How to immigrate to canada

How to Immigrate to Canada

From 2022 to 2024, Canada will welcome over 1.3 million new immigrants! There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada and secure Canadian permanent residence, but the Canadim Team is committed to keeping things simple.

Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada in 2022

It should be noted that there is no one simple way to immigrate to Canada. While some programs may be easier for you to apply to, the process is long and involves many steps.

While immigrating to Canada does require a significant financial and emotional investment, the end result is worth it. Canada consistently ranks among the best countries for quality of life and is known for its positive attitude toward immigration.

These are the four of the most popular ways for overseas applicants to immigrate to Canada in 2022:

#1 – Express Entry

Express Entry is Canada’s fastest and most popular immigration program. Candidates that apply through the Express Entry system can receive permanent residence status as soon as six months.

Over the next three years, Canada plans to invite over 240,000 newcomers through three streams of Express Entry:

The Express Entry system involves submitting an online profile that is scored by Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). To submit an Express Entry profile, you must first be eligible under one of Canada’s above three federal streams. The Canadian government then issues invitations to apply for permanent residence to the highest-ranking candidates in the Express Entry pool.

The Express Entry process may be the easiest way to come to Canada for certain candidates eligible to submit a profile. It can be difficult to meet the CRS cut-off in the federal draw. However, just by being in the pool of candidates, you could be nominated for permanent residence by a province.

Visit our Express Entry page to learn more about submitting a profile and how to increase your ranking in the pool.

#2 – Provincial Nominee Programs

Throughout the pandemic, provinces continued to nominate overseas workers for Canadian permanent residence. This year, Canada plans to welcome 83,500 new immigrants through PNPs.

There are countless nominee programs offered by Canada’s ten provinces and three territories. Each PNP has its own unique eligibility criteria. Many PNPs require a connection to the province to apply for nomination. However, there are some programs that invite overseas candidates solely based on their ability to respond to the province’s labour market needs.

Each PNP has its own application processing time. After receiving a nomination, PNP candidates must apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence. The time it takes to process the permanent residence application will depend on whether the PNP operates using the Express Entry system.

#3 – Business Immigration

If you have experience managing or owning your own business, the easiest way to immigrate to Canada could be through a federal or provincial business immigration program.

The federal government offers immigration programs for individuals that plan to be self-employed in Canada or start up a business in Canada.

There are also several PNPs specific to overseas candidates interested in starting a business in a certain Canadian province.

Business immigration programs typically require a significant investment in the company you intend to start in Canada. The amount required will depend on the program you are interested in. Many PNPs have regional entrepreneur programs that require a lower investment for candidates interested in starting a business in a less populated area.

#4 – Sponsorship

If you have a qualifying family member that is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, family sponsorship will likely be the easiest way for you to immigrate to Canada.

Canada offers several immigration programs that give permanent residents and citizens the chance to bring their family members to the country. This year, Canada plans to welcome 105,000 new permanent residents through family sponsorship programs.

If your spouse, child, or grandchild is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, you may be eligible for family sponsorship.

The processing time for a sponsorship application will depend on the family member who is sponsoring you. For spousal sponsorship, applications typically take about 12 months to process from start to finish.

Canadian Immigration Programs Overview

There are more than 80 pathways to immigrate to Canada! We will outline the broad categories of Canadian immigration in an effort to keep things simple for our readers. Click on the links to the specific programs to learn more about the requirements and qualifications needed to be eligible to apply.

Immigration Tip

Discover your Canadian immigration options by completing our free online assessment tool. In one simple form, we will evaluate you for the dozens of immigration programs available and let you know which one is best for you.

Economic and Business Immigration Options

Economic and business immigration options are for professionals who have skills that support the Canadian economy. Each program differs greatly in the qualifications required so no one-size-fits-all description is possible.

Economic and business immigration categories include:

Family Sponsorship

Family sponsorship is a category of immigration available to the family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Family members eligible to sponsor include:

In some circumstances, you may be eligible to sponsor other family members outside the above-mentioned categories. If you have no other eligible relatives to sponsor you may sponsor the following family members:

Humanitarian and Refugee Immigration

Canada has an international reputation as a leader in accepting new refugees and other immigrants for humanitarian and compassionate reasons. A significant portion of Canada’s annual immigration target is dedicated to admitting refugees.

How Much Money do You Need to Immigrate to Canada?

All forms of business immigration require significant investment in Canada. It might require the applicant to have invested in a Canadian company or require an applicant to make an interest-free loan to the federal or provincial government.

In most cases, you do not provide financial information to sponsor a spouse or dependent child. If you are sponsoring other family members like a parent or grandparent, there is a financial requirement that will need to be met in order to be eligible to apply.

If you are applying under humanitarian and compassionate grounds applications, no financial requirements exist. The only time financial information is required under this category of immigration is if the refugee is a privately sponsored applicant. In that case, the Canadian group sponsoring the refugee must demonstrate that they have raised sufficient funds to sponsor the resettlement of the refugee candidate.

What are the Requirements to Immigrate to Canada?

Each immigration program has its own minimum eligibility requirements. It is important to verify your eligibility prior to applying.

When submitting an application, the Canadian government will request various documents to verify your work experience, education, identity, and criminal and medical background. The types of required documents depend on the program to which you are applying.

In order to determine the documents, you will require, first you have to determine which immigration program is best for you!

What is the Fastest Way to Immigrate to Canada?

The fastest method of immigrating to Canada is through Express Entry. Express Entry processes most applications in six months or less.

What is the Maximum Age for Canadian Immigration?

There is no specific age limit requirement for any Canadian immigration program. That said, in most categories of economic immigration, applicants 25-35 receive the maximum points. That doesn’t mean older applicants cannot be selected. Having substantial work experience, high language proficiency, connections to Canada, and advanced education can easily offset any points lost for age in economic immigration.

Family sponsorship and humanitarian and refugee immigration to Canada do not use a ranking system and therefore do not have any penalties for age whatsoever.

Is it Easy to Immigrate to Canada?

With over 80 pathways of immigration, Canada has a range of options for all types of applicants. That said, moving to a new country requires some effort. Some immigration programs require higher qualifications and more documents than others. Using the services of a Canadian immigration lawyer can greatly assist in the immigration process from start to finish.

Canadian immigration lawyers are the point of contact with the government for your application. They handle the submission of your application and advise you on the documents you need, the ones you might want to include, and the documents you should not provide.

Do I Need a Job Offer to Immigrate to Canada?

1. Express Entry

The Express Entry system is responsible for welcoming over 100,000 newcomers to Canada each year. If you are applying for an Express Entry program, it is likely that you will not need a job offer. In fact, about 90% of Express Entry candidates were invited to apply for permanent residency without holding a Canadian job offer, according to IRCC’s Year-End Report 2019.

Express Entry requires applicants to have adequate work and educational experience, as well as language skills. However, you will not lose points for not having an offer from a Canadian employer.

2. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

There are also many Provincial Nominee Programs that do not require a job offer to apply.

Some provinces, such as Saskatchewan, will instead use Expression of Interest (EOI) points-based systems – similar to Express Entry – to determine which candidates will be invited to apply for nomination.

Other provinces, such as Ontario or Nova Scotia, will invite candidates directly from the Express Entry pool to fill specific demographic or labour market gaps. That means, just by having an Express Entry profile in the pool of candidates, you have the opportunity to be invited to settle permanently in a Canadian province.

So if you want to immigrate to Canada and do not yet have a valid job offer, don’t panic! There are many options available to become a permanent resident do not include a job offer requirement.

What is a Permanent Resident?

A Canadian permanent resident is a citizen of another country who has been granted permission to live in Canada as a permanent resident. Once a person has permanent resident status, they have the right to live and work anywhere in the country. Permanent residents receive a significant number of benefits in Canada, including access to healthcare and social services, the right to live, work, and study anywhere in Canada, and protection under Canadian law. As well, after being a permanent resident for a certain amount of time, permanent residents are eligible to apply to become Canadian citizens! Notably, Canadian permanent residents do not have the right to vote in Canadian elections.

What is a Citizen?

Canadian citizens have many rights and privileges in Canada. Citizens have access to healthcare, social services, support under the law. A citizen can live, work, and study, anywhere in Canada, and has the right to vote in Canadian elections. As well, citizenship cannot be revoked or removed. All people born in Canada automatically qualify for Canadian citizenship. As well, foreign nationals can become naturalized Canadian citizens by going through the proper application process with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Can I Work Anywhere in Canada?

Once a person has Canadian permanent resident status, they have the authorization to live and work anywhere in Canada. If a foreign national does not have Canadian permanent resident status, then they must have the proper authorization to work in Canada. Usually, this authorization comes in the form of a Canadian work permit.

Can I Bring My Family to Canada?

Certain immigration programs allow foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada with their family members. However, the family members able to accompany a foreign national varies depending on the immigration program. For example, those immigrating through Canada’s Express Entry system are eligible to include their spouse and dependent children on the application, but not their parents. However, Canada has family sponsorship programs enabling Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and parents/grandparents. In order to determine whether or not your family members may join you, first you must determine which immigration pathway you choose to pursue!

Why is Canada Looking for Immigrants?

Canadian cities and rural areas depend on newcomers to keep their populations growing and to support their labour markets. Canada also has an aging population, and without a robust system of immigration, Canada would be on a similar trajectory to that of Japan in the 1990s. But unlike Japan, Canada embraced immigration and that has allowed us to maintain a large proportion of the population in prime working age, between 25 and 54. This would not be possible without mass immigration to Canada.

Ready to start?

Free Immigration Assessment

Discover your Canadian immigration options! Complete our free assessment today and a member of the Canadim Team will contact you to discuss your immigration to Canada.

For new immigrants

Apply for a permanent resident card or Canadian citizenship and find out about how to start your life in Canada. Also find out what services are near you to help and what to expect for your first tax year.

Settlement services for Ukrainian temporary residents and their dependants in Canada

We’ve made our settlement services available to all Ukrainian temporary residents and their dependants in Canada until March 31, 2023. Learn about what to do before and after you travel to Canada or explore our settlement content on your own.

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Services and information

Get a permanent resident card

Apply for a new permanent resident card or replacement card and how long it takes to get a card

Apply for a permanent resident travel document

Eligibility requirements and application steps for permanent resident travel documents

Prepare for life and work in Canada

Find a job, get your credentials assessed, improve your language skills for work, and what to expect when you get to Canada

Start your life in Canada

Health care, finding a place to live, planning your finances and enrolling your children in school

Find immigrant services near you

List of services in your area to help you find a job, help with daily life and help you adjust to your new community

Apply for citizenship

Eligibility requirements, application steps and processing times for Canadian citizenship

Learn about your first tax year

Tax obligations, credits and benefits and filing a tax return for your first year in Canada

Protect yourself from fraud

How to avoid falling victim to fraud and scams targeting newcomers

Travelling outside of Canada as a permanent resident

What you need to do if you want to travel outside of Canada as a permanent resident

Voluntarily give up (renounce) your permanent resident status

Why, when and how to give up your permanent resident status, including application forms

Fun path to learning

Games, puzzles and teaching materials that will help you learn about citizenship and immigration

Immigration status documents

See the types of documents we issue to temporary and permanent residents to prove their status in Canada

Immigrate through the Atlantic Immigration Program: Who can apply

National Occupational Classification 2021

On November 16, 2022, we’re switching to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

To be eligible for the Atlantic Immigration Program, you must

Work experience

In the last 5 years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is the number of hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week.

To calculate your hours

This work should be at one of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels

Your work experience must include

International graduates

You do not need to meet the work experience requirements if you’re an international graduate who

Educational requirements

You must have one of these:

However, if you studied outside Canada, you need an educational credential assessment (ECA) to confirm that your studies are equal to or higher than the required level of education for your job offer.

Language requirements

You must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to your job offer. This can either be the

The minimum language requirements for each NOC category are

You must submit your results from a designated language testing organization with your application. These results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.

Settlement funds

You need to have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount you need depends on the size of your family. The size of your family also includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

Learn how much money you should have when you arrive in Canada.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof of funds.

Immigration and citizenship

Apply to travel, study, work or immigrate to Canada, apply for citizenship, a permanent resident card or refugee protection, check the status of your application or find a form.

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Hire through the Atlantic Immigration Program

For people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Canada’s response to the situation in Afghanistan

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My application

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Immigrate

Find out what immigration programs you can apply for, sponsor your family and use a representative

Apply for or extend a work permit, learn about International Experience Canada and being a caregiver, get your credentials recognized, and hire foreign workers

Study

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Citizenship

Apply for, resume or give up Canadian citizenship, prepare for the citizenship test and get proof of citizenship

New immigrants

Get a permanent resident card, find immigrant services in your area, apply for citizenship and learn about your first tax year in Canada

Canadians

Get a passport, sponsor your family or a refugee, get proof of citizenship, travel and work abroad, adopt a child from abroad, and take part in citizenship celebrations

Refugees and asylum

Claim refugee protection, sponsor a refugee, find services for refugees in Canada and appeal a refugee claim

Enforcement and violations

Know why you may not be allowed in Canada, and learn about immigration violations, the detention review process and immigration admissibility hearings

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You need to give your biometrics

In most cases, you now need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply. Find out where biometrics fits in the application process.

How to apply

Biometrics and the application process

We refer to your fingerprints and photo as biometrics. We collect biometrics for most applications. Find out what happens from when you submit your application to when you get to Canada and where biometrics fits in the process.

1. Apply for permanent residence

If you want to apply for permanent residence in Canada, make sure you’re eligible to apply. Use our application guides to help fill out your application properly, then submit your application.

Avoid processing delays by sending us a complete application.

2. Get your fingerprints and photo taken

If you’re between 14 and 79 years old, you need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) for every application for permanent residence you submit. Even if you gave your biometrics in the past and they’re still valid.

3. We process your application

After we get your biometrics, we start processing your application. See how long it takes to process your application.

If we need more information from you, we’ll contact you.

4. We make a decision on your application

When we finish reviewing your application, we let you know if you’re approved to come to Canada. If you are, we issue your documents.

If your application is refused, we send you a letter that tells you why.

5. You travel to Canada (if you’re approved)

Make sure you travel with the documents we gave you. This includes documents like your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), permanent resident visa (if you’re from a country that needs a visa), or eTA (electronically linked to your passport) if you’re from a visa-exempt country or your single entry journey document if you don’t have a travel document.

Airline staff and border service officers at ports of entry will ask to see your travel documents. If you don’t have them, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada.

Make sure children under 18 travel with the right documents.

6. We check your identity when you arrive in Canada

When you arrive, we check your identity to make sure that you are the same person who was approved to travel to Canada. We may use your biometrics to do this.

If we can’t verify your identity, you may be detained by a border services officer. These officers help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

If the officer determines that you’re not admissible to Canada, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada. If you came by air, you’ll have to take a return flight to where you came from.

7. You’re allowed to enter Canada

If you pass the identity check and meet the entry requirements, the border services officer stamps your passport and lets you know how long you can stay in Canada. You’re normally allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months.

Children under 18 must meet the same entry requirements as adults. The border services officer may ask minor children to show other documents depending on whether the child is travelling alone or with someone.

Basic entry requirements

You must meet some basic requirements to enter Canada. You must:

Some people are not admissible to Canada, which means they are not allowed to enter the country. You can be inadmissible for several reasons, including being involved in:

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.