Federal immigration programs in Canada
Canada offers several federal immigration programs. Their main advantage over provincial programs is that they allow you to live and work anywhere in Canada.
The Canadian federal government has developed several key immigration programs to attract skilled professionals from other countries. If you meet the program requirements, you'll receive permanent resident status and can live in any Canadian province or city, except for Quebec. Most immigrants choose to live in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Calgary.
The following federal immigration programs are available:
Immigration applications are accepted through the Express Entry system. In 2025, the Canadian government made significant changes to candidate selection priorities, focusing on those with Canadian work experience and category-based selections for specific professions in healthcare, education, and skilled trades. Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to immigrate meets these program requirements.
For the most popular program, the Federal Skilled Worker, ideal candidates are young, fluent in English and/or French, well-educated, and have work experience from their home country. In our experience, such people are not very common. In 2025, the passing scores in general draws range from 475 to 763 points under the CRS system, highlighting the high competition.
The Canadian Experience Class program is only available to those who have already lived and worked in Canada for at least one year. Usually, these are graduates of Canadian universities. In 2025, this program became a priority in government policy, with most invitations going to candidates with Canadian work experience. As a result, immigration to Canada through education has become very popular.
The Federal Skilled Trades program is available to people with trades qualifications who have received a job offer from a Canadian employer or a qualification certificate from one of the provinces. The list of eligible occupations includes many trades: electricians, cooks, butchers, construction workers, assemblers, welders, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, and others.
In 2025, separate category-based draws with lower passing scores are also being conducted.
Candidates who don't score enough points for immigration to Canada through one of the federal programs can try immigrating through one of the Provincial Nominee Programs. These programs typically have lower requirements and are available to a wider range of occupations.
