A common question on immigration fora is “Should I Immigrate to Canada by Using The Express Entry Option? There are other pathways to permanent residency other than express entry, Here is a summary of Canada Immigration Pathways Explained
Clear Routes To Residency (With The Right Credentials) :
Canada has a variety of immigration pathways which include the following:
An immigration section that includes skilled workers in three programs:
Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is an older pathway folded into the express entry system. This Canadian immigration pathway requires you to be eligible for skilled work experience, language ability, and education. Skill work experience entails that you have worked in one of the following National Occupation Classifications. (NOC) Teer: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, TEER 3. You must demonstrate that you carried out the majority of the primary responsibilities stated and the duties specified in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC while working in your primary occupation. You can define your “primary occupation” as the job you are proficient in and prefer to use as the basis for your immigration application (only if you are invited to apply). Continuous student employment that was compensated with salaries or commissions satisfies the standards. As for language ability you must take approved tests, meet the minimum scores, and enter the results into your profile. The validity of your language exams lasts for two years from the date of the test results. They must be valid on the day you submit your application for permanent residency. Lastly you must obtain or provide proof of funds to ensure that you’re able to support yourself financially in order to settle in Canada.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program demands that you fulfill the standards for your language proficiency, job offer or certificate of qualification, and skills trade work experience. Skills trade work experience requires two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply. You must fulfill the criteria outlined in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for that skilled occupation and lastly you must demonstrate that you carried out the majority of the primary responsibilities stated in the NOC as well as the measures in the lead statement of the occupational description. Numerous NOC skilled trade groups exist, including supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production (Major Group 73), general trades (Major Group 82), and others. For further inquiry, revisit the embedded link at the top. In addition you must obtain or have a job offer or certificate of qualification, you must take approved language tests and in terms of education requirements, there are none. Lastly, as always, proof of funds is vital to ensure that you’re financially stable to support your stay.
The Canadian Experience Class demands that you meet minimum requirements for Canadian skilled work experience and language proficiency. You are required to have at least a year of Canadian skilled work experience in the three years prior to your application, gained Canadian work experience while authorized to operate under temporary resident status, and lastly you must demonstrate that you carried out the majority of the primary responsibilities stated in the NOC as well as the measures in the lead statement of the occupational description. If you are employed without authorization, are a refugee claimant in Canada, or obtained your work experience outside of Canada without temporary residence status, you are not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. Self-employment and work experience gained as a student can not count towards the minimum requirements for the program. Finally you must take approved language tests and meet the minimum score and they are valid two years after the test results. Additionally there are no education requirements. You must reside outside the province of Quebec.
For those nominated by provinces/territories.
The Provincial Nominee Program allows Canadian provinces to nominate individuals who aim to settle in a Canadian province. Note that Quebec has its separate rules and regulations for economic immigration. Refer to their sources for further information. The PNP’s primary goal is to promote immigration’s advantages across Canada. The majority of immigrants to Canada settled in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec before the PNP was established in 1998. However, since 1998, immigration has been more evenly distributed throughout Canada as the PNP has played a significant role in the success of the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) and Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) in luring newcomers.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is designed for individuals who possess the skills, education, and work experience needed to support the economy of a particular province or territory, intend to live in that specific province or territory, and aim to become permanent residents of Canada. Each province and territory has its own tailored “streams”—specific immigration programs that focus on different groups and have unique requirements. For example, some program streams may prioritize students, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, or semi-skilled workers. Practically speaking, this Canada Immigration Pathway can be explained as viable often if you have a job offer.
This is for family members of Canadians citizens or permanent residents.
You’re eligible to sponsor as long as you’re above the age of 18, a Canadian citizen, anyone who is listed as an Indian in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act, or a permanent resident in Canada.
If you’d like to sponsor your spouse, you must pursue a Spousal Sponsorship. You can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner. The foreign national that is to be sponsored must be legally married to the sponsor, and qualify as a common-law partner. Additionally the sponsor must financially support the applicant for three years and meet other requirements/conditions depending on the case. For Outland Sponsorship, the foreign spouse or partner typically resides outside of Canada, while the Canadian sponsor is based within the country. The sponsored individual is permitted to travel to and from Canada if they hold a visa-exempt passport or have secured a Canadian visa. However, it is mandatory for the Canadian sponsor to remain in Canada throughout the application process. Outland sponsorship applications are handled by the visa office associated with the sponsored spouse’s country of citizenship or, alternatively, the country where they have been legally residing for a minimum of one year. In contrast, Inland Sponsorship requires both the sponsor and applicant to reside within Canada through the entire application process either as a worker, student, or visitor.
If you’d like to sponsor your children, you must pursue a dependent child sponsorship. This applies to both biological and adoptive children. Once again the most self-explanatory requirement is to be the age of 18 or older to be eligible for sponsoring. The sponsor must be willing to assist and support the dependent for a period of 10 years or until the child reaches the age of 25. The individual must be under 22 years of age and must not be married or in a common-law partnership. For individuals over the age of 22, they must have been consistently engaged in full-time studies, have a disability, or remain financially reliant on the sponsor due to other circumstances dating back to before their 22nd birthday.
To apply for child sponsorship, you will need to complete four primary steps:
Step 1: Access the application package available on the government’s official website. This package includes a comprehensive guide with detailed instructions and all necessary forms to ensure you complete the process accurately.
Step 2: Make the required online payment, covering the application processing fee for all individuals listed in your application, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, the biometric fee, and any additional applicable third-party fees.
Step 3: Submit your completed application according to the submission instructions outlined in the guide.
Step 4: Provide the necessary supporting documents when requested by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
If you’d like to sponsor parents or grandparents, you’re looking for the Parents and Grandparents Program. This annual program allows citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for PR in Canada. It operates through a lottery-styled system where sponsors complete an “interest to sponsor” form and become a candidate. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to become permanent residents themselves, providing full access to Canadian social benefits. However, processing times for PGP can take several years. Alternatively, the Super Visa offers a faster, flexible option, allowing parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time on a multiple-entry basis, with a validity of up to ten years. Though it does not grant permanent residency, the Super Visa has shorter processing times, often just a few weeks, making it a quicker solution for extended family visits.
Lastly, if you choose to sponsor your siblings, to be eligible, your sibling, niece, nephew, or grandchild must be under 18, have no spouse or partner, and be directly related to you by blood or adoption, with both parents deceased. Sponsorship is not allowed if either parent is alive, their parents’ location is unknown, they have been abandoned, are in the care of someone other than their parents with at least one parent living, or if a parent is incarcerated or detained.
For business entrepreneurs planning to begin business ventures in Canada.
The base requirements are that you must have a qualifying business, receive a letter of support from a designated organization, meet the language requirements, and bring enough money to settle.
To qualify under the program you must hold 10% or more total voting rights and applicants must hold 50% or more of the total voting rights. To receive a letter of support from a designated organization, you must contact them and convince them that your business is worth supporting. To be eligible for an SUV, you must meet Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in speaking, writing, hearing, and reading (in either French or English). You are required to bring enough money to support yourself or family and depending on the number of family members you must add a certain amount of money to the total you are required to possess before entry. You can’t borrow this money from another person. For example if you had 7 family members you must have a minimum of $38, 875.
For International students leveling up to permanent resident status.
Foreigners or not, Canada aims to grant permanent residency to anyone with Canadian education. This is primarily because individuals who have received their education in Canada are more likely to succeed in the Canadian labor market. These students are seen as a promising source of competent people who can meet Canada’s labor market demands. Upon completing their studies in Canada, many international students apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which grants them an open work permit, allowing employment across various sectors and employers within Canada.
Students are eligible for PGWP if they’ve:
**Completed a qualifying academic, vocational, or professional program (minimum eight months) at a designated learning institution (DLI), leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
**Maintained full-time student status in Canada throughout each academic session of the completed program(s).
**Obtained a transcript and official letter from the DLI confirming program requirements were met.
International students in Canada have an abundance of options for transitioning from a study visa to permanent residence (PR), typically beginning with the Post-Graduation Work visa (PGWP). It offers graduates the opportunity to work in Canada, which can increase their eligibility for PR programs such as the Provincial Nominee Program and the Canadian Experience Class, as well as other economic immigration alternatives. Keep in mind that a PGWP may soon only be issued based on the course/ education completed.
Foreigners who have job offers may be able to gain permanent residence.
This program is regulated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. It is in partnership with IRCC and CBSA. In cases where there are no qualified Canadians available for an opening, Canadian firms may hire foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Candidates usually require a job offer and a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which verifies that the position cannot be filled by a Canadian, in order to immigrate under this route. Depending on their work history and other qualifying factors, foreign workers may eventually be eligible for permanent residency in Canada through programs like the Provincial Nominee Program or the Express Entry system.In cases where there are no qualified Canadians available for an opening, Canadian firms may hire foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Candidates usually require a job offer and a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which verifies that the position cannot be filled by a Canadian, in order to immigrate under this route. Depending on their work history and other qualifying factors, foreign workers may eventually be eligible for permanent residency in Canada through programs like the Provincial Nominee Program or the Express Entry system.
For those seeking protection.
Asking for refugee protection in Canada can be requested only if returning to your home country means a danger of torture, a risk to your life, or a risk of cruel or unusual treatment or punishment. Pursuing asylum is not a way to get around the rules and procedures of immigration. The plea for asylum will be rejected if there are no sufficient grounds for it.
Canada fulfills its international obligations to help those who legitimately need protection and support. However, in order to protect Canadians’ safety, security, and well-being, it is imperative that all rules be adhered to.
In order to determine if their claims are legitimate under both Canadian and international law, asylum seekers must go through a rigorous review procedure. Your request will be evaluated for credibility using our rules-based system.
You will be deported from Canada if you lack a legitimate claim or are not qualified to apply for asylum in Canada, unless certain appeals are filed. If you have a question about Canadian immigration contact us.
