How Do I Get To Canada?

How do I get to Canada is often a question that I hear multiple times a day when I speak to a potential client. The questions that I often get asked are; “I want to go to Canada, but do not know where to start.” Or …“should I immigrate (relocate) to Canada or is it better if I study or visit first?” These are important questions which are completely understandable given how complex, immigration and visa procedures are in this day and age. The answers to these questions depend on a number of factors…

“Should I Move to Canada and How?”

The first consideration when deciding on the pathway to take is to understand your genuine intention when it comes to Canada.? Do you genuinely wish to relocate there?? If so, is it for your own personal benefit or are you quite comfortable back home but thinking more in terms of the future of your children (if so please see the section on studying in Canada below)???

Relocation to Canada is a major move that can bring significant benefits to you and your family, but also the challenges that come with moving to a new country. While Canada is a welcoming country which millions of immigrants have called home, a relocation brings with it the usual challenges and there is most definitely an adjustment period. However, moving to Canada brings some amazing benefits to you and your family. As I had mentioned in my first article titled, “Immigration - Is Canada for me?” published by B&FT, the move to Canada was one of the best things to happen to me and my family members. We benefited from a friendly environment; the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey ranked Canada #1 for the most welcoming country for migrants. We also got the comfort and security of universal health care where we were able to benefit from free necessary hospital and physician services. Other benefits include security and safety with Canada being ranked as one of the safest countries in the world and a clean environment - Canada is one of the global leaders when it comes to exploring electricity production from eco-friendly sources. I firmly believe that much is possible in such a wonderful country by setting up a life in Canada for those who are willing to work hard and put in the effort to succeed.??

If you have decided that Canada is the place for you to make your new home, the first step would be to look at your eligibility for relocation. Perhaps you may qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. For both programs, you must be eligible for a system called Express Entry. At a very high level, immigration to Canada? works on points-based systems where potential immigrants are given points for a number of factors which include age, educational background, work experience (years and type of experience/skill level), relatives in Canada and other factors.? It also matters that your work experience matches Canadian occupational standards and if you have the required education and level of fluency in English and/or French to carry out your job duties. All of these need to be looked at when it comes to immigrating for most professionals such as lawyers, accountants, chefs, bankers and so on.

If you are a business person, like some readers of this publication, perhaps you qualify under the Federal Start-up Visa Program or one of many provincial programs for entrepreneurs and business people. The best approach is to assess your profile or have it assessed by an immigration professional to see where you stand and if your profile qualifies for one of these programs. You may have a unique and creative business idea that is valued in the current Canadian economy and/or you may have business experience and adequate funds that you can bring to Canada and set up your own business with. Once you assess your profile or ask a professional to do so for you, you will have a better idea of your business immigration options. You can then decide if and how to move forward with your plans for relocation.

“But What About Studies?”??

Sometimes I get asked if studying is a good way to get to Canada. The answer to this question is that it depends! Studying is an excellent pathway to go to Canada if you are a genuine student who has a desire to pursue further studies and sees a real benefit to studying in Canada over a program in your home country. If the above is true for you, then a number of factors come into play - the first one being cost. While a Canadian education is cheaper compared with some countries such as the UK and US, for example, you are still paying international student fees which are not heavily subsidized for foreign nationals by the Canadian government at the university and college levels as they are for Canadian citizens and permanent resident students. Therefore, you must have the funds available to study either by sponsoring yourself through your earnings/savings or through a relative or an employer.??

Other considerations are whether you are leaving family behind and whether you are ready to make the time and effort it takes to study in Canada. If you are a parent and you plan to take one or more of your children with you, then they can benefit from government-funded free education until their secondary (high school) years, but you need to provide care and funding support for your child(ren) as well while you study in Canada.?

Once you have decided that you have the funds or a sponsor available and wish to proceed, you must look at other eligibility factors before proceeding to put in your application for school and eventually a study permit. Do you have strong ties to your home country which would lead you to return home after you study? Please do remember that studying is a temporary resident visa category for Canada. Your genuine intention must be to study in Canada and return home. While in Canada, if you decide that you like the country and wish to make it your home, you may legally pursue pathways to stay such as a work permit and eventual immigration, but your intention as a student must be to study temporarily and return.??

Do you have some travel history demonstrating that you have traveled overseas and returned or do you have previous visa refusals or overstays? You must always be truthful on any visa application and a previous refusal or overstay does not necessarily mean that you will be denied a visa for Canada. The circumstances behind your refusal or overstay are important and you must explain what happened clearly and truthfully for the visa officer to decide if he or she is comfortable with giving you a visa for Canada.

As for the steps towards studying in Canada, you must first determine what you want to study (program), which level of studies (secondary school or post-secondary diploma or degree) and where (which cities/towns and which schools/colleges/universities appeal to you). You also need to consider if you meet prerequisites of your program and the timeline with which you are applying. How long does the application process take to get your admission to the school and how long does the visa application process take? All of these factors are important in ensuring that you maximize your chances of success in order to begin your studies on time if you are successful.??

“What If I Just Want to Visit Canada for Now?”

Visiting as a tourist, or to visit family/friends or to attend a business meeting or trade show are genuine reasons for applying for a visitor visa for Canada. As mentioned above, Canada is a very welcoming country and is also known as one of the safest countries in the world to visit. It is a large country with a lot to do for everyone whether it is food/culture (perhaps you read my article last week on the food/beverage sector in Canada?!), sightseeing in cities or towns or spending time with nature, enjoying some wonderful museums and heritage sights and of course, lots of great shopping as well. There are also many recent and long-term immigrants to Canada who are now long-term residents and citizens and wish for their family members and friends to come visit them as well as there are international students in Canada whose family members or friends wish to visit them. Therefore, you may wish to visit one of your loved ones in Canada as well. Finally, there are many business visitors who apply for a visa for business visit purposes. Those who are working with Canadian companies for their products/supplies or those who wish to develop relationships with Canadian companies can apply for a visa to attend meetings.Canada also hosts some top-level industry trade shows and seminars that many international visitors attend each year.??

In order to know if you are eligible to apply for a visitor visa, many of the same considerations that apply for a study permit also apply - do you have enough money for your stay and return? Do you have a valid purpose of visit and strong ties to your home country? Do you have some demonstrated travel history? While no factor works in isolation and while you may not check off all the boxes, the overall picture is extremely important for the visa officer to determine if you are a genuine temporary visitor for Canada.??

I hope the above information was useful to those readers who wish to know about various options for Canada. There is another option not considered above due to the scope of this article: the work permit route for Canada is a separate topic in itself which I will cover very soon!? Applicants may explore options themselves and do not necessarily need the help of an immigration professional to apply for any of the above. However, if you find yourself in need of an immigration professional to conduct an assessment of your eligibility or to advise you on any of your Canadian immigration or visa matters, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. The team at One Heart Immigration is always available to discuss your potential application with you!??

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