Canadian Permanent Residency under Skilled Worker Program

Canada is one of the most popular countries when it comes to immigration. The number of opportunities and benefits that people can enjoy in the land of a multicultural and diversified environment is priceless.

The government of Canada is cordially inviting skilled professionals and their families to the country who can prove to be an asset to the country’s economy. If you are someone willing to immigrate to Canada and gain a Canadian permanent residency, here is what you should know.

General Eligibility Criteria for Canadian Permanent Residency

• Find occupation in the occupation list

To begin with, you initially need to find your occupation in the Canada National Occupation Code (NOC) list. Once you find the occupation closely related to your previous employment, you can go forward and nominate yourself for the particular occupation.

• Meet required educational requirement as per NOC code

However, before nominating yourself in an occupation that is closely related to your skills, you must make sure that you meet the required educational requirements. Bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement. Some occupational NOC codes will demand a masters or more specific degree. Thus, you must have a relevant educational qualification in accordance with the work you are doing.

• Minimum work experience relevant to NOC code

If you are a skilled professional, you must have minimum one year of working experience in an occupation that is closely related to your educational qualification. Certain occupation may demand more working experience and sometimes, Canadian work experience also.

• Meet minimum immigration points

Even after meeting all these requirements, you will still need to secure a minimum of 67 points in order to be eligible to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile in Express Entry. These points are collectively secured through language proficiency, educational qualification, work experience and certain other factors.

Different Visa Categories for Canada Migration

• Federal Skilled Worker

Starting January 1, 2015, the applications applied under the Federal Skilled Worker program are being processed through Express Entry. Candidates eligible for Federal Skilled Worker Program must first create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile in the online Express Entry system.

• Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The Government of Canada and Quebec developed the Quebec Skilled Workers Program. The Quebec Skilled Workers Program enables highly skilled foreign candidates to immigrate to the province of Quebec. Candidates, who apply for Quebec, are offered a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). Candidates receiving a CSQ can apply for Canadian permanent residency.

• Provincial Nominee Programs

As we know Canada has its own provinces which form a part of the Canadian immigration systems. Candidates willing to settle in any of the provinces of Canada must meet the requirements of the particular province. Sometimes, provinces also track applications in Express Entry pool and upon finding a profile that is on the demand list of the government, the province sends a Notification of Interest (NOI) to the candidate.

Steps to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency

In order to  apply for a Canadian Permanent Residency; candidates are required to follow certain steps in order to get their skills and ability assessed.

World Education Services (WES)

The World Education Services (WES) is an educational credential evaluation body that assesses your educational qualification for immigration or studying in a Canadian university. The WES evaluation helps immigration bodies to better understand your qualifications and educational backgrounds.

The WES educational credential assessment takes up to 20-25 days to evaluate your educational qualification for immigration or pursuing an education in Canada. The fee applicable for WES evaluation is $322 Canadian dollars. To understand how WES works, do read this article.

Language Proficiency

In order to migrate to Canada as a Canadian permanent resident, you must be proficient in English language. The government of Canada will consider you proficient in English only after assessing your IELTS scores. The scores you secure in the IELTS test is translated into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score. The CLB scores are different for different profiles.

• IELTS

Candidates will need to take up the IELTS test in order to prove their English proficiency level. Candidates generally need to take up the IELTS general test. IELTS includes tests for different modules to test your English listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. A candidate can score a maximum of 9 bands in the IELTS test and a minimum of 1 band. You can learn more about IELTS general test in this article.

Creation of Express Entry Profile

Express Entry is a system where candidates create their profile and show interest in an occupation. Eligible candidates are contacted by the Canadian immigration authorities to progress with their Canadian permanent residency process. The dynamic application form to be filled for the process requires details about the candidate’s age, work experience, education, language and family information.

The information you provide here is not up for verification by immigration authorities. Once invited, you need to submit the certified copies of any document mentioned while filling up the form and provide proofs of the same. If a candidate does not receive an ITA after one year, their profile will automatically be removed from Express Entry.

Receiving an Invitation to Apply

A candidate selected by the Canadian immigration authority is sent an invitation to apply for the Canadian permanent residency. One should not confuse the Invitation to Apply with entering the Express Entry pool. It shouldn’t be confused with a job offer as well.

The Invitation to Apply has a deadline of 90 days and you should make a decision once the Canadian immigration authority sends an Invitation to Apply. If you do not take action on two consecutive Invitation to Apply as sent buy the Authority, your application will be eliminated from Express Entry.

Final Visa document Submission

The final process of submitting your visa requires the candidate to upload the documents online, The documents should justify the candidate’s personal information, educational qualification documents, previous employment documents, police clearance, medical clearance and any statutory declarations. You are also required to pay your visa fee online. This fee can change as you include or exclude a family member.

Documents Review by Immigration Authority

Once you have submitted your documents online, the immigration authorities will begin verifying your documents to see if the documents you submitted are true to the ones that you mentioned in your Expression of Interest (EOI). If there are any missing documents, the Canadian immigration authority will request you to provide the required documents to support your case.

After submission of all the correct documents, you can expect a grant letter indicating that you have received your Canadian Permanent Residency status.

Validity of your Canadian Permanent Residency

Your Canada Permanent Residency status is valid for up to 5 years and you will be enjoying all rights that a normal Canadian citizen enjoys. Anyways, you can choose to apply for Canadian citizenship after living for 3 years in Canada. You can also extend your Canada permanent residency status for another 5 years if you do not choose to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Change Canada Permanent Residency to Citizenship

To change your permanent residency status to citizenship, you will need to meet certain eligibility criteria and must have spent at least 3 years living in Canada under permanent residency status. Being a citizen of Canada allows you to apply for government jobs.

Canada Proof of Fund

You are to prove to the Canada immigration authority that whatever funds you are carrying is enough to support you and your family. This rule applies to both Skilled Worker through Express Entry and Self-Employed immigrant.

You need to provide certain letters to the immigration official as your proof of fund. These letters will prove that whatever funds you have will readily be accessible when you arrive in Canada. You also need to prove that this fund could be used for your settlement in Canada.

You also need to arrange a letter from your bank, clearly stating your financial status. This information provided by the bank must be printed on a legal letterhead.

The letter should clearly display following –

• Your name
• Your account number, the opening date of the account, current account balance and average balance for six months
• Status of your outstanding debts either credit card or loan
• Bank’s name, address and telephone number

Benefits of Canada Permanent Resident

Being a permanent resident of Canada lets you enjoy a number of benefits. Some of the key benefits that you would enjoy being a permanent resident of Canada are as follows:

• You will have the right to live as a permanent resident in Canada. You will be enjoying almost all the rights that a normal citizen of Canada enjoys except for casting votes.
• You as a permanent resident of Canada will be able to sponsor your family members who are eligible for permanent residency in Canada.
• As a permanent resident of Canada, you have the freedom to work anywhere in Canada and if proven eligible, you can take up a different profession.
• As as a permanent resident of Canada, you will be paying local tuition fee as Canadian citizens do when you take up educational courses in a Canadian educational body
• As a permanent resident of Canada you will also be receiving several social benefits as mentioned below:
  • Unemployment benefits
  • Healthcare benefits
  • Childcare benefits

Social Rights for Canadian Permanent Residency Holders

The social rights of a Canadian permanent residency status holder are as follows:

• Healthcare Benefit: As a permanent resident of Canada, you are eligible to avail the healthcare benefit. With the healthcare benefit, you can avail free treatments in listed Canadian healthcare units and can avail subsidies on medicines.
• Unemployment Benefit: Candidates who become the permanent resident of Australia can avail the unemployment benefit after spending some time working in the country.
• Childcare Benefits: If you are a parent and have kid/kids below the age of 13, you are also eligible to avail the childcare benefit.

Canadian Permanent Resident’s Income, Expenditure and Savings…

While staying in Canada as a Canadian permanent resident, you must be aware about the maximum income you can earn, the applicable tax and expected saving.

• Salary: As a Canadian permanent resident, you can earn up to CAD$8,000 to CAD$12,000 as your monthly income.
• Tax: A Canadian permanent resident earning about CAD$8,000 to CAD$12,000 would be paying anywhere from CAD$2,000 to CAD$3,500 to the Canadian government as tax.
• Savings: Candidates earning about CAD$8,000 to CAD$12,000 can save about CAD$2,000 to CAD$4,000 monthly.

Canadian Citizenship Benefits

A Canadian permanent resident can apply for a Canadian citizenship after completing three years of stay in Canada. After becoming a citizen of Canada, you can live in Canada indefinitely without requiring a visa.

The permanent resident, now a citizen can now cast votes, join defense, apply for government jobs and take political stands. After becoming a citizen of Canada, you can also apply for the Canadian passport, which is considered as one of the most valuable passports in the world.

Documents Necessary for Moving to Canada…

Here are the documents that you should arrange for –

• Birth certificates and passport of all family members
• Adoption certificate, if applicable
• Marriage certificate, divorce or annulment certificate, if applicable
• Immunization certificate for all children (Very important)
• Medical records, including X-rays, dental records
• Copies of all educational certificates
• Letter of reference from your previous employer
• A professional portfolio or samples of your work
• A valid driver’s license and international driver’s license. This will let you drive immediately in Australia for up to 3 to 6 months before you get an Canadian driving license
• Car insurance papers
• Travel insurance papers
• Certificates of valuation and authenticity for jewelry and other valuables
• Enough funds
• Documents relating to foreign income, properties or other investments
• Transfer Your Investments: If you have any cash or investment, you must transfer them all. Before leaving the country, you should close all your bank accounts to save bank fee.
• Medical records including X-rays
• Dental records
• Immunisation records for children and adults
• Optical prescriptions
• Other medical prescriptions
• Work Documents: All documents relating to your professional experience must be included as well.

Also Read: 10 Key Points for Canadian Migrants like Job Hunt, Cost of Living and Taxation