About Economic Immigration Programs
The Economic Immigration Programs of Canada are known all over the world and are used as a benchmark by almost every other country in the world. These programs are set in place to invite people into the country solely on the basis of merit. There are a number of economic immigration programs, such as the Federal Skilled Worker, the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Trades, the Quebec skilled worker and Experience class and various other Provincial Nominee Programs as well.
All these programs help people to find their place in the Canadian economy based on their technical and management skills. Every program has its own eligibility criteria and the applicants need to fulfill the requirements in order to be eligible for immgiration under the programs.
The people who are applying for Permanent Residency and the Citizenship of Canada find these programs to be the most convenient ones which is why they are the most popularly chosen programs among them.
This program was designed specifically as a pathway to Permanent Residency for the temporary foreign workers and foreign graduates with a qualifying Canadian work experience. The people who apply in this program already have settled into the Canadian society and have established a network in the Canadian community. Their career in Canada is also another contributing factor that makes them ideal candidates for Permanent Residency in Canada.
An applicant needs to fulfil the following criteria in order to become eligible under the Canadian Experience Class program through Express Entry:
- The Applicant must have at least one year of work experience in Canada in the last three years from the time of application. The work experience can be in a full-time job or an equal amount of part-time job.
- The work experience must have been gained on a proper work authorization (Must have had temporary resident status).
- The work must be for skill type 0, or skill level A or B according to the 2011 National Occupational Classification.
- The work experience must be for paid work. Unpaid internships and volunteer work will not count towards the work experience.
- The Applicant must be admissible in Canada, i.e., must have Medical Clearance and Police Clearance.
- The Applicant must meet the required language levels in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as required by the job.
There are no requirements for proof of funds under this program. However, if you are applying under this program, you will be screened on a pass/fail system to see if you meet the minimum requirements.
When it comes to immigration programs to Canada, this is the cheapest, quickest, and therefore, the most popular choice among the immigrants. It is one of the oldest immigration programs in Canada and over the years, it has undergone many revisions. Today, it is an integral part of the Express Entry system, allowing the immigrants to move to Canada as well as start working as a skilled worker.
However, there are some conditions that you need to fulfil in order to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker program through Express Entry. These are as follows:
- You must have a work experience of minimum of one year as a continuous full-time worker or an equal amount of part-time work experience. Your work experience should include 30 hours in a week amounting to a total of 1,560 hours at least.
- The work experience must be for paid work and does not include volunteer work or unpaid internships.
- The work experience must be in the same job.
- The work experience must be in the last ten years.
- The work must be skill type 0, or skill levels A or B, according to the 2011 National Occupational Classifications.
If you are someone who is interested in the program and fulfil the above requirements regarding your work experience, you can submit an application which will then be assessed on the following factors:
- Language skills in English or French;
- Education Level;
- Amount of Work Experience;
- Age;
- A Prior Valid Job Offer; and
- Adaptability to the lifestyle of Canada.
The factors add up to a total of 100 points and the current passing mark is at 67 points.
This is the third program under the Express Entry system that allows for the skilled workers to set their paths on Permanent Residency based on their qualifications in the skilled trades. In order to be eligible under this program, you need to fulfil the following requirements:
- You must fulfil the language requirements in writing, speaking, reading, and listening, and must meet the required language levels.
- You must have at least 2 years of work experience or an equal amount of part time work experience in a skilled trade within the last 5 years of your application.
- You must meet all the job requirements for that particular skilled trade as set by the National Occupational Classification, except for needing the certificate of qualification.
- You must have a valid job offer of full-time employment for at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by the Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority.
Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utility supervisors and central control operators
- Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
- Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
To apply under this program, you do not need to have any educational proof or proof of funds. The applicants under this program are assessed based on their ability to become economically established upon immigration to Canada.
The Government of Canada controls the immigration into the country except for Quebec, which has its own provincial programs. However, there are many immigration programs in which the provinces can nominate applicants for immigration into their province. These programs are known as Provincial Nominee Programs or PNP.
The most famous immigration program under this category is the Worker Stream, which allows the provinces of Canada to nominate the applicants for the Skilled Worker program. These applicants can take up work in the designated categories and if they wish to change their job in the province or move to the province for a job under the list, the Provincial Nominee Programs play a huge role in this transition.
It has become clear from the past that the PNP route for Permanent Residency has a very high success rate and even though it requires an extra step before immigration, you have higher chances of immigrating through the PNP route than through Federal immigration.
Every province has its own rules and requirements for the PNP programs, even the Worker Stream. These requirements are also always changing so as to accommodate the local economy of the province. To know the current requirements of the provinces, you can just visit the websites of the provinces individually. The PNP Programs are a boon for all the people who fail to meet the requirements of the Federal Immigration procedures.
This program is an alternative to the Canadian Experience Class program and is meant specifically for the graduates and temporary foreign workers who have the intent of staying in Quebec and no other province. This program helps them pave the way to their permanent residency in Canada.
The applicant must first apply the Government of Quebec for the issuance of the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), and if the Province of Quebec issues the Certificat de sélection du Québec, the applicant can then apply for a Permanent Residency of Canada to the Federal Government of Canada through the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
There are two streams under PEQ:
- Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) – Québec graduate
- Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) – Temporary Foreign Workers
Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) – Québec graduate: Under this program, the applicant must:
- Intend to settle in Québec to hold a job.
- Have stayed temporarily in Québec for the primary purpose of studying and have respected the conditions of stay.
- Have stayed in Québec for at least half the duration of the study program.
- Hold an eligible Québec diploma.
- Demonstrate advanced intermediate knowledge of oral French.
- Undertake to provide for their basic needs and, where applicable, those of their spouse or de facto spouse and dependent children included in their application for permanent selection, for a minimum period of three months.
- Be at least 18 years old, hold a valid passport and, if they are applying from Québec, be legally in Québec at the time of application.
Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) – Temporary Foreign Workers Under this program, the applicant must:
- Intend to settle in Québec to hold a job.
- Have stayed temporarily in Québec for the primary purpose of working there and have respected the conditions of their stay.
- Be legally in Québec as a temporary foreign worker or under a youth exchange program (e.g., through a Working Holiday, Young Professionals, or
International Co-op Internship permit).
- Have been employed full-time for at least 12 of the 24 months preceding the submission of their application.
- Full-time work means a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week.
- Not allowed -any part-time work, self-employment, or entrepreneurial work under the PEQ.
- Demonstrate advanced intermediate knowledge of oral French.
- Undertake to provide for their basic needs and, if applicable, those of their spouse or de facto spouse and dependent children included in their application for a Certificate de selection du Québec, for a minimum period of three months.
- Be at least 18 years old and hold a valid passport.
The process also includes the applicant to undergo a medical exam and get police certificates as well. After the Quebec Government approves the application, it goes to the Federal Government for a security check and medical requirements under the Federal Mandate.
This program is for skilled workers who intend to stay only in Quebec and not in any other province of Canada. When it comes to immigration, the Province of Quebec enjoys a rather special agreement with the Government of Canada, where the applicants have to apply to the Province first and get its approval before getting the approval of the Federal government.
The applicant must first apply the Government of Quebec for the issuance of the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), and if the Province of Quebec issues the Certificat de sélection du Québec, the applicant can then apply for a Permanent Residency of Canada to the Federal Government of Canada through the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Government of Quebec assesses applications on the basis of a number of factors. These factors cumulatively account for 103 points if you are immigrating without a spouse and 120 points if you are immigrating with a spouse. The passing mark is 50 points and 59 points, respectively. If you receive the pass mark, you will get an invitation to immigrate to Quebec.
The score that evaluates the rank of the application has the following factors:
- Education
- Area of Training
- Validated Employment Offer
- Work Experience
- Age (Minimum age of 18 years is required to start the process)
- Language Proficiency
- Stay and Family in Quebec
- Spouse/Common-law partner Characteristics
- Presence of Accompanying Children
- Financial Self-Sufficiency
The process also includes the applicant to undergo a medical exam and get police certificates as well. After the Quebec Government approves the application, it goes to the Federal Government for a security check and medical requirements under the Federal Mandate.
The Rural and Nothern Immigration Pilot is a program that is designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to the smaller communities in Canada by creating a path to Permanent Residence for skilled foreign workers. The catch is that the immigrants have to work and live in one of the participating communities under this program.
In order to be eligible under this program, you have to fulfill the following requirements. You must:
- Have qualifying work experience or have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community;
- Meet or exceed the language requirements;
- Have a high school diploma or a postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree, or an ECA report from a designated organization or professional body;
- Be able to provide for yourself while you live in the community;
- Have an intention to live in the community; and
- Meet the specific requirements of the community that you are planning to live in.
Every community in the program has its own eligibility requirements, job search process, and an application process. The communities participating in this program include North Bay (Ontario), Sudbury (Ontario), Timmins (Ontario), Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario), Thunder Bay (Ontario), Brandon (Manitoba), Altona/Rhineland (Manitoba), Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan), Claresholm (Alberta), Vernon (British Columbia), and West Kootenay (British Columbia).
The communities will assess the prospective candidates on the basis of the best fit into the economic needs of the community. They will check whether there is a genuine employment opportunity for the candidate that will in turn meet the requirements of the community. If so, the community will recommend the candidates for Permanent Residence to the IRCC.
