Canadian Immigration Categories

To immigrate to Canada and become a Canadian Permanent Resident, you will need toapply for and be issued a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa.

There are various programs under which you may qualify for Canadian immigration,but it's important to identify the best one for your particular situation.

Express Entry

Express Entry is a immigration category , to manage applications for permanent residence for these programs.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.

Express Entry is a completely electronic process involving the federal government, provincial governments, and Canadian employers.
An Express Entry profile is a form where you give us information about your:

• skills
• education
• language ability
• work experience and
• other details

Express Entry profile is:

• free
• secure
• online

Once you start an Express Entry profile, you have 60 days to complete it.

PNP Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow expedited immigration processing to meetprovincial labour market and business needs. There are two types of PNP program,the skilled worker PNP for occupations in demand and the business immigration programdesigned to allow expedited immigration processing for experienced business peoplewishing to establish a new business invest money or joint ventures with a localbusiness.

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundlandand Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon all offer Provincial NominationPrograms.

Federal Business Immigration

Canada's Business Immigration Program seeks to promote economic development andemployment by attracting people with venture capital, business acumen and entrepreneurialskills. The Business Immigration Program currently falls under three categoriesof immigrants:

• Entrepreneurs
• Self-Employed
• Investors

Entrepreneurs

Currently, those wishing to come to Canada as Entrepreneurs must demonstrate theirintention and ability to establish, purchase or invest in a business that will createor maintain employment for at least one (1) Canadian citizen or permanent residentother than a member of their family. Those applying under the Entrepreneur categorywill have conditions placed on their visas which require them to prove to Citizenshipand Immigration Canada officials that:

• they have purchased/invested in an existing business or have established a new business with net worth of at least $300,000 in Canadian funds;
• they have made a significant capital investment in the business;
• they have actively managed the business; and
• they have created at least one (1) job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada other than a member of their family. Once the requirements are complied with, conditions placed on their Visas are removed.

Self-Employed

Those interested in applying in the Self-Employed category must demonstrate an intentand an ability to create employment for themselves. Their endeavours must constitutea significant contribution to the Canadian economy or to Canada's cultural and/orartistic life.

Investors

An Investor is defined as a person who has successfully operated or controlled ordirected a business or commercial undertaking and who has accumulated, through his/herown endeavours, at least $800,000 in Canadian funds. Prior to visa issuance, ImmigrantInvestors must pay $400,000 to the Receiver General for Canada. The investment issubsequently allocated to the participating provinces and territories in Canada.Funds are used for job creation and economic development. The full amount of investment(without interest) is repaid to the investor after 5 years. The exact date of repaymentdepends on when the $ 400,000 is received by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.The return of the investment is fully guaranteed by participating provinces andterritories. Investors are not required to start any business in Canada nor areany conditions imposed upon admission to Canada.

Family Class

Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents may sponsor for admission to Canadathe following persons:

• their Spouses, Common Law or Conjugal Partners 16 years or older
• their dependant children as defined in the Immigration Regulations
• their mother and father and any accompanying dependant children as defined in the Immigration Regulations
• their grandparent(s)
• brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans; under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship.

Independent/Skilled Worker Category

Applicants in this category must have a minimum of one (1) year of full-time workexperience in an occupation designated A, O or B in Canada's National OccupationsCategory list. Assessment is according to selection criteria: age, education, occupation,occupational demand, years of work experience, English/French language ability,personal suitability and family in Canada, assessed by Citizenship and ImmigrationCanada officials.  Applicants must attain a minimum score of sixty seven (67)points to be eligible.

Live-in Caregiver Program

To work as a live-in caregiver in Canada, you must make an application to the Live-inCaregiver Program. If your application is successful, you will receive a work permitand after a period of two years full time employment out of three years can applyfor permanent residency. To find out if you are eligible for a live-in caregiverwork permit contact our office today.

Quebec Immigration Categories

The province of Quebec is unique in that it has the authority to select its owncandidates for immigration.  Applicants who succeed in the province of Quebecdo retain the right to mobility in Canada once approved.

Quebec have the following immigration categories; skilled worker, business class,immigrant investor, immigrant entrepreneur, self-employed and family class.

Refugee

People who fear living in or returning to their countries, need protection and wantto come to Canada come in the Refugee category. Canada accepts thousands of refugeesevery year in order to follow its objective in Canada's Immigration Act stating'to fulfill Canada's international legal obligation with respect to refugees andto uphold its humanitarian tradition with respect to the displaced and persecuted'.Canada's refugee protection system consists of two components:

Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, for people seeking protection fromoutside Canada;

Asylum in Canada, for persons making refugee protection claims from within Canada.

Temporary Status Categories

Work Permits

Foreign workers whose skills are in short supply, or who can provide significanteconomic or other benefits to Canada, are issued Work Permit and admitted on a temporarybasis. In many instances, a job validation from a Human Resources Skills DevelopmentCanada Centre (HRSDC) is required before the applicant can submit his/her Applicationfor an Work Permit to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Study Permits

Most international students are required to have study permits to receive academic,professional or vocational training in Canada, if the course is longer than sixmonths. Community college and university students may be issued authorizations whichare valid for the duration of their program of study. Customary prerequisites arethat the student:

• has already enrolled in a government-approved academic institution;
• has paid his/her tuition fees and been accepted by the academic institution; and 
• has to know English or French to follow course lectures and reading assignments

Visitors

The Immigration Act requires all visitors, except those exempt by regulation, toobtain a Visitor Visa before coming to Canada. Applicants must demonstrate to visaofficials that they have significant family, social, economic and cultural tiesto their country of origin and that they have sufficient means to support themselvesduring their visit to Canada. Applicants must also satisfy visa officials that thereis no risk that they will overextend their visit to Canada.