How to move to Canada in 2023

How do you move to Canada in 2023? What are the important changes in immigration? What documents are needed? How much money do you need? Who can expect to get permanent residency? I will tell you everything in detail.

First a little bit about Canada. Canada is one of the top countries to live in. It regularly appears in various world rankings. It has a high standard of living, good wages, quality education, and many other advantages.

Another feature of Canada is its convenient and clear immigration system. Here you don't need to first get a temporary residence permit, renew it every year, then change it for permanent residency, and only in 10 years you can apply for citizenship. In Canada, more than 120 immigration programs, through which you immediately get PR, which is permanent residency. You don't have to renew and confirm it, and after 3 years of living in Canada, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. By the way, I recently already told you about 10 reasons to move to Canada, so I don't dwell on it.

Express Entry

I will start with the most popular immigration way, Express Entry. Express Entry is a system in which you can register if you're eligible for one of the federal immigration programs. There are three in total, but foreigners most often apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program because it does not require you to search for a job in Canada.

The program has requirements. First, you need at least a high school education, but in fact, it will be difficult to move with a high school education through this particular program, it's better to have a higher education, at least a bachelor's degree. Second, a year of work experience in a skilled occupation in the last 10 years. These are occupations such as managers, IT specialists, electricians, welders, engineers, plumbers, and the like. Truckers are also eligible this year. Also, you need English or French at a good level, a minimum of 6 points in the IELTS language test. And enough money. For one person it is $13,000 CAD, for a family of four it is about $25,000.

If you are already scared and think that moving to Canada is difficult and very expensive, read on, because then I will name programs with simpler requirements.

Another thing to add about Express Entry is that you have to accumulate points, and whoever has more points is invited. More points are given to those who are younger, have higher education, more experience, better language, and so on. But there is an important point. Starting this year, Canada is going to hold targeted draws and invite not those who score more points, but those who have an occupation or education that is in demand. Healthcare and construction workers are needed first, but there have been no targeted draws yet, so all the details are unknown.

All in all, at the beginning of 2023, Express Entry is an option for young educated guys with good English. Or even those who have good French. In the long run, it's also for those who have an in-demand occupation.

PNP

The next immigration option are the Provincial Nominee Programs, abbreviated PNP. They allow you to move to a certain region of Canada. You do not have to stay there permanently — when you get your permanent residency, you can move away. The peculiarity of provincial programs is that there are usually no age limitations, the language requirements are lower, and you often have to show less money in your accounts. Right away I will name the disadvantages: most often you need either a suitable occupation or to find a job in the province. That is, you first come on a work visa, and then apply for permanent residency.

There are also provincial programs that work through Express Entry. This is an alternative for those who have registered in the system but do not reach enough points. Every province has at least one such program, and somewhere there are more.

I won't dwell at length on provincial programs, because that's a topic for a separate article, but we've already talked about the top provinces where it's easier to immigrate, with specific programs.

Atlantic Immigration Program

Next in line is the Atlantic Immigration Program. Its special feature is that it allows you to move to one of the four Atlantic provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. To apply, you need one year of work experience in the last 5 years, and in any occupation except unskilled ones such as janitors, deliverymen, gardeners, and so on. A high school education and basic English are enough. In terms of money, you need a little more than $3,000 CAD per person or $6,000 for a family of four.

Next, you have to find a job in one of the provinces. And then there's another peculiarity. The Atlantic provinces have a list of employers who hire foreigners through the Atlantic Program. And you have to look for a job not with some random companies, but with the employers from the list. This is a huge plus because if you just decide to find a job in other regions of Canada, it will be more difficult. We have an interview on our website with a woman who moved through the Atlantic Program, finding a job in just an hour.

Immigration through employment

Now I will tell you about the two most reliable immigration options, which almost guarantee you a permanent residence permit. The first is to find a job in Canada. Canada has a constant shortage of employees, with hundreds of thousands of jobs open all the time, and unemployment is low right now. If you have a job offer, more immigration programs will open up for you right away.

With a work contract, you can also apply for a work visa, this is the first step. Second, after about a year of working in Canada, you will be eligible for immigration programs and get permanent residency. There is another advantage. If you have a work contract, you do not have to show money in your accounts for immigration.

Now the downside. Canadian employers cannot just hire foreigners. They have to go through a lot of paperwork and pay fees. That is why many people do not want to hire workers from abroad, but there are still companies that do it.

To find a job, you must have a Canadian-format CV. It is different from the format used in other countries. You can find out how to write one yourself on the Internet or read the information on our website.

The second thing you need to do is to constantly monitor vacancies on Canadian websites and send your CV. And you have to change it for each position, use key phrases from the job vacancy, and so on. Be ready to send out hundreds or even thousands of CVs, this is normal. We have a great example on our website. It's an interview with a woman who got a job in Canada as a childhood educator. She found an employer being in her home country, so it's possible.

Another option for immigrating through employment is visiting job fairs. Most of the time they are held by only one province in Canada, New Brunswick. Officials from the region, along with employers, travel to different countries to find specialists there. Sometimes the fairs are held online, but more often in person. There you can attend interviews with employers and sign a work contract, which you can then go to Canada with.

When registering for a fair, you specify your information: date of birth, country of residence, work experience, occupation, language level, education, and upload your CV. Then the commission checks the questionnaires, not everyone is invited. And each fair usually has a list of suitable occupations.

Immigration through education

The second most reliable way to immigrate. It is easier but requires an initial investment. It is immigration through education. There are several advantages. Canadian universities and colleges can accept you without exams and even without taking a language test. Some colleges offer bonuses such as a free online English course or a $4,000 CAD scholarship per year.

After you graduate, you get a Post-Grauation Work Permit in Canada, and it's already much easier for you to get a job than for foreigners. And additional immigration programs are open to graduates, too. Again, if you find a job after you graduate, your chances are even better.

What you need to immigrate

I'll tell you more about the documents and finances. There is no universal package of documents for all programs. What you do need:

• language test, usually IELTS for English;
• educational credentials assessment (ECA), several organizations do this, but the most popular is WES;
• certificates of no criminal record from countries where you have lived for more than 6 months;
• references from employers that confirm your experience;
• marriage certificates and birth certificates of children;
• photos;
• bank statements on the availability of funds.

I listed briefly because we already have an article on what you need to do before you move and what documents to bring with you. When you apply for an immigration program, you still need to fill out forms — again, different for each program.

The last thing is money. There is no universal amount here either, the more the better. Last year, my team and I estimated that a family of three would need about $10,000 to $22,000 USD. This includes spending about $6,500 USD to prepare paperwork, and the rest is money you have to show in your accounts. All immigration programs have different money requirements, which is why there is such a difference. And add another $4,000 if you need full support from an immigration consultant. In our company payment is strictly staggered.

Our immigration company can help you obtain a visa, apply for immigration and provides other immigration services. Book a consultation with our specialist to assess your chances for permanent residency, develop a relocation strategy and learn all the nuances of immigration in your case.

Alex Pavlenko, founder of Immigrant.Today