Express Entry
Numerous avenues are available for professionals to qualify for a Canadian permanent resident visa. The most popular route is through Express Entry, the central pathway for skilled workers in the economic class. To be eligible within Express Entry, applicants need to fulfill the criteria for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or the Federal Skilled Trades (FST), depending on their NOC Teer level.
On a regular basis, candidates with the highest rankings in the Express Entry pool are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Approximately every two weeks, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sends out invitations to those individuals with the highest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, taking into consideration factors such as their age, education, language skills, and work experience. IRCC aims to finalize the processing of permanent residency applications within a period of six months or less.
Provincial Nommine Programs
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a highly demanded route for individuals applying for permanent residency to Canada. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) empowers provinces and territories to play an active role in selecting immigrants by allowing them to recommend individuals for permanent residency who can address particular local labor market demands. All of Canada’s provinces, except for Quebec, which has its own PNP and Nunavut which doesn’t offer the PNP, offer a multitude of provincial nominee programs, each with its distinct set of eligibility requirements. Many Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) typically feature employer-driven pathways, where workers can be nominated for permanent residency if they have a valid, full-time job offer and meet the specific nomination criteria set by the province or territory. Some programs exclusively select international candidates based on their capacity to address the labor market demands of the specific province.
The PNP streams could be categorized into the following clusters:
- Skilled Workers
- Students
- Entry level/ Semi Skilled workers
- Family/ community connections
- Business/Entrepreneurs
Following a nomination, PNP candidates are required to submit their Canadian permanent residence application to the federal government. The processing times for each PNP differ and the duration of the permanent residence application processing hinges on whether the PNP operates within the framework of the Express Entry system or not.
PNPs follow an Expression of Interest (EOI) system, much like Express Entry, and regularly invite candidates with the highest scores through draws conducted. You don’t necessarily require an Express Entry profile to apply; you can directly apply to a PNP stream. However, for Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination through these streams, an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points are awarded. This essentially ensures an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a future Express Entry draw.
Caregiver Program
Under the caregiver programs, individuals have the option of either working temporarily or becoming permanent residents.
You may qualify for permanent residency under the “Home Child Care Provider Pilot” or “Home Support Worker Pilot” if you:
- Satisfy the eligibility criteria, and
- Have received a job offer for employment in either of these professions.
You’ll be granted an open work permit to temporarily work in Canada, which:
- Is limited to the specific occupation you were hired for.
- Does not require a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Provides you with the work experience necessary to meet the eligibility criteria for permanent residency.
If you have recently worked as a home child care provider or support worker, this experience may contribute to your qualification for permanent residency.
If you do not satisfy the caregiver permanent residence requirements, there may be an opportunity for you to engage in temporary work. Applicants could either
- apply to extend your work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), if you’re employed as a caregiver in Canada, however, your current employer would have to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or
- apply for a new work permit.
Pilot Programs AFP/AAIP/RNIPP
Pilot programs are short-term immigration initiatives tailored to meet the requirements of particular regions and communities in Canada. These programs aim to address skill shortages by attracting skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers and providing them with a pathway to achieve permanent residence in Canada for those who wish to establish their long-term residency and employment in the country. Pilot programs are typically initiated by employers, making a job offer from a specified Canadian employer which is a key prerequisite for applying under these programs. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and Agri-Food Pilot are some of the current immigration Pilot programs available in Canada.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Program was created with the aim of fostering economic development in Canada’s Atlantic provinces by drawing in skilled workers. The Atlantic provinces encompass New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
To qualify for the AIP, you need to:
- Possess relevant work experience, unless you are an international student who has completed their studies at a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada.
- Meet the educational requirements.
- Satisfy the language proficiency requirements.
- Demonstrate that you have sufficient settlement funds. There’s no need to demonstrate settlement funds if you are already residing and working in Canada with a valid work permit.
- candidates must secure a formal job offer. Unlike other immigration routes, an official Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is not necessary for this program. Instead, the job offer must come from an employer designated under this program.
Agri Food Pilot
Introduced in 2020, the Agri-Food Pilot is scheduled to conclude in May 2025. The primary objective of the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot is to address workforce deficiencies in the agricultural sector and provide a route to obtaining permanent residency for individuals working in the Canadian agricultural sector along with their families to work and reside in Canada without any time constraints.
In order to qualify for participation in the pilot, candidates need to fulfill the subsequent requirements:
- Work experience requirement: A full year of continuous, non-seasonal employment in Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, within an eligible occupation related to processing meat products, livestock farming, or cultivating mushrooms and greenhouse crops.
- Language: Attainment of a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in either English or French.
- Education: Possession of an educational background at the Canadian high-school level or higher.
- Job offer: Receipt of an indefinite job offer for full-time, non-seasonal employment in Canada, excluding Quebec, with compensation meeting or surpassing the prevailing wage.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
Initiated in 2019, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot was introduced as a measure to encourage economic development in these regions by drawing in skilled workers. This program encompasses communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.
To be eligible for the RNIP, prospective candidates need to satisfy both the federal prerequisites and the specific requirements established by the participating community where they intend to establish their residency.
The requirements provided by the Federal government include:
-
- Obtain an endorsement from one of the designated communities.
- Accumulate one year of uninterrupted work experience within the last three years, equivalent to at least 1,560 hours.OR
- Hold a degree from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community.,/li>
- Secure a valid job offer to work in one of the designated communities.
Meet the language proficiency requirements for the NOC skill type/level of the offered job.
- Possess adequate funds to establish themselves and support their family in the community.
- Express a commitment to reside in the community.
A community endorsement is determined by the candidate’s:
- Desire to establish residence in the designated community.
- The job offer and the economic requirements of the community.
- Work experience and skill set.
- Connections to the community.
For further information and assistance contact Barakat Immigration, since we would be glad to guide and assist you throughout your journey to Canada.
