The Beginner’s Guide to Canadian Immigration – 6 Categories to Consider

Parade in Canada

Thousands of applications flood the Canadian Immigration website daily. If you’ve been interested in applying for Canadian immigration for a long time but can’t wrap your head around its process, this guide will help you out.

The first thing you need to understand is the different immigration classes offered by the Canadian government. You must decide which category you best fall under and apply accordingly. The six categories offered are as follows.

Family Class Sponsorship

This is one of Canada’s most popular immigration classes where a Canadian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18 years can sponsor a relative or family member to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. The sponsor is also responsible for the relative financially until they are able to support themselves or within the time specified. This process can take 12 to 24 months.

A mother with her sonsThe list of family members eligible to be sponsored are:

  • Spouse, conjugal partner, or common-law partner
  • Grandparents, parents, or children
  • Sister/brothers, nephew/nieces, granddaughter/grandson who are orphaned, not married, or people below the ages of 18 years
  • Any relative of any relationship or age under a specific condition
  • Accompanying relatives of the above mentioned

Canadian Experience Class

This category is for people who already have work experience in Canada or are already settled in the Canadian community. They can be international students or temporary workers who aim to become permanent residents. This process can take 6 months, from starting the process to approval.

Eligibility criteria for international students in Canada is:

  • Completed a minimum of 2 academic years at a post-secondary institution in Canada
  • Minimum 1 year of professional or skilled work experience within 24 months of the PR application
  • Average to basic French or English language skills
  • Must have had legal status while working or studying in Canada

Eligibility criteria for temporary workers in Canada:

  • Minimum 2 years of professional or skilled work experience within 36 months of the PR application
  • Average to basic French or English language skills
  • Must have had legal status while working in Canada

Federal Skilled Worker

This category is for those Canadian immigration applicants who wish to contribute to the Canadian economy through their ability or skills as a worker. The visa through this class can arrive in as little as 6 months if there are no interruptions.

Canadian passportTo qualify for this class, you must have a minimum of 1 year of total experience in at least one of the following job groups:

  • Managerial Jobs (Skill Type 0)
  • Professional Jobs (Skill Level A)
  • Skilled Trades or Technical Jobs (Skill Level B)

The factors that can affect your visa approval include:

  • Educational background (maximum 25 points)
  • Language ability (maximum 24 points)
  • Canadian employment or work experience (maximum 31 points)
  • Ability to adapt to the Canadian community (maximum 10 points)
  • Age (maximum 10 points)

Quebec Skilled Worker

Canadian immigration applicants who wish to live in Quebec are evaluated on the selection criteria set by the province of Quebec rather than the CIC. The ultimate goal for the applicant is to get the Quebec Selection Certificate.

Similar to the Federal Skilled Worker system, a points system is used to assess potential immigrants. The express entry visa through this can arrive as quickly as 6 months.

The point breakdown is as follows:

  • Education and job-related training (maximum 29 points)
  • Employment offer, if applicable (maximum 10 points)
  • Work experience as per the NOC (maximum 9 points)
  • Language proficiency and age (maximum 40 points)
  • Time spent staying in Quebec with family, if applicable (9 points)
  • Qualifications and characteristics of spouse (maximum 18 points)
  • Number and age of children, if any (maximum 8 points)
  • Financial capability plus the ability to adapt to the Canadian economy (maximum 9 points)

Provincial Nomination Program

Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) requires an alliance between the provincial governments and the Government of Canada. The provincial government will nominate PR applicants who wish to settle in a specific province. The final decision will be made based on the work demands and your contributions to the provincial economy.

a night view of TorontoThe provinces available for the program include:

Humanitarian, Protected Persons, and Refugees

Canada offers support in the form of asylum for refugees as part of its humanitarian program. This can either be funded by the government or privately by an individual or a concerning organization in Canada. The application is assessed based on the case itself. But some factors considered are:

 

  • How settled the applicant is in Canada?
  • Does the applicant have any family in Canada?
  • What are the best interests of the children involved?
  • What would happen to the person if the request is denied?

It can take anywhere between 18 to 24 months to process this type of application. While waiting for the approval, the applicant is allowed to stay in Canada and receive social benefits, such as work, health care, and housing assistance from the government. In case the application is refused, the applicant will be deported back to their country (of residence where they applied from).

Intrigued To Learn More About The Canadian Immigration Process?

The first step of applying for Canadian immigration is deciding which immigration category you fall under. Once you shortlist a category and match the eligibility criteria, you can move on to the next step. However, since some of these categories are quite similar to the others, it can be confusing to shortlist one.

 

If this is the case with you, get in touch with Nanda & Associate Lawyers today! We are a professional law firm based in Mississauga dedicated to offering customized legal solutions for all our clients. From immigration consultants to personal injury and corporate lawyers, our team of lawyers caters to various legal issues.

 

Visit our website now to learn more.

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