“How can I come to Canada?”, “What are the ways to visit Canada”, How to immigrate to Canada?” – those are the most popular questions we receive during the consultations. In this post, I will briefly explain all the options for you.
You can come to Canada as an Immigrant, Student, Worker, or Visitor.
- COME AS AN IMMIGRANT
The first option is to come to Canada by obtaining Permanent Resident Status (PR Status).
You can obtain Canadian PR through one of the Economic Immigration Programs or Family Sponsorship.
What is the Economic Immigration Program – these are the list of requirements and actions, defined by the Immigration of Canada, you need to provide and complete that would lead you to the path to receive PR status in Canada.
The Economic Programs are quite diverse, and each has different eligibility criteria. You can see the outline of all Economic Immigration Programs in the chart below. Currently, there are 80 programs that exist, I grouped them according to the audiences they appeal to.
The Economic Immigration Programs are for professionals who have the skills and experience to support the Canadian economy. Each program is different in its requirements, and it will be hard to describe the programs that would fit all.
More information about the Economic Immigration Programs you can find on the official website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html
What is Family Sponsorship – as a PR or citizen of Canada, you can sponsor the following group of people:
- Spouse or partner
- Dependent children
- Relatives (Orphaned brother or sister or Orphaned nephew or niece)
- Adopted children
- Parents and grandparents
More information about the Family Sponsorship you can find on the official website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship.html
2. COME AS A STUDENT
Another option to come to Canada is by starting education in Canada and become an international student. You will need to obtain a Student Permit before coming to Canada. The Study Permit will not only allow you to study but you can also work for 20 hours during studying and 40 hours during the holidays.
Many people say that education in Canada is another way of immigration but legally there is no pathway such as immigration through studying. But definitely, there are so many benefits of obtaining an education in Canada:
- You can apply for a Work Permit (PGWP) and start working full-time for any employer right away.
- You might be eligible to apply right away for PR through some PNP Programs.
- You will get extra points for education in Canada after working for one year and can apply for PR through Express Entry.
More information about the Student Permit you can find on the official website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit.html
3. COME AS A WORKER
Another way to come to Canada is by obtaining a Work Permit and becoming a “Temporary Foreign Worker”. It is a complex process where not only the employee needs to be eligible but the employer in Canada needs to take several steps before issuing the offer of employment to the foreign worker.
For Example, a company decided to hire a foreign employee. Firstly, the employer must prove that he tried to hire Canadian Citizens or people who have PR status and no one from them does not want to work. The employer must submit the application called LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) to the government along with the proof of advertisement, confirming that he couldn’t find anyone inside Canada.
There are a lot of information and documents requested from the employer during the application process and the employer also must pay the fee of CAD 1,000 for each position. If the application is found legitimate, the employer receives a positive LMIA and can issue the offer of employment to the foreign worker.
Secondly, the employee now can apply for a Canadian Work Permit with a copy of LMIA and job offer/employment contract. At this stage, the employee also must complete the eligibility requirements and proof that he/she has the knowledge and experience to do the job heshe applied for.
Keep in mind, the Work Permit is for the period specified on the job offer and only allows you to work for that specific employer. You can not work for another employer while on this type of work permit.
The person becomes a Temporary Foreign Worker during his/her stay in Canada.
There are some exceptions, where you do not need to apply for LMIA:
- A25.2 Public policies
- R204: International agreements or arrangements
- R205: Canadian interests
- R206: No other means of support
- R207: Permanent residence applicants in Canada
- R207.1: Vulnerable workers
- R208: Humanitarian reasons
- International Mobility Workers Unit (IMWU): port of entry (POE) assistance
More information about the Work Permit you can find on the official website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada.html
4. COME AS A VISITOR
People may come to Canada with a Visitor Visa and stay in the country for 6 months unless a different decision is made on entry. They cannot work during this period, but they can attend training and courses for less than 6 months.
You can come to Canada as a Visitor in one of this group of categories:
- Visitor of family or friends
- Visitor of children or grandchildren
- Parents who accompany their children, who hold a Study Permit
- International Students and Foreign Workers also need a Visitor Visa if they would like to leave Canada for a short period and come back to Canada to continue their plans
- Business Investors, who would like to come and explore Canada for the business opportunities
Shortly, I described all the possible ways you can choose while thinking about coming to Canada. Of course, there are many ways but most importantly you need to choose the one that you are eligible for.
I did not include the refugee way in this post because I do not work in the asylum field therefore it would be professionally inappropriate for me to discuss it only from theoretical knowledge.
You can fill out the Questionnaire if you would like to see what the best way for you would be to come to Canada.