How to Immigrate to Canada
Canada aims to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 500,000 in 2025 and plateau at 500,000 in 2026 There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada and secure Canadian permanent residence, however, Visa Route Team is committed to helping you keep things simple.
Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada
The easiest way to come to Canada will depend on your own unique profile or connections to the country. With Canadian immigration targets higher than ever, now is the time to start your immigration journey.
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 most popular ways for overseas applicants to migrate to Canada:
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.
By 2025, Canada plans to invite half a million newcomers. Of which a large percentage will come through one of the three streams of Express Entry:
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW);
Canadian Experience Class (CEC); and
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
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.
2. Provincial Nominee Programs
Throughout the pandemic, provinces continued to nominate overseas workers for Canadian permanent residence. By 2025, Canada plans to welcome 117,500 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.
The cost of immigrating to Canada through a PNP is usually the same as Express Entry, with some additional fees, depending on the province. Certain provinces don’t charge a fee to process PNP applications, while others, such as Ontario, can charge up to $1,500 CAD.
3 .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 reside in 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.
4. Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship is a category of immigration available to the family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
5. Family members eligible to sponsor include:
Spouse or common-law/conjugal partner
Dependent child (adopted or biological)
Parents and grandparents
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:
Orphaned brother or sister
Orphaned nephew or niece
Orphaned grandchild
6. 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.
What are the Requirements for Canadian Immigration?
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!
CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO COME TO CANADA