Canada Immigration Visa FAQ
What is Permanent Residence Status ?
Canadian Permanent residence grants you permission to live and work lawfully anywhere in Canada. It gives you access to all of the social welfare programs such as free healthcare, subsidized education, unemployment insurance, free education for kids below 12th standard, old age pension etc.
How do I qualify under Skilled Worker Program ?
You can obtain Canadian Permanent Residency if you meet the following criteria :
You have at least one year full-time work experience in one of the 29 Priority Occupation List worked continuously for a period of at least one year, within the last ten years
score 67 points in the six selection factors to meet the pass mark under the Skilled Worker category.
have Arranged Employment offer from a reputed Canadian employer.
have enough settlement funds to settle in Canada. This condition is not mandatory if you have an Arranged Employment offer;
Besides this, if you satisfy Canadian medical check and security/criminality requirements, you are eligible under the program.
What if I do not fall under the 29 In demand occupation, how can I qualify under the Skilled Worker category?
Even if you do not fall under the 29 Priority Occupation List, you would still be eligible in case you have Arranged Employment Offer from a Canadian employer and meet the 67 qualifying point.
What is Arranged Employment ?
Arranged Employment is a fast-track option that ensures your entry in Canada as an immigrant. Under the Skilled Worker category, a person with Arranged Employment is given priority and can obtain up to 15 extra points.
To qualify under this category all you need is a credible permanent employment offer from a Canadian employer. The offer must be approved by Services Canada (SC). In this case the employer is making an offer to hire you on an indeterminate basis once the Canada Immigration visa is issued to you. You cannot come to live and work in Canada until then.
What is the Business Immigration Program ?
The Business Immigration Program is a category of immigration under which individuals with business/managerial experience and relatively high net-worth may apply for Canadian permanent resident status. There are three sub-categories under the Business Immigration Program: Investors, Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Immigrants.
What is the difference between the Federal and Provincial Immigration programs ?
In Canada there is both a Federal government and Provincial governments. The Federal government has an immigration program that is more general responding to Federal immigration needs. The Provincial governments have Provincial immigration programs called Provincial Nominee Programs ("PNPs") that focus on local provincial immigration needs
What Provincial immigration options are there for a businessperson ?
There are PNP Business Immigration Programs in, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and, Prince Edward Island. Each province has different criteria. Most programs require the applicant to have business experience, high net worth and be willing to invest money in a new or current business in the province.
Are there any conditions on my work permit ?
Your work permit may include the following conditions:
The type of work you can do
The employer you can work for
Where you can work and
How long you can work.
Regulation 185 of Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations has a complete list of conditions that may be put on your work permit.
What is a Human Resources and Skills Development Canada confirmation ?
The confirmation is a letter from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to your employer stating that having a foreign worker do the job you are going to do will not have a negative impact on the labour market in Canada. The HRSDC confirmation is also called a positive labour market opinion.
Your employer has to apply to get an HRSDC confirmation. HRSDC looks at several factors, including the availability of Canadians, wages and the economic benefit you as a foreign worker might bring to Canada. Once HRSDC has formed an opinion, it then provides advice to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The HRSDC confirmation is usually given for a specific period of time. The work permit will be issued for the same period. To extend your work permit beyond the specified period, your employer will usually have to get a new confirmation from HRSDC.
Who are considered family members ?
Family members are the immediate members of your family. Your spouse or common-law partner and your dependent children are your family members. A common-law partner is a person of the opposite or same sex who lives with you now and has lived in a conjugal relationship with you for at least one year. Dependent children may be your own children or those of your spouse or common-law partner. A child must meet the requirements of type A, B or C below to be considered a dependent child.
Type A : He or she is under the age of 22 and single, that is, not married and not in a common-law relationship.
Type B : He or she married or entered into a common-law relationship before the age of 22 and, since becoming a spouse or a common-law partner, has
been continuously enrolled and in attendance as a full-time student in a post-secondary institution accredited by the relevant government authority and
depended substantially on the financial support of a parent. Or He or she is 22 years of age or older and, since before the age of 22.
been continuously enrolled and in attendance as a full-time student in a post-secondary institution accredited by the relevant government authority and depended substantially on the financial support of a parent.
Type C : He or she is 22 years of age or older, has depended substantially on the financial support of a parent since before the age of 22 and is unable to provide for herself or himself due to a medical condition.