Come Work in Canada

If you have suitable education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French and other abilities, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa.

Here are some of the basic requirements that must be met by applicants:

1. Have professional work experience of at least one continuous year of full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment.
2. Proficiency in speaking, reading, listening and writing English and/or French and the ability to prove this by providing IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) test results and/or TEF (Test d’èvaluation de français) test results, if applicable.
3. Applicants must have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members after arrival in Canada. Applicants are exempt from showing proof of settlement funds if a valid job offer is extended and an offer of indefinite employment is made by the employer to the applicant upon receiving permanent residency status.
4. Applicants and accompanying family members undergo background checks and medical examinations to rule out criminal or medical inadmissibility.
5. Score a minimum of 67 points based on work experience, age, education, language proficiency, adaptability and arranged employment factors.

Canadian Experience Class

This application is for temporary foreign workers in Canada and/or foreign students that have graduated from Canadian universities and wish to apply for permanent residency and intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec.

This program, otherwise known as “CEC,” is a federal permanent residence program for temporary foreign workers who have gained full-time Canadian work experience and are familiar with Canadian society and Canada’s job market. This program is also for foreign students who have gained Canadian credentials and have full-time Canadian work experience during the qualifying period.

Applicants must have maintained temporary resident status during their qualifying period of work experience as well as during any period of full-time study or training in Canada.

The selection criteria are objective and clearly defined, and eligibility can easily be assessed in straightforward cases and are not based on a point system. Interview by Canadian immigration officers may be required. However, in most cases, the immigration officers should be able to make selection decisions from documentation provided.

An applicant who is eligible to apply for permanent residence under the “Canadian Experience Class” has to submit a complete application package to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia, with supporting documents and proof of English proficiency but is not required to show proof of settlement funds.

Provincial Nominee Programs for Skilled Workers

Most provinces and territories in Canada have an agreement with the federal government that allows them to nominate immigrants who wish to settle in that province or territory, to meet regional labour demands. The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have their own criteria and selection processes.

Persons who immigrate to Canada under a Provincial Nominee Program have the skills, education and work experience needed to make an immediate economic contribution to the province or territory that nominates them. They are ready to establish themselves successfully as permanent residents in Canada.

The Provincial Nominee Programs in the different provinces and territories are employer driven immigration programs designed to meet the needs of employers that are unable to fill skilled and semi-skilled positions with Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The program is a two-step process. The first step is to submit a complete application package for nomination to the appropriate provincial government. Once the application is approved by the provincial government, the applicant must submit a complete federal application package with all supporting documentation to the (CIO) Centralized Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia. This is the second step of the process.

Advantages of Provincial Nominee Programs to Employer and Employee:

• Helps solve critical labour shortages
• Allows for business growth and expansion
• Allows employers to retain foreign workers who have gained experience and business knowledge
• Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) nominated by a province generally have their applications for permanent residence processed faster than other types of permanent residence categories
• PNP nominated TFWs may extend their stay in Canada for 24 months and are granted permanent residency status within Canada
• Once the provincial government issues a Nominee Certificate, It is not necessary for the TFW to apply for a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and then he/she will be eligible for a new work permit with a validity of 24 months
• Spouses and children will reunite with TFWs in Canada