Canada offers various permanent residence programs that meet the unique circumstances of many applicants, including Express Entry, Family Sponsorship, Provincial Nominees, and Start-Up Visas, among many other programs.
Express Entry
Many skilled workers are eligible to apply for permanent residence through Canada’s Express Entry program. Express Entry is used to manage applications for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.
Applicants who intend to reside in Quebec are not eligible for Express Entry and must apply for one of Quebec’s permanent residence programs instead.
To apply for Express Entry, you must submit a profile on the Express Entry online portal, which then calculates your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on various factors such as age, level of education, skills, language abilities, Canadian and foreign work experience and whether you have a job offer in Canada. If you meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs, your profile will then be placed in a “pool” and ranked against other applicants in the pool.
IRCC regularly performs “draws” to select the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool and issue them Invitations to Apply for permanent residence. Only candidates who are among the highest-ranked in the pool and have received Invitations to Apply can proceed with submitting permanent residence applications.
If you are invited to apply, you must submit your online application for permanent residence within 60 days. Your profile may stay in the pool for a period of up to 12 months and if you do not receive an invitation during that time, you may submit a new profile presuming you still meet the eligibility criteria. To calculate your CRS score, you may utilize the IRCC’s CRS tool found here.
If you are interested in Express Entry or need assistance in assessing your eligibility for this or any other program, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can help determine which permanent residence program best fits your circumstances.
Start-Up Visa Program
An alternative to immigration through Express Entry, the Start-Up Visa Program is an option that allows you to qualify for permanent residence by establishing a business in Canada. To qualify, the business must be innovative, competitive on an international level, and create jobs for Canadians and permanent residents. First step is to get your business idea supported by one or more of the designated organizations, which include venture capital funds, angel investor groups, and business incubators. After you have secured the support of a designated organization, you need to satisfy financial criteria by showing you have sufficient funds to invest in your venture (amounts vary depending on the type of support you receive), and that you have sufficient settlement funds for yourself and family. Furthermore, you need to satisfy immigration authorities that you will play an active role in the ongoing management of the business, and that your business’ essential activities will be located in Canada. Finally, you must demonstrate your language ability in English or French.
If you are interested in the Start-Up Visa program, contact us for a detailed consultation regarding the process and your options.
Provincial Nomination Programs
Each province and territory of Canada has the authority to select and invite applicants who are willing to settle there directly. The Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs) work in partnership with the Federal Immigration program run by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and can provide candidates with direct support to enable their pathway to PR in Canada. As each program is elaborate and distinct, candidates are encouraged to research where they would consider settling in Canada, and then consult with us regarding the best fitting options.
Most PNP programs have separate streams for candidates with employer-backed job offers; graduate students; and entrepreneur streams.
If you would like to discuss your options under the available PNP programs, please contact us to book a consultation.