If you’re thinking Canada might be your next destination but you don’t know where to begin, here’s a summary of some of Canada’s main economic immigration programs.
Canada’s immigration department, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) classifies immigration into three categories: economic class, family class, and refugees. By far the most popular route is economic class immigration. These immigrants are eligible for permanent residency based on their work experience, education, and other economic factors. Family class immigration makes up the second largest amount. Canadians can sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, children, parents, grandparents and others under this category. Finally, refugees who are able to come to Canada if they are referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a designated referral organization, or a private group.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants come to Canada under its economic immigration program. Some people start in Canada as international students or temporary foreign workers, while others may be able to immigrate to Canada without ever setting foot in the country before. The following immigration programs are a selection of some of the main pathways that allow immigrants to come to Canada.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is the most common pathway for candidates who have not worked or studied in Canada before. To be eligible for the FSWP, you need:
to demonstrate proof of funds (if you do not have a valid Canadian job offer); and
to get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP scoring grid.
The Canadian Experience Class was developed to streamline the path to permanent resident status for those who already have experience living and working in Canada. To be eligible for the CEC, you need:
at least one year of eligible work in Canada within the past three years; and
a CLB 7 or higher for jobs that fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) A category, or a CLB 5 for jobs that fall under the NOC B category.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is a dedicated pathway for skilled trades workers to gain status as a Canadian permanent resident. To be eligible for the FSTP, you need:
at least two years of skilled trades work experience within the five years before applying;
a minimum CLB of 5 for speaking and listening and 4 for reading and writing in English or French; and
to demonstrate proof of funds (if you do not have a valid Canadian job offer).
In order to get your profile in the Express Entry system, you need to be eligible for one of these programs. It is possible to be eligible for more than one at the same time.
Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates’ profiles. The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry draws, which happen about every two weeks.
Once you receive an ITA, you can officially apply for Canadian immigration. You have 60 days from when you receive the ITA to send in your application. After that, IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within six months.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Most Canadian provinces and territories, except Quebec which has its own immigration system and Nunavut, manage their own Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). These programs offer pathways to immigration that set candidates up for economic success in their respective regions.
Some PNPs are managed by the Express Entry system. Eligible Express Entry candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. If you get the nomination, it’s an automatic 600 points added to your score, and it practically guarantees that you will receive an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
There are also PNPs that are managed by the province’s own application management system. It is not necessary to be eligible for Express Entry in order to take advantage of these programs. The province will evaluate your application based on the criteria of the PNP stream. If you are eligible, you will get a letter of nomination and be able to apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Getting Canadian work or study experience
Having Canadian work or study experience can help open the doors to more Canadian immigration pathways.
If you want to study in Canada, you need a study permit. You can apply for one once you get a letter of acceptance from a Canadian institution. Study permits allow you to legally go to school in Canada, work part time during the school year and full time during scheduled academic breaks.
To qualify for certain immigration programs you need a Canadian education from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). Many of the programs offered at these institutions will qualify you for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which will allow you to work in Canada for up to three years.
However, if you are done with your studies or cannot afford international student fees, you may be able to get a work permit. There are two types of work permit programs in Canada:
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP): Your employer needs to get a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order to support your work permit. The purpose of the LMIA is for employers to demonstrate to the Canadian government that the hiring of a foreign worker will not displace existing workers in Canada or place downward pressures on wages.One example of a TFWP is the Global Talent Stream. If you have a job offer for a certain tech occupation, or at a certain tech company, you may be eligible for expedited work permit processing under this stream.
International Mobility Program (IMP): An LMIA is not required because the work being done is considered of significant benefit to Canada, or part of a reciprocal agreement. Most foreign workers come to Canada under the IMP. Those looking to start a business in Canada or be self-employed may be able to get a significant benefit work permit, which is managed under the IMP category. If you are an entrepreneur or self-employed person, you need to show the Canadian government your activities in Canada will result in an economic, social, or cultural benefit.
Within these two categories are more than 100 work permit options.
There are more than one million job vacancies in Canada, and Canadian employers are facing a tight labour market. Welcoming immigrants is one of the ways that Canadians are seeking to fill gaps in the labour market, grow the economy, and make the country a better place.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
