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Study Permit: Services

Immigrations Programs 

Skilled Worker Immigration Plans:

Under its Immigration Levels Plan of the country, Canada plans  to welcome over 400,000 immigrants every year. Most  of these immigrants arrive as skilled workers. The main way skilled workers can immigrate to Canada is through the Express Entry application management system. The second main way is through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), followed by Quebec’s skilled worker programs, and then a few other targeted federal programs.

Skilled Workers Can Move to Canada with their Family

Skilled workers can also bring close family members with them to Canada. These family members also gain permanent resident status. 

Close family members include:

  • your spouse or common-law partner

  • dependent children

  • dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner

  • dependent children of dependent children

Dependent children are:

  • under 22 years old and not a spouse or common law partner

  • 22 years of age or older, depended significantly on financial support from their parents before the age of 22 and can not support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition

Express Entry Program:
 

Express Entry is Canada’s main way of managing skilled worker applications through the three main economic class immigration programs:

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Candidates receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on criteria such as their age, education, language skills, and work experience.

Approximately every two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invites candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence.

IRCC aims to process permanent residence applications in six months or less.

Under its Immigration Levels Plan, Canada seeks to welcome an average of 110,000 immigrants through Express Entry each year.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Via  the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), Canada’s provinces and territories can nominate people who wish to immigrate to Canada and live  in a particular province.
Canada plans  to welcome over 80,000 immigrants per year under the PNP.

All provinces and territories, except for Quebec and Nunavut, has its own PNP. Each province determines its own criteria for choosing eligible candidates. PNPs operate Expression of Interest (EOI) systems, similar to Express Entry, and invite the highest scoring candidates in regular draws.
You do not need to have an Express Entry profile to apply.
You can apply directly to a PNP stream. These are called ‘base’ streams.
You can also apply to PNP streams that are aligned with Express Entry.
These are called ‘enhanced’ streams. This strategy gives you more options.
Receiving a provincial nomination through these streams awards Express Entry candidates an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This practically guarantees receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Quebec Immigration

The province of Quebec has its own immigration system with its own selection criteria that is separate from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) programs and also separate from the PNP.
Applicants who are selected to immigrate to Quebec are given a Quebec Selection Certificate, or Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). This is a document that is issued by Quebec’s Immigration Ministry.
You are able to apply for a CSQ through one of Quebec’s immigration programs.
The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) is for skilled workers who wish to immigrate to Quebec and become permanent residents of Canada.
The Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) is popular among international students who have completed their post-secondary education in Quebec. This program is also for foreign skilled workers with work experience in the province.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Atlantic Canada Region  has its own immigration program called the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP). The AIP is a fast-track immigration program that allows employers to attract and retain foreign talent. Atlantic Canada includes four provinces:

  • New Brunswick

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Nova Scotia

  • Prince Edward Island

Employers who wish to benefit from the AIP must find a suitable candidate and offer them a job. They do not need to conduct a Labor Market Impact Assessment. Once the applicant  accepts the offer, the employer must connect the candidate with an  organization that will help him or her develop a settlement plan. Employers who wish to quickly fill the position may also have access to a temporary work permit.

The AIP is divided into three programs. Two of these programs are aimed at skilled workers:

The third program is aimed at international graduates:

Other Federal Skilled Worker Programs

Additional targeted federal skilled worker programs exist that help certain immigration applicants  gain permanent residence. The additional federal programs include:

The RNIP allows small and remote communities across Canada to attract and retain foreign workers. Participating communities take the lead in attracting new immigrants and matching them with suitable jobs. 

The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence to eligible temporary foreign workers in the Agriculture and Agri-Food industry. In order to be eligible,

The remaining three immigration programs provide pathways to permanent residence for foreign caregivers, including live-in caregivers, childcare providers and home support workers. For all three programs, candidates are required to have at least two years of work experience relevant to the program they are applying for. 


Find the Right Canadian Immigration Program

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