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Canada Immigration Programs and Process

Do you wish to move to Canada, but not sure about the right visa program and associated requirements? Well, as a first step, you need to confirm the right visa program based on your profile and accordingly go through the process requirements therein.

The Canadian government offers several immigration programs or visa pathways to invite immigration aspirants, i.e. Skilled PR (Permanent Residence) Visa, Work visa, Tourist Visa, etc.

Let’s find out the most common visa programs or pathways to immigrate to Canada.

Canada Permanent Residency Pathway through Skilled PR Visa

Here are the two key Canada immigration programs to immigrate to Canada in the year 2020 on Permanent Residence (PR) Visa, i.e.

Let us discuss in detail about the above-mentioned programs.

Immigrate to Canada through Fastest Express Entry System

The Express Entry System has three main categories, i.e.

  1. Federal Skilled Worker Program
  2. Federal Skilled Trades Program
  3. Canadian Experience Class

If you are a skilled worker applying for PR visa in Canada from an overseas country, you must choose and apply in Federal Skilled Worker (FSWP) of Express Entry.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

With a faster processing time of three to six months, FSWP is designed for applicants who do not have any prior job offer.

Created in the year 2015, FSWP is managed under the Express Entry system. It invites, assesses and issue the Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residency visa to those selected candidates, who score decent points based on their age, education, work experience, language skills (English/French), etc. 

Currently, there are total of 347 occupations applicable under the FSWP.

Express Entry Eligibility Points Requirement  

You need to create an Express Entry profile, under the Federal Skilled category, and submit EOI (Expression of Interest). The FSWP has a point assessment grid, wherein the applicant needs to secure a minimum 67 out of 100 to qualify:

  Points are scored based on factors like:  

  • Age: 12 points
  • Education: 25 points
  • Language ability: 28 points
  • Work experience: 15 points
  • Arranged employment: 10 points
  • Adaptability: 10 points

Calculates your Canada PR Points(67 Points Calculator)

Once you have scored the minimum eligibility point in FSW, you become eligible to find a place in the Express Entry pool, which you can consider the second round of your online application.

In express entry pool, you will be given points again out of 1200 points, this point score is known as CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) Score.

Canadian immigration department or IRCC holds the Express entry draws twice a month to issue the invitation to apply for Canada PR visa to the applicants with the top CRS score.

For every EE Draw, cut off is announced by IRCC and applicants meeting or exceeding the same get the ITA (Invitation to Apply).

Other Express Entry Process Requirements

Apart from scoring minimum eligibility points, you need to meet the below criteria as well:

  • Sufficient Funds- To apply through this immigration program, you should have sufficient funds in your bank account to financially support you and your family members Canada.
  • Medical Certificate- You are also required to complete your medical examination for proving that you and your family members are in good health condition. This should be done via a medical professional listed on the Canadian Physicians Panel.
  • Security Clearance- Another step is to get your security clearance document, also known as a PC (Police Clearance) Certificate.
  • Work Experience- You should have at least one year of full-time employment, work experience for applying under this program. Volunteer work or any unpaid internship will not be accepted.

 Stepwise Process to Apply in Express Entry System

The application process for this program is easy to follow. There are seven steps to follow for completing your application:

  1. Make an EOI (Expression of Interest) and an online Express Entry profile
  2. Get a score based on CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System)
  3. Get an ITA (Invitation to Apply)
  4. Apply for PC and medical exam certificate
  5. Wait, while an Immigration Officer reviews your application
  6. Confirm a valid passport and keep your PR application fee ready
  7. Receive your Canadian PR visa

Let’s now discuss the other pathway to get Skilled PR visa in Canada, i.e. PNP pathway.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

If your point score or CRS Score is not high enough, you can apply for a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

If you apply in the Express Entry aligned stream of a PNP and get the provincial nomination, you become eligible to get up to 600 additional CRS points based on the same. Provincial Nominee Program belongs to different provinces of Canada.

Some popular Provincial nominee programs of Canada are:

Hence, the Provincial Nominee Program is one of the easiest pathways to get PR visa in Canada after the Express Entry System.


Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) 


With effect from January 1, 2022, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) has become a permanent immigration program. The details about the AIPP will be released in the new year, and IRCC will resume accepting applications from March 6, 2022. Those applicants who possess a valid endorsement letter from AIPP must wait to apply under AIPP until March 6, 2022.


The details about the AIPP will be released in the new year, and IRCC will resume accepting applications from March 6, 2022. Those applicants who possess a valid endorsement letter from AIPP must wait to apply under AIPP until March 6, 2022.?

Canada Work Visa

This Work Visa, or a Work Permit, is issued by the Canadian government to those eligible overseas workers who wish to work in Canada for a specific period of time.

 To get to apply for a Canadian Work Visa, a candidate must have a valid job offer or an employment contract from any employer in Canada. The employer then has to obtain LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) from the ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada).

Check Stepwise Process to Apply for Work Visa

An LMIA is a permission which is a must in order to recruit skilled workers from foreign countries for those vacant job positions that cannot be filled in by Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

With a Canadian Work Visa, you can:

  • Work in Canada under an employer that is mentioned in your application
  • Apply for Dependent Visas
  • Travel across Canada
  • Apply for a Canadian PR visa (if eligible)

Canada Visitor Visa

Canadian visitor visa is most commonly known as Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and is an official document which is issued by a visa office of Canada.

A Visitor visa is placed in your passport that proves that it is a visitor visa holder and allowed to visit Canada as a temporary resident.

There are two types of visitor visas, i.e. single entry, and multiple entry visas. With a single entry visa, you can visit Canada for one-time only. While, with a multiple entry visa, you can visit and leave Canada as often as you wish until the validity of the visa.

Also Check Documents Required for Canada Tourist Visa

Canada Working Holiday Visa

The Working Holiday program is offered by the Canadian Government through the International Experience Canada Visa (IEC).

It provides individuals a temporary work permit to so that they can legally live and work in Canada while on a short term holiday.This permit is valid for either 12 to 24 months, depending upon your nationality.

With a working holiday visa, you can:

  • Live and work in Canada for up to 1 year
  • You can work officially in Canada
  • Explore the diverse Canadian culture and lifestyle
  • Gain work experience
  • Can plan to live permanently in Canada by applying for Canada PR Visa

These are the key Canadian immigration programs that you can opt for as per your profile, requirements, and objectives.

So, in order to start your process, you may connect with a team of visa advisors at Canada PR Avenue and fill out the free assessment form to confirm your eligibility for the right PNP stream.

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FAQs 

Which is the fastest pathway to immigrate to Canada?

One of the most popular and fastest pathways to immigrate to Canada is via Express Entry program. Via Express Entry, you can get Canadian PR visa approval within 8-12 months.  

Is there any age criteria for Canada Immigration?

There s no specific age limit to apply for Canada PR visa. However, under most of the economic immigration categories, candidates between the age group of 25-35 get the maximum points. But that doesn’t mean older candidates are not eligible to apply or will not get selected. 

With relevant work experience, high English or French language proficiency, advanced education and , prior connections to Canada can help you score points you lost for age criteria.

Is it easy to move to Canada?

With more than 100 immigration pathways to Canada, there is a wide range of options available for all types of candidates. 

To learn more about how you can immigrate to Canada, fill out our free profile assessment form.

Is it necessary to have a job offer in hand to immigrate to Canada?

No. There are a lot of Canadian permanent residents who don t have a prior job offer from a Canadian employer when they applied. There is a wide range of programs available for foreign nationals to apply for Canada PR without a job offer in Canada, like Express Entry and a few PNPs.

Free Visa Assessment Form