How to immigrate to Canada
In terms of immigration, Canada is one of the most popular countries in the world thanks to its beautiful nature, safety, prosperous economy, friendly people, quality education and health system and a generally high standard of living. For several years, Canada has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the best countries to live.
Many people are also attracted by having a Canadian passport because with it you can travel to almost all countries in the world without applying for a travel visa. Right now, Canadian passport is considered as a fifth strongest passport in the world, its holders can travel to 185 countries in the world! To get it, you have to apply for Canadian citizenship (more about that later). Canada supports dual citizenship so you can have both a Canadian passport and passport of your native country.
Although Canada (unlike the United States) is a relatively open country for new immigrants, the immigration process itself is not easy and many requests are being rejected by Canadian authorities. The reason for that is there are currently around 60 different immigration programs available and you have to choose very carefully!
There are different Visa categories in the complex Canadian immigration process (like Permanent Residency Visa, Student Visa, Business Visa, Work Visa, Visit Visa, etc.) and they all have different conditions and take different time to arrange. As I said before - don’t expect it to be easy! I strongly suggest you to contact a specialized Canada immigration agency to help you with the whole process (more about it later).
Key requirements for all Canada immigration programs
Although there are many different immigration programs and Visa types, there are some basic requirements that ALL applicants have to meet.
- Language proficiency: Each applicant has to prove he has a certain knowledge of one of two official Canada languages — English or French. This has to be done via a certified agency like IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
- Education level: You have to attach ECA report (Educational Credential Assessment) to your request to proof your education.
- Health status: You also need to provide deep health report from a certified medical facility to proof you don’t pose a threat from a medical point of view.
Most used immigration programs
Here are programs that were used the most by people to immigrate to Canada in the last few years:
- Federal Skilled Workers and Professionals program
The most widespread way to get permanent residence in Canada. Applicants are selected for the “Skilled Workers and Professionals” (also called Express Entry) program based on their ability to become economically active in Canada.
Each applicant should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- to have an offer from a Canadian employer for a specific job position
- or to have work experience (the more the better) in one of the 38 selected occupations
- or to have at least 1-year experience as a temporary foreign worker or international student
In addition to that, applicants must prove they have financial resources to live in Canada for 6 months after arrival (not needed if they have an approved job offer).
- Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)
Each province offers the possibility of immigration if you possess a skill or experience for which there is a high demand in a particular province. Most provinces in Canada (currently 10 including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, etc.) do participate in this program and they have different requirements based on their actual needs.
Each PNP applicant must first apply for a Provincial Nomination Certificate and after receiving it, an individual has to apply for Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. Successful PNP applicants will receive priority processing for their permanent residency applications.
There are lots of other immigration programs like Family class sponsorship (allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents to sponsor family members, who wish to immigrate to Canada), Business Immigration (designed for individuals who can contribute to Canadian economy with investments), Canadian Experience Class (for international students or temporary workers who would like to become Canadian Permanent Residents) but those are programs designed for very specific groups of people.
How to get Canadian citizenship
There are several criteria to be met to get Canadian citizenship:
- Permanent Residency — you must have a Canadian permanent residency to apply for Canadian citizenship. Once you land in Canada with any type of valid immigration visa, you will automatically get your permanent resident status.
- Length of stay — you have to prove that you were staying in Canada for 1095 days total in the previous five years. It is not a problem if your stay was non-consecutive. Time spent in Canada as a temporary visitor or student is also counted, but each day spent in Canada on a temporary basis only counts as a half-day.
- Language proficiency — you must provide proof you have adequate English or French knowledge. You need to meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher. Read more about it here.
- Filed taxes — You need to have filed taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the last 5 years.
- Citizenship application — Once you get all needed documents, you can fill the application form, pay the application fee of CAD $630, and physically mail everything to the appropriate office. Once they will check all those documents and find them correct, you will receive an invitation for a Canadian citizenship test.
- Citizenship test — If you are between 18 to 54 years old, you have to pass a citizenship test. It is a written test where you have to proof your knowledge about Canadian culture, geography, history, and government. You have two attempts to pass the test. If you fail, you will have a citizenship interview instead.
Once you pass the citizenship test, you will get an invitation for a citizenship ceremony where you will officially receive your Canadian citizenship certificate.
Too difficult for you? Get help from immigration specialists!
According to statistics, the majority of immigration requests are not successful and applicants are being refused. No wonder — the process is so difficult that it is almost impossible for an individual to fulfill all requirements and to correctly prepare all required papers.
So how to immigrate to Canada without unnecessary hassles? The best way is to use a specialized immigration agency! There are several of those, the biggest one with the highest percentage of successful applications is an online agency called Canada Citizenship Immigration Services (CanadaCIS).
Based in Toronto, Ontario, they are helping people all around the world to fulfill their dreams of living in Canada since 2003 and according to their site, they have already more than 26 thousand customers — with an 89% success rate. Compare that with an official statistics from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department — they report an average success rate around 38% through all immigration programs!
What exactly can this agency do for you?
They can handle all kinds of visas including Immigration visa, Business Visa, Tourist visa, Refugee visa, Student visa, etc. After you register on CanadaCIS page, one of their immigration specialists will be dedicated to you and will lead you through the whole process — until you arrive in Canada. The immigration process usually takes between 6 months to 1 year depending on many factors — what kind of vise are you interested in, how fast can you get all needed documents, what is your work experience and skills, etc.
Here is a list of steps that will follow after registration:
- Your dedicated consultant will call you (they currently support English, French and Italian language — you can choose your preferred language during online registration) and based on this call and your actual situation and needs, he will start to create your immigration profile.
- He will suggest the most suitable immigration program for you and will create a list of all needed documents and other possible requirements. They will also inform you about how and where to get all those documents in your country!
- Once you will gather all needed documents, your dedicated consultant will go through them, verify them one by one (including your resume and cover letter) and suggest you changes to make them suitable for Canadian immigration officers.
- You will be provided with a course preparation for mandatory IELTS exam in the form of workbooks and CDs. Online trial tests are also available for CanadaCIS customers!
- If needed, the agency can even help you find a job in Canada based on your requirements! They will also provide you with tips on writing a resume according to Canadian employment standards and will prepare you for a job interview.
- CanadaCIS has also experts in housing in Canada — they can help you to find temporary or permanent accommodation based on your needs and financial possibilities.
Will they do it free? No. You have count with that. They have immigration consultants certified by ICCRC (Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council) and those are of course quite expensive. The price varies hugely depending on what services will you be interested in any kind of visa do you need. They also provide a discount for students etc.
Conclusion
Overall, to use CanadaCIS agency is the best way to immigrate to Canada. It is not the cheapest way — you can still try to find all the needed info about possible immigration programs for yourself, get all the documents for yourself and prepare for exams for yourself. But be prepared that there is a high probability all the efforts and money you spend on that will go in vain…
But with incomparable 89% success rate, nonstop dedicated support of immigration specialists, ability to find a job and accommodation for you, CanadaCIS is a no-brainer. More information about price and services they offer can be found on their official page here.
