Canadian Immigration Regulations at a Glance
Do I qualify for immigration to Canada?
Which class should I apply under?
What conditions do I need to satisfy?
How long does it take to process a visa? Click here for more information
Essentially, there are four main ways to immigrate to Canada. You can apply under one of three permanent residence classes:
Skilled Worker
Family
Business
The other option is to apply for a:
Temporary Residence Visa
Skilled Worker
The Skilled worker class, or points system as it is commonly referred to, is the most popular class. Applicants are awarded points for age, education, work experience and English and/or French ability. Although not a requirement, points can be granted for 'arranged employment' in Canada or if you are currently working in Canada on a qualifying work permit.
Further points may be awarded for 'adaptability' factors including your partner's qualifications, or if you or your partner have studied in Canada for at least 2 years, or have family in Canada (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, niece, nephew, child or grandchild).
The objective is to achieve the passmark. If you would like to know the current passmark please click here. Applicants with the greatest likelihood of success are those:
- With tertiary qualifications (i.e. post-secondary school), for instance a Diploma, Trade Certificate or Apprenticeship, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree or PhD
- With a high level of proficiency in English and/or French
- In a position to claim maximum points for relevant work experience
- Aged between 21 and 49
- With the ability to claim points for adaptability.
All applicants must have at least 12 months of post-graduation work experience in an occupation listed as Skill Type O or Skill Level A or B on the National Occupations Classification (NOC) list.
If you are interested in migrating as a skilled migrant and you would like to find out if your occupation is listed on the NOC list please click here.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class please click here to proceed to our free QUICK-CHECK immigration assessment form
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Family
There is also the family visa for migration to Canada for persons who have qualifying relatives in Canada who are willing and eligible to sponsor them.
Sponsors must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident: spouse, common-law or conjugal partners; dependant child, parent or grandparent; an orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild (under 19); and any relative if the Canadian sponsor does not have another close relative who is in Canada or who can be sponsored to come to Canada.
The most common type of family class application is for those persons who are married or engaged to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class please click here to proceed to our free QUICK-CHECK immigration assessment form.
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Business
Applicants are divided into three subcategories:
- Self-employed
- Entrepreneur
- Investor
Self-Employed
As the name suggests, the self-employed class is suitable for self-employed business persons who do not necessarily intend to employ other persons in their business. This class is limited to farmers and applicants who will be of cultural, artistic or sporting value to Canada.
Under this class, there is no minimum capital or past ownership requirements, but applicants must prepare a viable, well-researched business proposal and possess sufficient funds and acceptable experience to establish or purchase the proposed business in Canada. Past self-employment, though not strictly required, is considered an asset. There is also a requirement to meet the 'passmark'.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class and all other visa classes, please click here to proceed to our free QUICK CHECK immigration assessment form.
Entrepreneur
To immigrate to Canada under the Entrepreneur class, you must have past 'business experience' in a 'qualifying business' for a specified period. Applicants must also possess a net worth of at least C$300,000.
Upon arrival in Canada, there is a requirement to establish or purchase a business enterprise and provide active and ongoing management of that business within three years. Your business must create at least one, new full-time job for a Canadian and meet other requirements of a 'qualifying business'. There is also a requirement to meet the 'passmark'.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class please click here to proceed to our free QUICK-CHECK immigration assessment form
Investor
Applicants wanting to immigrate to Canada under the Investor Class must possess a total net worth of at least C$800,000 and invest C$400,000 of this amount with the Canadian Receiver General for 5 years.
Although the fund is Government guaranteed, no interest is payable. Applicants must prove that the funds have been generated through their own business initiative and that they have previously managed either 5 full-time staff for at least 2 years OR owned a share in the business they have managed for at least two years in the five years prior to applying. If you do not wish to undertake an investment, an alternative is to establish a loan arrangement with a Canadian bank, whereby the amount to be invested is borrowed. Under this option, it is still necessary to possess an overall net worth of C$800,000. The down side of this option is that you must pay the interest charges accumulated over the 5-year term.
The main advantages of the investor class is that you do not need to actively own and operate a business and you are issued with permanent residence immediately upon approval.
All applicants must satisfy health, police, character and credibility checks, and a range of other criteria.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class and all other visa classes, please click here to proceed to our free QUICK CHECK immigration assessment form.
Important Note: If you do not qualify under any of the above classes, you may be able to apply under one the Provincial Government Nominee programmes. Although only a limited number of places are available every year, the regulations differ from those described above, as they are set by the Provincial Government according to economic and social needs of that region. Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Quebec and the Yukon operate nominee programmes. Quebec has the largest programme accepting over 3,000 mostly French-speaking migrants per year.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under these visa classes please click here to proceed to our free QUICK-CHECK immigration assessment form.
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Temporary Visas
A number of temporary residence visas are also available:
Work Permits:
If you are offered a job that cannot be filled by a Canadian and the Canadian employer is able to satisfy a HRDC labour market assessment, then you may be able to apply for a work permit. The permit is issued for the duration of the employment contract usually up to a maximum of 3 years.
For a FREE initial assessment of your eligibility under this visa class and all other visa classes, please
click here to proceed to our free QUICK CHECK immigration assessment form.
Important note: Canadian employers are generally reluctant to sponsor offshore candidates unless there are specific skills shortages and often do not consider applicants unless they are ALREADY in possession of a Canadian residence visa, present in Canada for an interview and able to start work in 4-6 weeks. So unless you are to be transferred to Canada by your current employer this can be a very difficult visa to obtain.
Student visa:
If you are enrolled into a qualifying course at a Canadian tertiary institution, you can apply for a student visa. This visa allows you to study full-time and to work a limited number of hours per week. Other temporary visas include young persons working holiday programmes and visas for live-in caregivers.
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Free Eligibility Assessment
If you are interested in immigration to Canada, please complete an online Free Immigration Assessment.
If this assessment is positive, we will then invite you to complete a more comprehensive paid Full Check evaluation. This confidential service is an information gathering exercise and enables our immigration experts to assess your position under the official immigration regulations, without any obligation on you to proceed further.
Click here to complete an online Full Check Evaluation. Please Note: The Full Check Evaluation is a paid service and fees apply.
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Caution: Immigration Regulations can change without advance notice. You are strongly advised to seek the advice of a professional Canadian Migration Consultant before applying. Information on this page correct as at 31st October 2007).
For an indication of visa processing times please click here
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