Express Entry isn’t the only way to settle in Canada. There are plenty of other ways to make it happen.
Canada plans on admitting more than 1.2 million new permanent residents between 2021 and 2023. Only a quarter will be admitted through Express Entry.
That’s right: three-in-four new permanent residents are admitted through other programs, not through Express Entry. And when you add in temporary residents as well, less than 10 percent of people who obtain the right to work in Canada annually are admitted through Express Entry.
‘That must be all the family reunification and other non-economic programs, like refugees,’ we hear you say.
In fact, if you strip away all those programs for family reunification and refugees, Express Entry still doesn’t even make up the majority of economic immigration to Canada!
And then there are the hundreds of thousands of newcomers who continue to arrive each year on temporary status, with many opportunities to transition to permanent residence later.
*Figures for temporary residence (work and study permits) are taken from 2019 admissions reports. Figures for permanent residence are taken from Canada’s 2021 immigration targets.
So, why focus solely on Express Entry when it’s only one way to get to Canada? Discover your options through some of the most popular alternatives!
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Canada is giving more power to the provinces when it comes to selecting new immigrants. The PNP is now more important than it ever was before.
You may be aware that some provincial nominations results in a 600-point boost to your Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, but did you know that most PNP streams are not aligned with Express Entry? These are known as ‘base’ PNP streams. Our PNP Live Tracker now includes a tool that allows you to find the right option for you.
Annual admissions: 81,500 (target for 2021)
Quebec Skilled Worker
Yes, French is a selection factor to immigrate to Quebec as a skilled worker. But you may be eligible anyway, even with limited French ability, or none at all.
Quebec recently announced that immigration levels will increase significantly over the next three years, and a greater share of new arrivals will be skilled workers.
Annual admissions: 22,400 (target for 2021)
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Opportunity is gigantic in Canada’s Atlantic!
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has been a massive success since coming into being three years ago. So much so that the admissions target has been doubled, and newcomers are seeing more opportunity in Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
Annual admissions: 6,250 (target for 2021)
Other economic pilots
Canada has announced several other exciting immigration pilot programs for different types of workers:
- The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: For skilled workers interested in living in working in participating rural and northern communities.
- The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot: For workers in the agricultural and food production industries.
- Caregiver Pilot Programs: For experienced caregivers interested in permanent immigration to Canada.
Annual admissions: 10,000 (target for 2021)