Moving abroad to a country such as Canada has become quite the immigrant’s dream. This is because once you have the PR of Canada, you are open to benefiting from a plethora of opportunities from health and education to housing and jobs. In this article, we will talk about why one should study in Canada and how to go about getting Canadian PR.
Why study in Canada?
Globally, Canada is easily counted as one of those countries that have the highest standards of education and therefore going there is the optimal choice to make when one decides to study abroad. Right from primary school to university education, Canadian education is of high quality and imparted by a diverse and well-equipped set of instructors. Moreover, they have a lot of emphasis on research and development, so it works out well if you wish to pursue higher education such as PhDs. If you wish to find affordable education, you can apply for a number of Canadian scholarships that will enable you to secure admission into the top-ranking schools globally.
Culturally, Canada is very diverse. People from all over the world come and live here, and it is hence easy to assimilate into. It is also safe and peaceful- in the 2018 Global Peace Index, it ranked as the sixth safest country to be living in.
International students can also work for a certain number of hours in Canada i.e. for up to 20 hours each week. No additional work permits are required as study permits are considered sufficient for employment. Campus life too is vibrant and lively, with various events and festivals taking place all the time. PR in Canada can then be focused upon once your studies come to an end.
Types of PR programmes in Canada
The question hence arises- how to get PR in Canada? In order to do so, we shall look at the various types of PR programmes available:
- The Post Graduation Work Permit Program (PWPP) allows students to stay in Canada and work for up to 3 years after graduation. This can pave the way for applying for permanent residency in Canada later on.
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program. Since 2015, candidates are selected for this via their application through the Express Entry system. Candidates are not required to have Canadian work experience but must meet the minimum number of points based on the number of years worked, education, language skills and ability. People with the best Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores will then be eligible for immigration.
- The Federal Skilled Trades Class. This is a new program for people who want to gain Canadian residence due to their expertise in a skilled trade. The assessment of the applications is based on how economically established a person can become in Canada.
- Quebec Skilled Worker Visa. In order to get this, applicants go for the Regular Skilled Worker Program and are selected according to the selection grid of factors. Applicants should read, write and speak French.
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. The four provinces- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island- banded together for this program. Employers give jobs to qualified candidates, who then settle into the particular community.
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. These are also responsible for settling people into particular communities, albeit rural.
- Family Class. This is for those who want to sponsor someone from their family to migrate to Quebec, with a specific emphasis on unity and family values.
- Business Investor. Foreign nationals who want to use their business experience to migrate to Canada can avail this option. An individual can be an immigrant investor- someone who has come from another country but has the requisite capital, a federal entrepreneur- somebody at the national level who wants to set up his own business, a self-employed person – someone who has his own work or company and does not report to a boss or corporate, or have his own start-up or be a technopreneur, in order to be eligible for this.
Other Canadian immigration programs are elaborated upon on the official immigration website.
Courses For Permanent Residency In Canada
These include:
MBA
This will open up a plethora of jobs in business management such as Marketing, Finance, Accounting and Consultancy.
MSc in Computer Science/IT
This will enable you to be a leading tech professional in Canada.
Masters in Data Science
You will learn how to extract meaningful insights from unstructured information.
Masters in Business of Finance
You can easily take up jobs in the banking and insurance industry.
Masters in Engineering Management and Core Engineering
Civil and mechanical engineers are some jobs that you can take up once you complete these.
Masters in Medicine, BioScience and HealthCare
This will open up jobs in nursing, the pharmaceutical sector, biotechnology and other sciences.
Journalism and Media Communications
Ecommerce, public relations, advertising and marketing are some fields that you can take up after graduating.
PR Benefits Courses
To avail of PR benefits, students have to go through some listed PR courses, some of which are the following:
Canadian Experience Class
This program began in 2008 and is part of the Express Entry system. This is a fast-track course for those who have Canadian experience and want to go for immigration. To be eligible for this, you have to:
- Clear a test for English reading, writing, speaking and listening. Such tests as the IELTS are valid for up to two years and should be within the date range on the day of submission.
- Have studied in a post-secondary school on a full-time basis for two years
- Have at least a year of experience in a full-time skilled position in the last three years
- Gained work experience in Canada while being a temporary resident with authorization to work.
Quebec Experience Class
You may be eligible for this if you are a foreign student who has graduated from Quebec or are a temporary foreign worker. The general conditions for both are:
- Intention to settle in Quebec for a job
- Be older than 18 years
- Be financially independent
- Be in Quebec at the time of filing the application
- Have respected the conditions of your stay
- Have the desired level of fluency with oral French
Provincial Nomination Program
The different provinces in Canada sponsor people with particular skill sets or fitting certain job descriptions. Each territory in Canada has its own stream i.e. immigration programs focused on a particular group of people. They then solicit applications accordingly and hence aid you in the Canada PR requirement. All decisions are made by the federal government, which then appoints the different provinces as nominees. Therefore, the decision process is always two-pronged- people get accepted on the provincial level first and then by the federal government.
PNPs are a popular option because they can be one of the easiest ways to secure Canadian permanent residence.
There are therefore many routes to getting Canadian PR. Innumerable visa types exist, and there is a large variety of courses that one can undertake in order to get a foot into the door of Canadian immigration. This way we can assure you that there is no one sure-shot way- one can leverage their various advantages, skills and strengths in order to embark upon this journey and secure their goal of getting into Canada permanently.
