Canada Visa

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Canada is a country in the North American continent located right above the United States and is known as a highly developed country. The demand of people to travel to Canada has been steadily increasing the last few years, but most people wonder how they can get to Canada.

A Canada visa is a stamp on your passport which allows you to enter the country of Canada.

It is a permission for you to travel to the country and legally be able to stay either temporarily or permanently. Getting a visa to Canada means that the Canadian Consulate or Embassy in your home country decided that you are eligible and fulfill the requirements for entry. However, once you are at the Canadian border and customs, it is up to the officers at the border to evaluate whether you are fit to enter.

What is the Canada Visa Types?

Before you apply for a Canadian visa, you must first know which visa you want to apply for. Here are the types of Canada visas:

  • Visitor visas
  • Student visa
  • Work visas
  • Permanent Residence visas
  • Business Immigrant visas
  • Express Entry Program visas
    You must pick the one that fits the motive of why you want to go to Canada.

Visitors Visas

Visitors visas are required for certain foreign nationals who wish to visit or travel through Canada. You may or may not require a temporary resident visa depending on your citizenship. If you do not require a visa to travel to Canada, a determination as to whether you will be allowed into Canada will be made upon your arrival to Canada at either the border or airport.

Foreign nationals who do require visas must first make applications to a Canadian visa office before they travel to Canada. Applications will need to meet the following requirements:

  • Have a valid travel document, such as a passport.
  • Be in good health; A medical examination may be requested.
  • Satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties to your country of origin, such as a job, home and family, which will compel you to return.
  • Satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit.
  • have sufficient funds for your stay; The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.
  • You may also need a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

If your application is approved, the visa office will provide you with either a multiple entry or single entry visa.  You can then use this visa to travel and enter Canada.

Work Permits

Work permits are generally required for foreign workers who wish to enter Canada to work on a temporary basis and ease skill shortages in Canada
If you are currently residing in a country outside of Canada and wish to apply for a work permit, there are several mandatory documents that you must have ready for submission.

  • Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
  • LMIA-Based Work Permit
  • Global Talent Stream LMIA (Pilot Program)
  • LMIA-Based Work Permit under PNPs
  • LMIA-Exempt Work Permit
  • Intra- company transfer (ICT) – existing subsidiary in Canada
  • Start-Up Intra-Company Transfer Work Permits – (New Office)
  • International Experience Canada (IEC) Work Permit

Study Permits

Study permits are required for foreign nationals who wish to study at a Canadian educational institution.To be eligible to study in Canada, you must be accepted by a designated learning institution in Canada. Once you receive this acceptance, you can then apply for permission to study in Canada. It is important to make sure that the courses or programs that you choose in Canada conform with the type of study/work that you have completed in the past. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be looking to see that your study plan is consistent with your past education.

You must also prove to IRCC that you are able to financially support yourself during your studies, as well as have enough money to pay all your education fees. You can include proof of financial support from your parents to help satisfy IRCC that you have the required funds to support your studies. In cases of minor children, IRCC will want to see that the minor has also made satisfactory arrangements for his or her care. In addition, IRCC will want to see that they have sufficient ties to their home country and that they will return home once they have completed their studies.

It is important to note that certain institutions and lengths of programs will qualify you for off-campus and post-graduate work permits. If you are hoping to work during or after your studies, it is important to determine ahead of time whether your chosen school/program qualifies.

Permanent Residence

Express Entry

The Express Entry (EE) system is a three stage active immigration process whereby interested applicants will first submit an EE form online. Second, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses these potential applicants against specific eligibility criteria. Potential applicants who are deemed to have met the eligibility criteria are then entered into a pool with other eligible candidates.

Third, those candidates whose profiles align with the identified needs of the government, as well as, that of certain Canadian employers, will be issued an “invitation to apply” (ITA). Only those candidates who receive invitations can then proceed to apply for permanent residence.

Candidates are required to complete an online profile outlining:

Skills work experience
• Language ability
• Education and
• Other details that will help in assessing eligibility Comprehensive Ranking System.

The candidates who registered online will be ranked, one against the other based on the “Comprehensive Ranking System” (CRS) on the factors mentioned above. Candidates that have an “Arranged Employment” job offer, a provincial nomination or Canadian post-secondary education will receive additional points. All candidates in the EE pool will be granted points (maximum of 1200) that take into consideration the following factors:
• Skills and work experience (up to 500 points)
• Spouse or common-law partner factors (such as their language skills and education -up to 40 additional points but still a maximum of only 500 points)
• Skills transferability (including education and work experience that, when combined, improve his or her chances of being employed, and earning a higher wage – up to 100 points)
• Additional 600 points for those with a nomination from a province or territory, Arranged Employment or Canadian post-secondary education For the principal candidate, the point allocations breakdown is as follows (these points include amendments which were made to the EE CRS on 19 November 2016):

 

The Need for Arranged Employment or PNP Nomination

Any candidates without an Arranged Employment job offer, or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Applicants are required and encouraged to promote themselves on the Job Bank as well as in any other relevant way, i.e. recruiters, job boards, etc.

Job Bank advertising will help connect EE applicants with eligible employers in Canada. The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process and provincial/territorial nomination are no different under the EE regime as the focus remains upon ensuring employers made efforts to hire Canadians for the available positions, as well as facilitating provinces/territories’ ability to meet their specific labour market needs.

 

Express Entry Draws ITA

After ranking the potential applicants, IRCC will organize “draws” and invite selected candidates to submit a full, complete application for permanent residency (ITA). At each draw, a minimum CRS score is set based upon Inventory.

What Immigration Programs can I Apply for?

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