Immigration to Canada can be achieved through a wide range of programs. If you’re not yet sure how to select the right Canadian immigration program for you, you’re in the right place.
This section will help you answer the question: How do I immigrate to Canada?
Our immigration to Canada section has three main categories of programs for you to consider:
- Permanent Residence: Long-term immigration programs, including economic programs (inclusive of Express Entry) and family sponsorship.
- Work Permits: Programs which allow you to work in Canada for a limited period.
- Study Permits: Permission to study at approved institutions, with the possibility to work during and after your studies and options to transition to permanent residence.
From the options below, click on the most applicable situation to find out which option(s) for moving to Canada may be available to you and your family, if applicable. If more than one of the situations listed above applies to you, we encourage you to begin your research with whichever situation is listed first. However, make sure to review the other potential option(s) as well.
If none of the situations listed apply to you, don’t lose heart – you may still be eligible for immigration to Canada. Check through the range of options outlined below to find out which pathway may be right for you, and use the government of Canada’s Come to Canada Wizard to check your eligibility.
How to immigrate as a worker
Take a look at this video to understand the main options for immigrating to Canada as a worker:
Economic immigration to Canada
Express Entry
Express Entry overview
Who is it for?
Express Entry immigration to Canada is open to skilled foreign workers, tradespersons, and graduates with ability in English and/or French. Individuals of any age may become a candidate, but preference is given to younger workers seeking immigration to Canada.
How does it work?
Since January 2015, eligible individuals can express their interest in becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Eligibility may be through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Candidates are assigned a score (out of 1,200 points) based on their education, career history, and other personal details, and will be ranked against other candidates under what is called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
When draws from the Express Entry pool occur, the top-ranking candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. While in the pool, candidates can strive to increase their CRS points total, and thus their ranking, by proving better human capital factors, for example by re-taking a language test or completing additional work experience.
Moreover, a candidate may obtain a qualifying job offer or a provincial nomination through one of the many Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams. A provincial nomination is particularly valuable, as it results in 600 additional CRS points being awarded to the candidate, who will then be invited to apply in a subsequent draw from the pool.
What’s the advantage?
Express Entry has proven to be a quick route for immigration to Canada, with more than 80 percent of applications processed within six months. The process is entirely online, and it is easy to track the status of the application.
Furthermore, Express Entry is a system that rewards proactive individuals who can prove to the government that they are likely to be economically successful upon settlement in Canada.
How much does it cost?
About $1,500–$2,000, including educational and language assessments, obtaining documents, and payment of fees, if you complete the process yourself.
Hiring representation (i.e. a regulated lawyer or consultant) would entail additional fees, but this is a price that many candidates feel is worth the outlay. Moving2Canada has partnered with a number of experienced representatives who can help candidates with their Canadian immigration goals.
How long does it take?
About 4–6 months from when you submit the application. In advance of this, additional time may be required to complete any relevant tests and obtain documents.
Other considerations
Success in this system is not guaranteed, as the government invites only a portion of candidates from the pool when it conducts one of its draws. However, the government has stated that the Express Entry pool is now the main source of economic immigration to Canada, and over time the CRS cut-off threshold has decreased substantially.
Where can I learn more?
The Express Entry system invites candidates to apply through four different programs. These are:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW): for those who have more than one year of skilled work experience.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): suitable for foreign workers, who gained legal work experience in Canada (for example, through the IEC program) and who are now seeking permanent residency.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST): designed for those with a qualification in a skilled trade.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Canadian provinces and territories can nominate individuals in the pool who are interested in living and working in a particular province or territory.
The criteria for each program is different, and it is possible to be eligible for more than one. For example, if you have a mix of foreign and Canadian work experience, you may be eligible for both the FSWC and the CEC.
To learn more about these programs, see our Express Entry Canada guide.
Canadian Experience Class
Learn more about the Canadian Experience Class
Who is it for?
Foreign workers who have completed at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years can pursue permanent immigration to Canada through the Canadian Experience Class.
How does it work?
Candidates under the Canadian Experience Class must create an Express Entry profile and be invited to apply for immigration to Canada before submitting an application through Express Entry (see above for details).
What’s the advantage?
- Candidates have built up at least one year of Canadian work experience. This is a highly-valued factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and, as such, gives these applicants something of a “head start” against other candidates in the pool.
- Because the required documentation is minimal, applications are processed quickly, often within three to four months.
- Applicants are not required to show proof of settlement funds.
How much does it cost?
About $1,500–$2,000, including educational and language assessments, obtaining documents, and payment of fees, if you complete the process yourself.
How long does it take?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process applications within six months, though in many cases Canadian Experience Class applications have been found to be processed more quickly.
Other considerations
Eligibility for the program does not guarantee that an invitation to apply will be issued or that permanent residence will be granted.
Where can I learn more?
See our dedicated Canadian Experience Class overview page.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Learn more about the Federal Skilled Worker Program
Who is it for?
Professionals and skilled workers around the world who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.
How does it work?
Interested individuals are assessed according to the FSWC points system and must score at least 67 points on this grid (out of 100) in order to be eligible. Points are awarded for age, language ability, level of education, work experience, whether or not the candidate has a job offer, and certain adaptability factors.
Eligible candidates must create an Express Entry profile and be invited to apply before submitting an application through Express Entry (see above for details).
What’s the advantage?
As this is Canada’s flagship immigration program, tens of thousands of newcomers are admitted as permanent residents annually. This provides a unique opportunity for individuals and families around the world to make the move to Canada, even if they don’t have previous ties to Canada.
How much does it cost?
About $1,500–$2,000, including educational and language assessments, obtaining documents, and payment of fees, if you complete the process yourself.
How long does it take?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process applications within six months.
Other considerations
Eligibility for the program does not guarantee that an invitation to apply for immigration to Canada will be issued or that permanent residence will be granted.
Where can I learn more?
See our dedicated Federal Skilled Worker Program overview page.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Learn more about the Federal Skilled Trades Program
Who’s it for?
Qualified, experienced tradespersons from around the world who want to immigrate to Canada.
How does it work?
Eligible candidates must create an Express Entry profile and be invited to apply before submitting an application through Express Entry (see above for details).
What’s the advantage?
- IRCC has previously conducted program-specific draws for federal skilled trades candidates only, with a CRS cut-off threshold far below what other candidates have needed in order to be invited to apply.
- One way of being eligible as a tradesperson is to get a job offer in your trade from a Canadian employer. As well as helping you to become eligible, you may then also receive additional CRS points for the job offer. This will increase your chances of being invited to apply.
- The language ability criteria to enter the Express Entry pool is set lower for federal skilled trades candidates than it is for FSWC and CEC candidates.
How much does it cost?
About $1,500–$2,000, including educational and language assessments, obtaining documents, and payment of fees, if you complete the process yourself.
How long does it take?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process applications within six months.
Other considerations
Eligibility for the program does not guarantee that an invitation to apply for immigration to Canada will be issued or that permanent residence will be granted.
Where can I learn more?
See our dedicated Federal Skilled Trades Program overview page.
Provincial Nominee Programs
Learn more about the Provincial Nominee Programs
Who is it for?
Individuals who intend to reside in a specific province and who can prove their ability to settle into the provincial economy. PNP streams often favour individuals with prior connections to the province, either through work experience, study, or family connections, though in some cases some individuals without a prior connection to the province may be eligible to apply or invited to apply, as the case may be.
How does it work?
PNPs offer a two-step pathway to permanent residence. Eligible individuals must first apply to the province for a provincial nomination certificate. Upon obtaining this certificate, applicants may then apply to the federal government for permanent residence; the federal government reviews an applicant’s criminal and medical admissibility to Canada.
Some PNP streams are aligned with the Express Entry system, outlined above. These are known as enhanced streams. A nomination certificate obtained through an enhanced PNP stream results in an Express Entry candidate being awarded 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, effectively guaranteeing that an invitation to apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada will be issued in a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool. The application for permanent residence will be receive priority processing by the federal government, with a processing time target of six months or less.
PNP streams that are not aligned with Express Entry are known as base streams. A nomination certificate obtained through a base PNP stream does not alter a candidate’s Express Entry CRS score. Indeed, eligible individuals may apply to a base PNP stream without ever having an Express Entry profile, and base PNP streams may offer a pathway to permanent residence for individuals who are not eligible to enter the Express Entry pool.
What’s the advantage?
There is a lot to be said for the fact that permanent residents admitted through a PNP have been personally selected by their destination province – they can settle into their life in Canada knowing that they are truly wanted at a local level.
Beyond this more emotionally subjective advantage, there are some more immediately practical advantages. For Express Entry candidates who have not yet met the CRS cut-off threshold set in Express Entry draws, enhanced PNP streams offer the opportunity to obtain 600 additional CRS points, resulting in the issuance of an ITA. For individuals not eligible for Express Entry, base PNP streams leave the door open for economic immigration to Canada.
How much does it cost?
That depends on the province and the stream. Some provinces allow individuals to make an expression of interest in immigrating to their province free of charge, with fees to be paid if or when an invitation to apply to the PNP is issued and a subsequent application submitted. Other PNP streams operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and consequently a processing fee would be demanded up front.
How long does it take?
As this is a two-step process, application processing times include a provincial processing stage and a federal processing stage, and both stages should be taken into account when considering the overall time it may take from start to finish. Immigration to Canada through a PNP can take anywhere from a few months to a few years.
Provincial stage: Some provinces publish updated processing times. Click any of the links below to find out more.
Federal stage: For enhanced PNP streams, the federal processing time is usually under six months. For base PNP streams, average processing times at the federal stage are 15 to 19 months.
Other considerations
Applicants should have the intention to live in the province they are applying to. Once Canadian permanent residence has been granted, permanent residents have the right to live and work in any Canadian province or territory.
Where can I learn more?
- Provincial Nominee Programs overview
- PNP Live Tracker – get the latest updates as they happen
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
Learn more about the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
Who’s it for?
Individuals with a job offer in one of the Atlantic provinces, namely Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.
How does it work?
The AIPP is segmented into three sub-programs: the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, and the Atlantic International Graduate Program.
The info-graphic below, provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), shows the step-by-step AIPP process for immigration to Canada.
What’s the advantage?
Registered employers are not required to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order for the job offer to be considered valid under this program. This streamlines the hiring process for employers and applicants alike. In addition, employers must partner with a recognized settlement organization, which helps applicants and their families, if applicable, settle into their new surroundings.
How much does it cost?
A single applicant pays a processing fee of $825 and a right of permanent residence fee of $500, bringing the total to $1,325. If a spouse or partner is included, the same fees apply (i.e. $1,325 divided into two installments). Fees for dependent children amount to $225 per child.
How long does it take?
IRCC aims to process applications for permanent residence submitted through this program within six months.
Other considerations
Applicants must have a job offer from a designated employer in one of the Atlantic provinces and must intend to live in their destination province.
Where can I learn more?