If it’s been your dream to move to Canada, and 2022 is lending you an opportunity to do so, read on for a few ways to make your wish a reality! Here, we will discuss a few pathways to become a permanent resident of Canada. Though there are many ways to immigrate to Canada, the methods we will discuss today are Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec Immigration, and family sponsorship.
As we all know, however, 2022 has continued to pose additional obstacles, especially when it comes to foreign travel. Beginning on January 15, Canada will require most foreign travellers to be fully vaccinated, in addition to the existing requirement to receive a negative PCR test prior to your arrival. Be sure to check the Canadian government website for the most up-to-date information regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Getting back to the focus of the article, the first entryway into Canada that we will discuss is Express Entry.
Express Entry is the online system used to support the immigration of skilled workers to Canada. The three programs that it manages are Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Once you determine your eligibility for Express Entry, you may also be able to apply for a Provincial Nominee Program that aligns with Express Entry. This is not required for all PNPs, though, as some are managed by the province’s own application system.
If it is determined that you are eligible, you will be scored and ranked in the Express Entry pool. Things such as a high language score, one or more years of skilled work experience, post-secondary education, and age (being between 20 and 29 years old) will increase your score. You might also grab some additional points if you have a sibling that already lives in Canada, a valid Canadian job offer, or if you are proficient in the French language.
Only those with the highest scores will be able to apply through bi-weekly draws. This means that just because you’ve submitted an Express Entry profile doesn’t mean you are guaranteed an immigration application. In 2021, the only ones who were allowed to apply were those who were eligible for the Canadian Experience Class or who had previously received a provincial nomination form a PNP.
You also might end up waiting a bit longer than usual for your application to be processed. The standard processing time for an Express Entry application is six months, but in 2020 the average time jumped to nine months. Throughout the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has experienced quite the backlog and currently has 1.8 million applications waiting for review, 140,000 of which are for Express Entry. Be prepared for the additional time that this application route may require.
