Canada Immigration Regulations
- Applicants to immigrate to Canada must meet different eligibility requirements depending upon how they want to immigrate.passport image by yuriyklymenko from Fotolia.com
Applicants who want to immigrate to Canada must meet different eligibility requirements depending upon how they choose to immigrate. They can immigrate either as a skilled worker or professional, an investor, entrepreneur, self-employed person, in the Family Class, or as a Provincial nominee. Whatever their method, all applicants must meet separate regulations if they want to settle in the French-speaking province of Québec. - To immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker or professional, applicants must meet minimum eligibility requirements. They must either have an offer for a permanent position with a Canadian employer (whether or not the applicant has been working in Canada with a valid work permit for at least one year) or have at least one year of continuous full-time experience in one of several fields. Among these fields are work as a restaurant or food service manager, engineer, chef or cook, plumber, registered nurse, or university professor (see References for a full list). If applicants meet the minimum requirement, they must also have at least one year of continuous full-time work experience in the profession of their job offer within the last 10 years. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be reviewed according to their education level, ability to converse in English and/or French, work experience, age, and general adaptability to Canadian life. It also matters that there is a job awaiting the applicant, as well. If no job awaits the applicant, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has a self-assessment test for skilled worker immigrants to test their eligibility (see Resources). If the foreign-born applicant either already legally works on a temporary basis or has recently graduated from a Canadian university outside Québec, he or she may qualify as a member of the "Canadian Experience Class," which helps the selection process. French-speaking applicants who want to immigrate to Québec must meet additional requirements, including a medical examination as well as security and criminal checks (see the Immigration Québec website for details).
- Investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed persons can come to Canada through the Business Immigration program when they make a C$400,000 investment to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), which will be used to stimulate the Canadian economy. The CIC will return the investment without interest approximately five years and two months after payment. Applicants can apply for only one of the three classifications and cannot change classifications once they apply. Investors must show that they have two years of previous business experience and demonstrate that they have a minimum net worth of C$800,000 and can support themselves and their dependants once they arrive in Canada. Investor applicants must meet a minimum of 35 out of 100 points on the selection grid (see References for the chart). Entrepreneurs must show that they have two years of previous business experience within five years and demonstrate that they have a minimum net worth of C$300,000. Self-employed persons must demonstrate relevant experience in farm management or in world-class level cultural activities including working as an author, editor, journalist, musician, photographer, graphic designer, or athlete (see References for a full list of relevant experience activities). All applicants must meet medical and security requirements. French-speaking investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed persons wanting to immigrate to Québec must meet additional medical and security requirements (see the Immigration Québec website for details).
- Stone Family image by Peter Jarvis from Fotolia.com
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) considers foreign-born citizens intimately related to an adult Canadian permanent resident, either by blood, adoption, or cohabitation, as part of the group known as Family Class. Canadian permanent residents must first apply to become a sponsor to acknowledge a Family Class immigrant applicant. There are two processes for sponsors to start: one for spouses, common-law or conjugal partners, and dependent children; and another for other eligible relatives. Both the sponsor and the Family Class immigrant must pass a medical and background screening. Family Class immigrants with a criminal record may not be allowed to enter Canada. Sponsors must pledge to support the Family Class immigrant financially. If the sponsor has previously brought family members into Canada who later received government financial assistance, another family member immigrant may not be allowed entrance into Canada. Sponsors must provide financial support for their children for 10 years or until the child turns 25. Family Class immigrants who are spouses and common-law or conjugal partners must provide a legal marriage certificate or prove cohabitation for a continuous 12-month period. The CIC recognizes same-sex marriage licenses issued within the country as well as those issued in countries or states in the United States where it is legal. - o" canada image by Kathryn Palmer from Fotolia.com
Each Canadian province or territory can nominate immigrants who have the work experience, education, and skills that could make an immediate local contribution. To apply through the Provincial Nominee Program, immigrants must apply to and be nominated by a Canadian province or territory. Application regulations vary and change. Consult each province and territory's website link on the Provincial Nominees page (see References). After immigrants have been nominated, they must follow the regulations for skilled-worker or professional applicants listed above.
