Express Entry Program: this is on record as the easiest and fastest means to immigrate to Canada from any part of the World.
Want to immigrate to Canada but don’t know how to get started? Here’s the guide you’ve been waiting for.
Earlier this year (February 14th, 2022), the Canadian government stated its plans to welcome 1.3 million new immigrants in the next two years. The immigration minister, Sean Fraser, announced that Canada will be accepting 432,000 new immigrants in 2022, 447,000 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024.
According to the report on the Canadian website Canada.ca, 5 million Canadians are set to retire from active service by the end of the decade. Therefore, to ensure the economic need of Canada is always met, the Canadian government has decided to welcome over 1.3 million immigrants to join its workforce within the next two years.
So if your age-long dream has been to live in a very progressive and multicultural country like Canada, this is a golden opportunity you should not miss for anything.
Now, the most common questions have been; how can I immigrate to Canada? What is the fastest way to immigrate to Canada? What is the easiest way to immigrate to Canada? How can I find the best immigration consultants for Canada? What are the best Canadian immigration agencies I can contact?
If you read on, you will get answers to all the questions above and more. This article will serve as a detailed guide on how you can immigrate to Canada easily and legally, without falling prey to scammers who disguise themselves as legitimate immigration agencies and consultants.
Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada as a Family or Student
There are several legitimate pathways to immigrate to Canada easily, but it is always best to find the one that suits your profile and reasons for immigrating.
Migrating to Canada as a family or Student is different from when you’re migrating as a skilled worker.
Canada is a beautiful country with functional healthcare, educational and economic systems. It’s been ranked consistently among the top countries with good quality of life and a perfect immigration system.
Below are the best pathways you can take to immigrate to Canada as a family between this year 2022 and 2024.
- Express Entry
- Family Sponsorship
Express Entry Program: this is on record as the easiest and fastest means to immigrate to Canada from any part of the World. An applicant can receive permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry program as soon as six months. The process to get your PR through the Express Entry program is relatively straightforward.
First, you have to submit your profile on the Canada immigration platform. You would need these three important documents for this stage:
- Results of your language tests
- Educational credential assessment report
- Your international passport
If you’re eligible, you will receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. At this stage, you are required to submit more documents to substantiate your initial application. The documents include; reference letters, more identity documents, police clearance reports, and results of a medical examination.
The family members eligible to be included in your application are your spouse and dependent children. Children are only seen as dependent if they are 21 years and below and if they don’t have a partner or spouse. All the family members included in the application need to provide the basic documents listed above.
How much does it cost to move to Canada through the Express Entry Program? The cost of application through the Express Entry program is about $2,300 CAD for an applicant and about $4,500 CAD for a couple. If you’re moving with your children, the application fee increases accordingly.
It’s also important to note that unless you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class Program or there’s a valid employment offer waiting for you, you will need to show evidence that you have enough funds to support your settlement in Canada.
You must have access to these funds for your PR visa to be approved. The amounts depend on how many family members you are moving to Canada. For a family member you will need $13,310, for two you’ll need $16,750, $20,371 for three, $24,733 for four… $35,224 for seven. For every other additional family member, there’s an additional $3,586 to be added.
When all applications have been submitted, you will need to wait for at least six months for the application to be approved and PR issued.
Family Sponsorship: The family sponsorship program is another easy way to migrate to Canada as a family. In this case, all you need is to have a family member who has permanent residence and is qualified to sponsor you to Canada. To qualify to sponsor a family member, these criteria have to be met. Your family member (the sponsor) must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Stay in Canada, or have plans to return once you become a permanent resident.
- Be willing and capable to provide your basic financial needs for at least three years.
- Most importantly, be at least 18 years old.
This year alone, through the family sponsorship programs, Canada plans to accept 105,000 new permanent residents. You can sponsor as many family members as you can to become permanent residents of Canada. There’s no limit to the number. It costs about $1,135 CAD to sponsor a family member. The sponsorship fee is $75, the principal applicant processing fee is $475, and the right of permanent residence is $500 while it costs about $85 for biometrics. That’s a total of $1,135 for every family member that is being sponsored. And the applications must be submitted separately for each family member that is being sponsored.
ALSO READ: How a Clothing Store in Canada Can Protect Itselves with Adequate Insurance
How to immigrate to Canada as a Student
If you have the desire to become a permanent resident of Canada, going as a student might be one of the easiest options available to you. It is believed that this is in fact the fastest way to migrate to Canada, as it takes less time and a level of urgency is applied in processing your visa application.
Moving to Canada as an international student would first require you to secure admission to one of their Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs).
A designated learning institution is a school approved by the government of a province or territory to offer admission to international students. All you need to do is to go through the list of the Designated Learning Institutions and choose a school that matches your preferences.
Once your DLI has issued you an acceptance letter, you can go ahead to apply for a study permit. A study permit is a document given to a foreigner who has been accepted to study in one of the DLIs in Canada.
To apply for a study permit, you must meet some other eligibility criteria, which are also expected from every other person who is applying to move to Canada through any of the approved immigration pathways.
Here are some of the criteria you must meet to apply for a study permit in addition to your acceptance letter:
- You are required to provide a police certificate. This is to prove you have no criminal record that can hinder you from moving to Canada.
- You are also expected to present a medical report of good health.
- You also need to prove you have sufficient funds to pay for your tuition and living expenses.
- Lastly, you need to prove you will leave after your study permit expires. (Don’t worry about this, you have the option to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit when you are done with your studies).
Once you are sure you’re eligible, and you have your acceptance letter, the next thing is to gather other important documents required and proceed with your application. The other documents required are:
- A passport or travel document that serves as a means of identification
- Bank statements to prove that you have the financial support to study in Canada
- Letter of explanation that explains why you want to study in Canada.
- And other documents as required by the Canadian immigration authorities.
With everything submitted, your study permit would be issued as soon as your information and documents have been verified. With your study permit, you can easily apply for a visa to travel to Canada, and it would be swiftly approved.
ALSO READ: Canada Travel Insurance: What You Need To Know in 2022
How to Know the Best Immigration Consultants in Canada
There are various options available to you on how you can immigrate to Canada as a family or student. But knowing the one that would give you the best result and going through the entire immigration process might not be something you may want to do alone.
That is why hiring a good immigration consultant is one of the best steps to take before commencing the entire application process. Hiring one of the best immigration consultants to help you with whatever immigration application process you have to go through could be the key to you achieving maximum results in the end. As much as you can do it on your own, these consultants have access to the best immigration agencies in the country, and they surely have more knowledge about the application process than you. All they need is to speak to you to figure out the best immigration pathway that will help you receive your permanent residence faster.
Now, it is common knowledge that there are a lot of [email protected] agencies and consultants out there disguising themselves as genuine immigration representatives. Meanwhile, they are out to [email protected] people of their hard-earned money.
To ensure you have the best immigration consultants to handle your permanent residence application to Canada, ask your friends or family members who might have used their services in the past for recommendations. If they can’t recommend the best for you, at least they can tell you who to avoid based on their own previous experiences.
Another way of finding out if your immigration consultant is genuine is to check the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) portal to know if they are registered members.
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants is an organization that is in charge of issuing licenses and also regulating Canadian immigration and citizenship consultants in the public interest.
They are in charge of regulating these two types of immigration and citizenship consultants:
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), and
- Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs).
So if you come in contact with a consultant, and they claim to be genuine, simply ask for their registration number and look them up in the CICC portal. If their information appears there as registered consultants, then you know they can be trusted with your Canada Visa application details.
ALSO READ: When Your Insurance Company in Canada Isn’t Taking Care of You (And What to Do)
Conclusion
Canada is a country that upholds laws to the core. When you finally secure your permanent residence, ensure to be of good behavior. Breaking laws can get you sanctioned by the immigration authorities.
Your decision to immigrate to Canada is a very valid one. We hope the information provided in this article is enough to guide you toward making the best decisions in your immigration journey.
To check the information of an Immigration Consultant or to see the list of Registered Immigration Consultants available, simply click here and you’d be redirected to CICC portal.
