There are several Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) Visa programs available for skilled foreign workers that will allow you and your family to start new lives in Canada and enjoy many amazing opportunities.
The top Canadian PR Visa programs for skilled foreign workers include the:
- FSTP or Federal Skilled Trades Program
- FSWP or Federal Skilled Worker Program
- PNP or Provincial Nominee Program
- QSWP or Quebec Skilled Worker Program
Each of these Canadian immigration programs has different eligibility requirements and application procedures that must be satisfied in order to receive a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada. Canadian Online Immigration can provide you with an evaluation of your eligibility to apply for a visa to Canada.
Skilled foreign workers who meet the eligibility criteria for the FSTP, FSWP or PNP can apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada, which was designed to make relocation to Canada fast and efficient.
All of these Canadian PR Visa programs offer the same incredible benefits granted to each immigrant when they become a Canadian Permanent Resident.
Express Entry System
Express Entry is a fast and efficient system for skilled foreign workers applying for immigration to Canada through the FSTP, FSWP or PNP.
To apply for Express Entry to Canada, you must first file an online Express Entry profile with the Canadian immigration agency which contains personal details about you and your family, including your education, work experience, English or French language skills, and other relevant information.
A Canadian immigration official will then review your profile and place your file in the Express Entry pool of candidates if they determine that you appear to qualify to apply for the FSTP, FSWP or PNP.
In order to be selected from the Express Entry pool of candidates and given an Invitation to Apply (ITA), you must have one of the highest scores on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), or receive a PNP nomination, or obtain a qualifying Canadian job offer.
After you are issued the ITA, you will have up to 60 days to file your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa Application which must include all of the required documents and the Canadian Visa Application Fee.
A decision is usually received within 6 months after filing a Canadian PR Visa Application through the Express Entry immigration system.
To learn more about Express Entry to Canada, click here!
PR Visa Benefits
A Canadian PR Visa will authorize you and your family to live in Canada permanently (i.e., for an unlimited length of time) and grant you many other benefits such as:
- being able to legally work in Canada long-term;
- receiving free or subsidized public healthcare;
- traveling to and from Canada for extended periods of time;
- gaining access to high-quality Canadian education programs;
- having the opportunity to buy a home or own a business in Canada;
- living in a peaceful country where there is freedom and equality;
- enjoying life in a tolerant, multicultural, immigrant-friendly country;
- being able to sponsor your family memebers for a Canadian visa; and
- applying to become a Canadian citizen after living in Canada 3 years!
In other words, receiving a Canadian PR Visa will allow you and your family to experience a high standard of living in Canada, which is ranked as the #1 country in the world for best quality of life.
To learn if you qualify to apply for a PR Visa to Canada click here!
FSTP or Federal Skilled Trades Program
The entire country of Canada needs the expertise of foreign skilled tradespeople from all over the world for numerous occupations.
Thus, Canada created the FSTP or Federal Skilled Trades Program to help fill thousands of openings for these high-demand Canadian jobs.
Most of the qualifying trades are in the natural resources sector, construction industry, manufacturing, equipment operation and maintenance trades.
Examples of skilled trades include crane operators, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, welders, sheet metal workers, power system operators and power engineers, telecommunications repair and installation workers, supervisors in quarrying and mining, supervisors in the logging and forestry sector, and many other occupations including bakers, butchers and chefs.
Applicants for this Canadian immigration program must be at least high school graduates with sufficient training for the eligible trade that includes completing a vocational school program, on-the-job training, or apprenticeship, depending on the trade and the minimum requirement of Canada for the trade.
In addition, the applicant must have at least two years of full-time work experience related to the qualifying skilled trade within the five years prior to applying for the FSTP.
If you meet all of the the eligibility qualifications for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you can apply for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry system.
To read more about the FSTP, click here!
FSWP or Federal Skilled Worker Program
The FSWP or Federal Skilled Worker Program is a points-based immigration program for skilled foreign workers who have completed at least one year of full-time work experience within 10 years prior to applying for the FSWP in one of the high-demand jobs in Canada which are categorized at Skill Level 0, 1, 2 or 3 by the 2021 NOC or National Occupation Classification codes.
The majority of these Canadian jobs need a university graduate or someone who has undergone specialized post-secondary training.
There are many qualifying occupations in career fields such as education, healthcare, business, management, finance, and technology.
The skilled immigrant worker must also get at least 67 points out of 100 possible for different factors.
Points are awarded for your English and/or French language skills; level of education; work experience in a related field at the NOC skill level A, B, or 0; age; adaptability; and qualifying offer of Canadian employment.
Foreign professionals who fit all the qualifications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program may be able to gain entry to Canada as permanent residents through the Express Entry immigration system.
To read more about the FSWP, click here!
PNP or Provincial Nominee Program
Almost all provinces and territories in Canada have built their PNP or Provincial Nominee Program together in cooperation with the Canadian national government for eligible skilled foreign workers who wish to immigrate to Canada and settle permanently in their specific territory or province.
Every Canadian province or territory participating in the PNP makes its own eligibility criteria; however, there is generally a two-step procedure that involves decisions made by the relevant provincial/territorial government and Canada’s national government.
First, the foreign skilled worker must apply to the Provincial Nominee Program of the Canadian province or territory where he/she wishes to live and work in Canada.
If they pass the criteria and receive the Provincial Nomination Certificate, they can proceed to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada with the national Canadian immigration agency which makes the final decision about whether to approve a new immigrant for a PR Visa to Canada.
After receiving Canadian Permanent Resident status, the foreign worker and his/her family will immigrate to Canada where they will live and work in the province or territory that nominated them for its PNP and where there is a demand for their occupation and skills.
To read more about the PNP, click here!
QSWP or Quebec Skilled Worker Program
The QSWP or Quebec Skilled Worker Program is the points-based Canadian immigration program for skilled foreign workers and their families who want to live and work in Quebec – Canada’s largest and mostly French-speaking province.
Foreign workers first apply for the QSWP and if nominated by the province, they can then apply for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada with the national government.
First, the foreign worker will file an Expression of Interest (EOI) using Quebec’s ARRIMA online system, providing personal information about his/her family and contact details, French/English language skills, work experience, education, current Quebec status, and if they have a qualifying offer of Canadian employment in Quebec.
Next, the provincial immigration authorities in Quebec will check the information in the applicant’s EOI and if they issue a Quebec Selection Certificate, known in French as a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), the foreign worker can then apply for the Canadian PR Visa to live and work in Quebec as a permanent resident.
To read more about the QSWP, click here!
Criteria to Qualify for a Canadian Visa
Before getting a visa to Canada, you must first meet the eligibility criteria set by the national government for the specific Canadian immigration program you wish to apply for.
The various Canadian PR Visa programs have their own eligibility requirements that you must fulfill; however, they also share some general criteria with other immigration programs.
In regards to the common criteria for receiving a PR Visa to Canada, you must:
- be a minimum of 18 years of age to apply for a Canadian PR Visa
- possess good health as evidenced by an authorized medical exam
- have good character (you may need to provide a police certificate)
- be able to pay the government fees (e.g., Canadian Visa Application Fee, RPRF, etc.)
- hold a valid passport or approved travel document
- have a certain level of French or English language skills as indicated by approved test scores
Some Canadian immigration programs for skilled foreign workers are point-based (such as the FSWP and QSWP) and require the applicant to receive a minimum amount of points for various factors (for example, at least 67 points out of 100 are needed for the FSWP).
There are usually specific high-demand jobs in Canada in certain occupational categories that qualify for each particular Canadian immigration program, and the applicant will often need to have the relevant post-secondary education and a minimum number of years of work experience in the qualifying occupation as defined for each program.
Furthermore, skilled foreign workers and their families who qualify for the FSTP, FSWP or PNP have the opportunity to apply for Express Entry, which is a fast and efficient system for skilled foreign workers to apply for immigration to Canada.
If you want to apply for Canadian immigration through a PNP or the QSWP, you will generally follow a two-step process which requires you to receive a nomination from the province or territory where you want to live and work in Canada before you can apply for a Canadian PR Visa with the national immigration authorities.
Canadian Online Immigration offers guidance during the procedure to apply for a visa to Canada.
We’re Here to Help!
Since there are various Canadian visa programs with different criteria, it could be hard for you to choose a visa program to apply for on your own or to know if you meet the criteria for the program.
This is where we, at Canadian Online Immigration, can be very helpful to you and your family.
Our team of well-trained specialists works with registered immigration consultants to thoroughly check your details and advise you regarding your best Canadian visa option.
If our experienced professionals think you are qualified to apply for a specific Canadian immigration program, they will work hard to make the procedure easier for you, explain the things that need to be accomplished, ensure that your forms are correct and complete, and answer all your queries about the procedure.
The mission of Canadian Online Immigration is to make the visa application procedure as simple, fast and affordable as possible so talented people like you can have the opportunity to live and work in Canada.
To register for your Canadian visa assessment, click here!
Canadian Immigration
Canadian immigration has made Canada one of the world’s most diverse countries.
As a matter of fact, 22% of the entire 37 million residents living in Canada, or about 8 million people, were born in a foreign land.
Canada’s multicultural population has played an important part in the country’s favorable attitude towards immigrants, tourists, temporary workers, foreign students and others who are moving to Canada.
Since a large number of Canadians are either immigrants themselves or have family, neighbors, friends, or workmates who are of foreign origin, this makes Canada’s population more hospitable towards newcomers or visitors coming to the country.
When you walk the streets of Toronto, Vancouver or other big cities or towns in Canada, you will definitely see a lot of people from different countries or races walking, working, or even talking in different languages, among other indicators of diversity such as the presence of immigrant-owned businesses.
With about 340,000 foreign nationals approved every year for Canadian immigration, it is no wonder that the country is becoming more cosmopolitan every year.
Canada is also expected to remain one of the world’s top immigration destinations far into the future as individuals and families worldwide look for better opportunities in this welcoming country.
Many immigrants around the globe wish to gain entry and permanently live in Canada for a lot of reasons.
The main impetus for moving to Canada is to seek Canadian employment, especially during this time when skilled workers are in strong demand because of the ongoing labor shortage across the country.
The standard of living in Canada is one of the best in the world, so Canadian relocation is the obvious choice for immigrants who are looking for the perfect place to live and raise their family.
Another advantage that immigrants get to enjoy when living in Canada is that they are considered important assets for the country by the government, business leaders and the majority of Canadians; thus, newcomers are welcomed with pro-immigrant attitudes and policies which help them to feel at home in their new country.
To learn more about Canadian relocation possibilities, click here!
DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.