How to Immigrate to Canada?

Canada is a land of many immigrants from all over the world, and all of these newcomers have their own journey to becoming residents or Canadians. Since Canada recognizes that every potential immigrant is different, there are many programs in place which can allow you to come to the country.

Do You Need a Job Offer to Immigrate to Canada?

A job offer can help with some forms of immigration. For example, if you wish to apply for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, you will need a job offer from an employer in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia. However, you can also immigrate to Canada without a job offer through different programs:

• Self-Employed Person Immigration, which allows you to immigrate if you are self-employed and have world-class skills and experience in cultural or athletic fields.
• Express Entry, which allows you to create a profile and get Canada immigration points for work experience, language skills, education, and other factors. While you do get additional points for job offers, you do not need to get a job offer to successfully enter the program and get permanent residency through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or Canadian Experience Class.
• Family sponsorship, which allows close family members who are permanent residents or citizens of Canada to sponsor your immigration application.
• The Start-up Visa Program, which allows you to come to Canada to start your own business, as long as you have enough money to start the venture and have the backing of one or more designated organizations.
• The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Some provinces require a job offer to be in place, while others do not.

What is the Best/Easiest/Fastest Way to Immigrate to Canada?

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for immigrating to Canada. For someone with many resources, a Start-Up Visa allows them to enter the country. For many would-be immigrants, Express Entry may be a way to translate skills and job experience into a residency invitation. In many cases, it depends on the strengths you have and the contributions you can make to the country.

One option for many newcomers is to apply to immigrate to a specific province. Programs such as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, and the Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker all have different requirements, but they all require you to reside and work in a specific region of the country. Since provinces are in need of skilled workers, if you have the education, work experience, and skills a province is looking for, you may find you can secure permanent residency through that program. Since each province has its own requirements, it is good to review each province’s needs and eligibility requirements to see which might be the right fit.

Which is the Easiest Province to Immigrate To?

All provinces can pose their own benefits and drawbacks when it comes to the immigration process. If you are applying for the PNP program, however, you may wish to consider Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) has a processing time of ten months and you do not need a job offer to apply via the International Skilled Worker (ISW) – Occupation in Demand category. The SINP also requires a CLB 4 (Canadian Language Benchmark- 4) for the English language, which is lower than the language standards for many other programs.

While SINP offers many benefits, however, you may find your specific skills to be more in demand in another province or area. For this reason, you will want to review all options and all provinces to determine the best route to immigration for your specific situation.

Deciding to Immigrate

Any Canada immigration assessment you conduct to determine how to apply to come to Canada must be based on your strengths as a candidate. Whether you have family in Canada or are a skilled worker who can contribute to the economy, you may have different routes to residency than others. If you do not have skills or education, you may wish to consider studying in Canada to get training, skills, and qualifications for a job. This can make staying in Canada simpler and can give you a sense of whether Canada is right for you.

If you would like to come to Canada, Immigration Direct has resources, written in plain English, to help you apply for Express Entry and other programs. Our resources contain all the latest application forms and everything you are likely to need to apply today. Be sure to also check out the Immigration Direct free blog and other free resources, where we answer common questions and keep you up-to-date about changes in Canadian immigration laws.