Whether you can easily get a job in Canada depends on your qualification, on your experience and what value you can bring along. Every company, organization or business wants to hire employees who are going to be an asset and not a liability.

When you land in Canada, be prepared. Have a resume that correctly represents your qualification, your experience and your capabilities.

Having the right qualification also goes a long way in ensuring that you can get a job in Canada as early as possible. If you want to work in Canada as an engineer, it can help a lot if you have obtained your engineering degree in one of the premier and world-renowned institutes in your country. For example, an engineering degree from IIT is going to carry much weight compared to a degree from any lesser-known private engineering college.

Networking can help a lot. Frankly, you have no excuse in the age of social media. It’s very easy to connect with people especially using platforms like LinkedIn. Be active and try to get in touch with prospective employers in Canada. If your ex-seniors are working in multinational companies and they also have offices in Canada, this can also help you.

Again, it depends on your personal capabilities, your qualifications and your connections.

Canada is one of the friendliest countries for prospective immigrants. Its indigenous population has reached a plateau but to keep the economy going, they need skilled workers, entrepreneurs, educators, administrators and health workers. Immigrants from other countries in high-profile job such as having political portfolios, governorship and bureaucratic circles is no longer an exception but a norm. In a country where the Defence Minister is a Sikh, you can easily make out how friendly Canada is towards immigrants.

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