How to immigrate to Canada

Canada is one of the most popular countries for immigration as the job market keeps expanding and skilled workers are in high demand.
Sep 2 / Jake Borland

Have you ever wondered how to immigrate to Canada?

If you're thinking about immigrating to Canada and starting a new life there, you have chosen your destination well. Canada is one of the most popular countries for immigration as the job market keeps expanding and skilled workers are in high demand. Added to this, it is one of the safest countries in the world! Over the next two years, Canada is looking for more than 1 million immigrants so now is the time to start your application. For this, you’ll need IELTS, but more on that later…

Below are 4 ways to immigrate to Canada

  • Express Entry
  • Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
  • Study in Canada
  • The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP)

How to immigrate to Canada?

1. Express Entry
If you choose Express Entry or immigration, you could be in Canada in less than 6 months. Express Entry welcomes skilled workers and evaluates candidates on their age, education work experience, and language proficiency. You can also take your family members with you to Canada. This is the fastest way to become a permanent resident as 80% of applications are processed within 4 months.

2. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Each province in Canada (except Quebec) is allowed to decide who they would like to welcome, depending on their economic needs and job openings. Provinces often search for foreign workers with experience in occupations required to foster economic growth. There are approximately 80 PNPs and each one has its own requirements so if your occupation is in demand, you can look for work in the relevant province.  

3. Study in Canada
Canada is one of the most popular destinations in the world for international students. It has top-class universities, affordable tuition fees and welcomes newly arrived students warmly. In addition, international students with Canadian qualifications are encouraged to apply for permanent residence on completion of their studies. As a result, many people choose this route to arrive at their final destination of permanent residence in Canada.

4. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP)
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP) was launched in 2017 to help bring more workers to Canada’s Atlantic Region. The program lets employers in the Atlantic Region hire international workers from outside of Canada. If an international worker receives a job offer from one of the participating employers, they receive support in their immigration process and in their settlement to Canada.

In order to be eligible for AIP, first, you have to get a job offer from one of the program’s designated employers. Check out the complete list of designated employers here!

So if you’ve read this far, you know you have a good chance of being accepted for immigration into Canada and that there are a number of ways of achieving this. Let’s now look at how your application is evaluated when you're considering how to immigrate to Canada. The following areas are all taken into account:

  • Minimum 1 year of Full-Time Work Experience
  • Experience must be in Management, Professional or Skilled Trades
  • Minimum Education equivalent to a Canadian Certificate Course
  • Minimum 6.0 Bands in IELTS (or Equivalent in French)
  • Minimum 67 Points on 100-Point Grid
  • No Serious Health Problems
  • No Criminal Convictions

Looking at the list above, it is clear that you need to be an experienced, skilled worker or professional. If that is the case you are half-way there. However, your application will be given points depending on your age, your level of education, the years of work experience you have and your language proficiency. Obviously, there is little you can do about your age, your completed education or your work experience. That leaves your language skills. The only area where you can increase your score, in a reasonably short space of time, is if you increase your language ability and demonstrate this by achieving a band 6 or higher in IELTS.  

Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in Dubai
"IELTS is crucial to your application for permanent residence in Canada"
At Speak English Institute, we understand the life-changing decision you have made in applying for permanent residence in Canada. We also understand that you are in a hurry (after all the Express Entry program states you could be in Canada in less than 6 months). However, if you do need to improve your language skills and demonstrate this by achieving a band of 6 in IELTS, you need to give yourself time. Your English will not improve overnight or even in a month. Language learning is a process and it takes time for a learner to study, assimilate and process new language and grammatical structures. In addition, this needs to be demonstrated in all 4 skills, reading, writing, speaking and listening (understanding language). If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to read my previous blog (link to IELTS blog here).  

So, assuming you have now understood why IELTS is the gold standard when it comes to language testing and why you cannot rush your training, you need to discuss how you can improve your language skills in English with a qualified and experienced EFL teacher, one who has extensive experience in teaching IELTS also. At Speak English Institute, we have specialized Study Advisors who can help you make a plan to improve your English and prepare you for the exam. It is crucially important that you make the right decisions at this point so come and talk to us and we will explain how best we can help you.

Here are some Canada immigration services in the United Arab Emirates you can check out when considering how to immigrate to Canada. (We're NOT affiliated with any of the Canada immigration services mentioned below)

  • Canadian Center for Immigration Services - www.cscimmigration.com
  • Fasttrack Immigration - www.fasttrack-immigration.com
  • North American Service Center - www.nascintl.com

Jake Borland

Jake Borland is an experienced English teacher with 20 years in the field. As the co-founder and Marketing Manager of Speak English Institute, he is dedicated to delivering high-quality education both in-person and online. Jake’s passion lies in helping students improve their English skills through engaging and effective learning experiences.

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