Over the last half-century, Canada has earned a reputation for welcoming immigrants and cherishing multiculturalism. Its immigration policy stands as unique in Western Europe; about half of the permanent residents are accepted based on their skill set.
Economic migrants typically first secure temporary status before gaining permanent residence through one of the federal high-skilled worker programs or a provincial nominee program. Both pathways offer long-term settlement prospects and have helped combat aging demographics.
Education and Work Experience
As a skilled worker, you have several avenues for obtaining Canadian immigration. There are various categories such as Federal Skilled Worker, Quebec Skilled Worker, Provincial Nominee Program, Family Sponsorship and Business Immigrant.
Many of Canada’s immigration programs assign a point value to your education and/or work experience, in order to determine whether you will be successful in integrating into the Canadian labor market.
Furthermore, you may be eligible for a work permit through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program or International Mobility Program. These programs enable foreign nationals to come here temporarily for short-term work opportunities in industry-specific fields.
These temporary worker programs are intended to address labor shortages in specific industries, such as oil patch and food processing. Unfortunately, the system is complex and often lacking oversight to safeguard immigrants from abuse or mistreatment. This type of immigration has raised questions about its integrity.
Express Entry
Express Entry is a federal immigration program that allows candidates to create an online profile and be ranked against other participants in the Express Entry pool. Those who rank high enough are invited to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
CRS ranks candidates based on their career and educational history, language skills, and whether they have received a qualifying job offer or provincial nomination in Canada. This points-based system is designed to predict an individual’s likelihood of economic success in Canada.
Applicants can boost their score by taking another language test or getting an educational credential assessment for any post-secondary education they possess. However, these changes must be made before submission.
Once you possess a valid passport and an ECA report, you can begin creating your Express Entry profile. Other documents may also be needed depending on which program you are applying through; these will vary.
Provincial Nomination
Canadian immigration system features a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which selects immigrants for permanent residency based on skills, education or work experience that meet the provincial labor market needs. This system works in concert with an economic immigration strategy and gives priority to candidates with those skills, credentials or work experience that best match those needs.
To be eligible for a Provincial Nominee Program nomination, you must have an offer from an employer in Canada and meet the criteria set out by that province. Once reviewed, they will issue you with a certificate of nomination for permanent residence.
IRCC also has the authority to grant candidates a “base” or non-Express Entry PNP, enabling them to apply outside the Express Entry pool. However, these applications may take longer processing times.
The Express Entry system is a popular pathway for skilled workers to gain permanent residence in Canada. It utilizes an online two-step process that allows candidates to submit their profiles and enter a selection pool. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) assigns points based on candidates’ skills, education level, and work experience.
Quebec Selection
The Quebec Skilled Worker program annually selects thousands of immigrant workers who have the potential to become economically established in Quebec. Applicants under this program are assessed using a different system than other provinces, with points awarded based on factors like education level, language skills, work experience, age group, family ties in Quebec (spouse/common-law partner points included), job offer and financial standing.
Once candidates submit an expression of interest through the Arrima portal, they receive a score that ranks their profile against others. Those with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent immigration in regularly held draws.
