What documents are needed to immigrate to Canada

There is no simple answer as to what documents you need to prepare to immigrate to Canada, since there are more than 100 immigration programs with different requirements and, accordingly, different documents. Nevertheless, I have selected 13 standard documents that are useful for almost any method of moving to Canada.

The most important document you will need to apply for immigration is a passport. If you don't have one, you should definitely get one. If you have already traveled abroad, you will probably need to fill out a special form to indicate where and when you traveled. But if your passport is blank, it is not a problem, you can still get a visa to Canada.

In second place in importance is the result of the English test, usually IELTS. It is required, without it you will not be able to submit other documents. If a family is immigrating, at least one of the spouses must pass the test.

The third document is the diploma of education. It usually needs to be certified by a special organization, which will confirm what level of Canadian education your diploma corresponds to.

Even if you meet all the requirements of the immigration program, Canada will check you for safety. Therefore, all applicants must provide a criminal record certificate from each country where they have lived for more than six months. For example, my family is from Ukraine, but we lived in Poland for more than a year and a half, so we submitted certificates from both Ukraine and Poland. If you had a criminal record, all is not lost, in some cases, you can go.

The documents that always raise a lot of questions are proof of work experience. You have to prove that you have worked in a certain profession. To do this, you have to go to the company where you worked and ask for a letterhead listing your responsibilities and how many years you worked. We also asked for statements from the pension fund.

Another point is money. Canada does not recognize the presence of a car, real estate, and so on, it is necessary to have money in bank accounts.

If you are moving as a family, which is the best way to immigrate, you will need a marriage certificate. If your relationship is not legalized, Canada will still recognize it. Then you need to fill out a special form in which you have to show that you have joint property, you rent a place together, or you have joint bank accounts.

The next documents are birth certificates. You need to translate them and make more copies because you will need them not only for immigration, but also for school, kindergarten, and so on.

If you are one of the lucky ones who managed to find a job in Canada before you moved, your employer must provide you with proper documentation.

Next is a point that will not suit many people. If you already have relatives or friends who live in Canada, you will need copies of their documents, then you will get more points in many immigration programs.

Already coming to an end. The representative form is next. You only need it if you have entrusted someone else, such as an immigration consultant, to fill out the paperwork. The form needs the consultant's license number, and then he or she will become your official representative in Canada. You can get the services of a licensed immigration consultant from our company.

There is one more document that you can't do without in Canada. It is your photographs. The photo you provide may end up on your permanent residency papers in Canada.

These are the 13 basic documents you will need when you apply for immigration to Canada.

Alex Pavlenko, founder of Immigrant.Today