In details
What are your options for Canadian Immigration? The right Canadian immigration program for you will depend on your qualities, your goals, and your particular situation. The Canadian federal and provincial governments are constantly updating their programs to ensure that Canadian immigration is successful, both for newcomers and for Canada.
There are currently more than 60 programs available for immigration to Canada. For that reason, everyone’s path to Canadian immigration will be unique. For example, there are many different categories for professionals and workers under which you might qualify for your Canada Immigration permanent resident visa, including the Federal and Quebec Skilled Worker programs, the Provincial Nominee Programs, the Canadian Experience Class, the Quebec Experience Class, and the Federal Self-Employed program.
Canada also offers a number of Family Class Sponsorship programs, whereby Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor family members and loved ones for Canadian immigration.
Immigration Attorney Dr. Salam ABDEL SAMAD and his team of specialists will be happy to help you determine exactly what your best options are to achieve your immigration goals. Start your assessment today, and we will guide you in achieving your objectives.
Canada values your education and takes it into consideration for many of its Canadian immigration programs. Certain programs, such as the Skilled Worker and Provincial Nominee programs, assign a point value to your education. Start your free assessment and find out if your education helps you to be eligible for an economic immigration program.
Available Canadian immigration programs:
- Express Entry Program(EE):
- Federal Skilled Worker(FSW): these programs are based on the candidate’s age, education, work experience, and other factors.
- Canadian Experience Class: this program aims to encourage those with study or skilled, professional or technical work experience in Canada to immigrate permanently.
- Family Class Sponsorship: these programs allow individuals with close relatives in Canada to be sponsored for immigration.
- Start-up visa Program:
- Investors and Entrepreneurs: these programs may interest candidates with a significant net worth and business experience.
- Quebec Experience Class: international students and foreign workers with experience of studying or working in Quebec may be able to settle permanently in the province.
- Provincial Nominee Program(PNP): Canadian provinces and territories can nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province or territory.
Application to study in Canada
Study Permits
This application is for people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who wish to study temporarily in Canada. A study permit is issued if the application is accepted. A temporary resident visa may also be required.
Before You Apply
Before you can apply for a study permit, you must have been accepted at a recognized school, university or college in Canada.
Who Can Apply
To be eligible to study in Canada:
- You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada.
- You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:
- Tuition fees.
- Living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
- You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.
- You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.
You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.
After Applying
The status of your application:
Processing times may vary depending on the Canadian visa office where you submitted your application. Usually it takes a few months.
The visa officer will review your application. If it is incomplete, it will not be processed- it will be returned to you. If it is complete, the visa officer will decide if an interview is necessary.
If your application is approved
You will receive a letter of introduction confirming the approval. Bring the letter to immigration officials at the point of entry when you arrive in Canada. A temporary resident visa (TRV) will also be issued if you are from a designated country for which Canada requires a visa. This will be your passport. The expiry date on this visa indicates the date by which you must enter Canada.
If you application is not approved
You will receive a letter from the visa office explaining why your application has been refused. If you have questions about your refusal, contact the visa office that issued the refusal letter.
Arriving in Canada
When you arrive in Canada, you will be met by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
You should be ready to show the following documents:
- A valid passport or travel document.
- The letter of introduction from the visa office that you received when your study permit was approved (this letter contains your permit reference number and the CBSA officer needs this letter to issue your study permit).
- A valid temporary resident visa (if required).
- A copy of the letter of acceptance from the school at which you are permitted to study.
- Proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Canada and
letters of reference or any other documents recommended by the visa office where you applied.
Work permits for students – Working after graduation
If you want to work in Canada after you graduate from your studies, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.
Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience.
A work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. A Post-Graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program, and the study program must be a minimum of eight months in length. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months.
Work permits for students: Working after graduation – Who can apply
To obtain a work permit after your graduation, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must have studied full time in Canada and you must have completed a program of study that lasted at least eight months.
In addition, you must have graduated from:- A public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec).
- Or, a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions (currently only qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to the Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) or Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC) at private college-level educational institutions in Quebec are eligible),
- Or, Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees but only if you are enrolled in one of the programs of study leading to a degree as authorized by the province and not in all programs of study offered by the private institution.
- You must apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program.
- You must have completed and passed the program of study and received a notification that you are eligible to obtain your degree, diploma or certificate.
- You must have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.
NOTE: If you have graduated from a vocational or professional training program at a public or private secondary institution in Quebec, regulated by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), you may be eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit. In addition, applicants must: - Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application;
Have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit; - Have completed a full time program that lasted 900 hours or more (normally eight months in length), leading to a Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP);
- Apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program;
- Provide a supporting letter from your institution outlining the duration of studies and the program code.
Impact of length of program of study in Canada and the length of the work permit
A Post-Graduation Work Permit cannot be valid longer than the official length of your program of study in Canada. For example, students graduating from a four-year degree program might be eligible for a three-year year work permit. Students graduating from an eight-month certificate program would only be eligible for a work permit of eight months.
If the official length of your program of study is:
- Less than eight months, you are not eligible for this program.
- Less than two years but more than eight months, you may get a work permit for a period no longer than the length of your program of study (for example, if you studied for nine months, a work permit may be issued for a period of nine months).
- Two years or more, a work permit may be issued for three years.
You are not eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program if you:
- Study in a program that is less than eight months long.
- Participate in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
- Participate in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by DFAIT.
- Receive funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
participate in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile. - Participate in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program.
- Participate in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program.
- Participate in a distance learning program either from abroad or from within Canada.
- Have previously been issued a Post-Graduation Work Permit following any other program of study.
Article made by PACE Law Firm – Canada