Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, and one of the most welcoming countries in the world. You may be inquisitive to know whether it is possible to obtain a visa to immigrate to Canada. Before you can make that decision, there are a few things you need to know about Canada’s immigration system.
Canada upholds its reputation as an immigrant-friendly country by making it relatively easy for skilled workers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to come live and work there through various programs.
Immigration to Canada has been an ongoing process for years. However, this process was quite slow due to the huge number of applications received by Canadian immigration authorities. In recent years, things have changed thanks to the Canadian government’s Express Entry program for skilled workers.
What is Express Entry and how does it work for immigrating to Canada?
The purpose of Express Entry is to speed up the Canadian Immigration System for skilled workers and entrepreneurs. With it, Canadian Immigration Authorities can now predict how many applications they may receive from skilled immigrants and when they would likely be able to process them all.
Express Entry helps skilled workers and entrepreneurs who wish to move and work in Canada by allowing them to apply for permanent residency in Canada through the use of a single application. It also gives them a clear path to permanent residency so that any delays will not cause them problems later in the process.
Skilled workers can gain access to Express Entry if they meet certain requirements as indicated below. Only applicants with highly-skilled job positions who want to immigrate to Canada with their families can qualify to get an invite.
Requirements for Express Entry
Just like other Canadian immigration programs, Canada Express Entry requires applicants to prove that they have certain qualifications. There are three major areas of qualification in the Canadian immigration system:
1. NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP or PERMANENT RESIDENCY IN A COUNTRY OTHER THAN CANADA
Applicants must either be Canadian citizens or hold permanent residency in a country other than Canada. For example, if you are a citizen of the USA, you may be permitted to submit an application for immigrating to Canada as there are many opportunities for skilled workers in Canada.
2. SKILLS AND EDUCATION
Applicants must have at least two years of relevant work experience or an equivalent skill level in an occupation that can be considered a highly-skilled occupation. This requirement is typically impossible to meet in some cases because it completely depends on the type of job that they do. For instance, if you are self-employed, it may not be possible for you to prove that you have the required skills and qualifications even though your business may require skilled employees.
3. ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH or FRENCH
All applicants must be able to communicate in either English or French. This requirement is a way for Canada to support its two main official languages. If an applicant can speak one of these two languages, he may be required to prove his proficiency in them by taking language tests and submitting their results.
4. HEALTH CONDITION
In order to immigrate to Canada within the Express Entry system, skilled workers must prove that they are able to work in Canada. This comes with the obligation of proving their health and having a job offer while they will be applying for permanent residency in Canada through Express Entry.
This means that all applicants must demonstrate that they have a requirement for inclusion on an unemployment list, no restrictions on their ability to work, no disabilities limiting their ability to work, and there is no injury or illness that will prevent them.
5. AGE LIMIT
You must be 18 years old or older to apply for permanent residency in Canada through this program. This is one of the few points in the Canadian immigration process where applicants are required to prove their age. There are some circumstances where applicants aged 18 – 30 years old get higher points in the express entry pool, so age is a major factor.
Canada Express Entry Process
The Canada Express Entry process starts with the submission of an expression of interest online and after this phase, you will proceed to create a profile, where you will be ranked with other applicants based on points, and eventually, applicants with the highest points will be picked.
The processing times depend on a number of factors, such as how busy the Canadian immigration office is and how many applicants are in the pool. And this also depends on whether you can get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) or not.
If you do get an ITA, it is typically within 60 days from the time when your profile is submitted. As you could already know, your profile is submitted once you submit an application through the Express Entry or Skill Immigration programs.
If your profile gets to the top of the list, you will be invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada within two months! But if you don’t get an ITA, this may mean that your application was not ranked as highly as others who receive an ITA.