Canada Immigration Services

Being the second largest country in the world, Canada is full of life with its beautiful landscapes and vibrant cities.

One cannot help but marvel at the sight of one of the great wonders of the world, the Niagara Falls. Thousands of tourists visit the falls every year to enjoy the spectacular view.

Foreigners will also feel welcome with Canada’s diverse and friendly people, usually huddled together in its cosmopolitan and international cities.

Indeed, Canada is probably the most immigrant-friendly destination at present. The Canadian government has declared their intention to welcome more than 400,000 new immigrants in their country for the year 2021.

This is a step towards progress for both parties – Canada’s economy will be boosted through a more robust labor force and foreigners will have the opportunity to experience a more comfortable life that Canada has to offer.

There are various programs which an applicant may choose for Canadian immigration, but it’s important to identify the most suitable program based on the candidate’s qualification.

Skilled immigrant applicants can use Canada’s Express Entry system to become permanent residents of Canada. The Express Entry system manages skilled immigration applications and accepts the applications of those who are most likely to successfully settle in Canada and contribute to Canada’s economy.

There is no cap on the number of Express Entry applications that will be accepted. However, the numbers selected each year will depend on Canada’s annual immigration levels.

Skilled immigration applicants can use the Express Entry system to apply for permanent residence under one of four economic immigration programs.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canada Experience Class Program
• Provincial Nominee Program

Applying for permanent residence through the Express Entry system consists of two steps.

Applicants will use their online Express Entry profiles to provide information to Citizenship and Immigration Canada regarding their:

• Age
• Work experience
• Education
• Language abilities
• Skills
• Other personal information relevant to the assessment of their application

Those who successfully meet the criteria of skilled immigration programs mentioned above will be accepted into a pool of candidates. It is important to note that successful admission to the candidate pool does not automatically result in an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA). Receiving an ITA will depend on different factors.

Note: Applicants who already possess a job offer supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), will have a greater chance of obtaining an ITA. Those who have been nominated for permanent residence by a provincial government will also have an increased chance of success. Candidates who do not have a job offer, LMIA or provincial nomination can register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s Job Bank, however this is not mandatory. The Job Bank will help put candidates in touch with employers. Candidates should also use other independent means to seek employment while in the candidate pool.

All applicants in the Express Entry pool will be ranked against each other using points based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Under the ranking system, applicants are awarded points based on.

• Their skills
• Their work experience
• Whether they have a job offer
• Whether their job offer is supported by a LMIA
• Whether they have been nominated for permanent residence by a provincial government

Candidates who receive the highest CRS scores, will be offered an ITA. Once a candidate receives an ITA, he or she will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Candidates who do not receive an ITA may remain in the candidate pool for 12 months. After 12 months in the pool, candidates must create a new online Express Entry Profile. Candidates will only be allowed to create a new profile if they continue to meet the relevant criteria for their chosen skilled immigration program.

The Province of Quebec administers its own immigration programs with selection criteria that are distinct and more predictable from those of federal and other provincial immigration programs.

Foreign nationals wishing to settle permanently in Quebec must undergo a two-step immigration process:

They must be selected by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI), Quebec’s immigration authority. Selected applicants will receive a Quebec Certificate of Selection (CSQ).

An approved CSQ holder must file an application with Canadian federal immigration authorities. The federal government’s role in evaluating a Quebec application for permanent residence is mainly limited to issues of health and criminality.

Starting August 2018, MIDI has implemented an Express of Interest (EOI) system, in an effort to streamline their application process.

Interested candidates are now invited to declare their interest to immigrate to Quebec by submitting an online profile to the Quebec’s Expression of Interest Bank (EOIB).

The new system, Arrima, is directed to individuals interested to immigrate to Quebec under the regular Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) and it effectively ended the application process under the principle of “first come, first served”.

The Arrima portal remains open year-round and candidates are able to submit an EOI at any time.

Anyone who meets the age requirements, which is 18 years, can submit an EOI profile online.

According to MIDI, the selection of candidates from the EOI bank will be based on criteria defining the person’s profile in terms of employability and contribution to the vitality of the French language.

More specifically, the invitations are based on three main categories:

1. Human capital (age, proficiency in French, level of education, etc.)
2. Ability to find a job in Québec (having a validated job offer, having earned a degree in Québec, or having temporary worker status with at least six months’ work experience in Québec)
3. Changing needs of the job market (areas of training associated with fields experiencing labor shortages)

The Quebec Skilled Worker program aims to select candidates with the highest probability of successful economic settlement potential.

Applicants from outside Canada, who do not have intermediate-advanced French abilities, have the best chances to qualify under Quebec rules if their profession is in high demand in Quebec.

Candidates invited to apply for a CSQ will be directed to a secure space in the Mon Projet Quebec portal.

They will be able to complete their application, submit it and pay the required processing fees within a deadline of 90 days. Candidates can also follow the status of their application.

When MIDI is ready to process the application, they will issue a personalized checklist of required documents.

At this stage, applicants must make sure they meet the passing scores under the selection grid.

For a single candidate, the employability threshold is of 43 points. Here, the credentials considered are such as the age, education, work experience, visits and family in Quebec, language proficiency, job offer.

Then, additional points are awarded for existence of children and financial autonomy. A selection cut-off score of 50 points is required in order to qualify under the QSWP.

When a candidate has a spouse, certain of his or her credentials are also considered: age, education, French proficiency. The cut-off scores are also higher, 52 points under the employability threshold and 59 points under the selection threshold.

The required documents must be submitted within 90 days from the date the customized checklist is received.

MIDI imposes certain formatting requirements regarding the documents they request from the candidates.

Processing times for the Quebec Skilled Worker program are divided into two periods: the time required to obtain a CSQ from the Quebec Immigration authorities and time required to obtain the permanent residence visa from the federal immigration authorities.