Canada Immigration: Which Program is Right for You?

Canada is looking to accept 1,000,000 new immigrants between now until 2021, and has over 60 immigration programs in place. With so many options, interested applicants often find it a challenge to navigate through these programs. You may have the same problem.

Which immigration program is right for you? How do the immigration programs evaluate applicants? Where do you apply for a specific program? Today, we’ll lay the groundwork for you. Once you understand the basics, you’ll have a clearer picture of which way you should go.

Canadian Immigration and the Express Entry System

Immigration falls within the jurisdiction of the federal government of Canada, specifically under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This means that the bulk of immigration applications are reviewed by IRCC. To better manage immigration applications and to have a more systematic screening process, IRCC introduced the Express Entry System in 2015.

Express Entry is not an immigration program. It is a system that evaluates your eligibility, gives you a comprehensive score, and puts you in a pool of candidates. Your comprehensive score is based on your age, education, work experience, English or French proficiency, and adaptability factors. The highest-scoring candidates then move forward in batches and their applications are reviewed by IRCC visa officers.

If you are accepted into the pool of candidates, it means you meet the requirements for at least one immigration program under the Express Entry system. The Express Entry system currently has 3 immigration programs:

Federal Skilled Worker Program – qualified applicants have work experience in a managerial, supervisory, professional, or technical job (skilled trade), along with strong language ability and education.
Federal Skilled Trades Program – qualified applicants have work experience in a skilled trade, have intermediate language ability, and have a valid job offer or certificate of qualification.
Canadian Experience Class – qualified applicants have Canadian work experience and meet minimum requirements for work duration and language ability.

Express Entry remains the fastest pathway to Canadian immigration, with IRCC committing to review applications and arrive at a decision within 6 months from the date the application is received.

Other Federal Immigration Programs

Aside from skilled workers, Canada also accepts applications from self-employed persons and businessmen under the Self-Employed Persons Program and the Start-Up Visa Program.

Self-employed Persons Program. Self-employed persons are persons with minimum 2 years’ experience being self-employed in arts, culture, design, sports, fitness, and recreation.
Start-up Visa Program. This program is for you if you have an innovative business idea that can create jobs and compete on a global scale. Canadian investors may be willing to support your new venture and support your plan to immigrate to Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programs

If you do not qualify under Canada’s Express Entry System, you may qualify as a provincial nominee instead. Each province and territory in Canada have their own immigration pathways, for a combined total of over 50 programs. These programs are dictated by their economic needs and therefore varies from province to province.

Generally speaking, each province or territory accept their own high-skilled workers, low-skilled workers, international students, and entrepreneurs.

As a starting point to determine your eligibility, you must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to at least 1 question below:

Do you have relatives up to the third degree of consanguinity in Canada who are citizens or permanent residents?
Have you worked for at least 1 year in an in-demand occupation?
Did you graduate from a post-secondary program in one of Canada’s provinces or territories?
Have you worked for at least one year in one of Canada’s provinces or territories?
Do you have a job offer from a Canadian employer?
Do you have a net worth of at least PHP16,000,000 and willing to invest in a new business for at least PHP8,000,000?

If you are not able to answer ‘Yes’ to any of the above, the next question to ask yourself is: Are any of these something you can work on to get a ‘Yes’?

Other Options

If Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs are not for you at this time, you can choose to go to Canada on a study permit. A study permit allows you to work part-time while studying, and entitles you to a work permit when you graduate. After working for at least 1 year, you may be qualified to apply for at least 1 immigration program.

This pathway actually gets you to Canada faster as the processing time is much shorter. It also has the added advantage of giving you Canadian education and Canadian work experience. By the time you are a permanent resident, you will be ahead of the competition within the pool of newcomers to Canada.

Whatever pathway you take, welcome to a bright future!

Have a question? You can contact us here.

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