I am a bit confused when it comes to the immigration laws of Quebec, particularly when it comes to speaking French. In the quiz it says you aren’t able to immigrate if not fluent in French, however under the more information tab, it says you are not required to speak French before moving to Quebec. Are the qualifications different for that of a residence permit and work permit? Do both require working proficiency in French?
I bought your book on amazon and it was really helpful for the move.
I just wanted to mention that the B4 form to declare goods is not required for declaring household items or personal items. Only for specific artifacts that are mentioned in the CIC website.
Thanks 🙂
Hi there! First let me say your site has been such a blessing, thank you for compiling all of this great information and breaking it down so it is easy to understand. Your checklists have been my bible!
I am in the process of moving to Canada to be with my boyfriend of 4 years who is a Canadian citizen. I can’t seem to figure out the best avenue to go. I am 36, a business owner/self employed, but also have 14 years of professional experience in a skill level B. I am qualified to apply via Express Entry but without a job offer I have a score of 408 which is just under the average score for ITA. When I explored coming under self-employment it says processing time is about 62 months! Yikes! I am open to going to school if that would help me get into the country and bump up my score.
Do you know if you can apply for Permanent Residency in more than one way? Or do you know if are you able to change your application, i.e. if I put myself in the pool for Express Entry and later decide to go for a student visa is that possible? Also if I come to Canada as a visitor and live with my boyfriend for one year, would we qualify as common law partners?
As you can tell I’m totally confused. Any help is most appreciated, thanks so much for your time!
At each draw, the IRCC invites candidates to apply based on differing criteria. Over the past year, sometimes those invited have had scores much lower than 408. You can check the previous rounds and the minimum scores here. You don’t actually apply for Express Entry under a specific program. Instead, you subnmit your interest to the IRCC and then, after reviewing your background, they will invite you to apply (ITA) under a specific program. Check your eligibility here.
I’m curious why you don’t get married, as those immigration applications are processed in under a year and you can usually apply for a visa to live and work in Canada with your spouse while you wait for your PR to process.
My wife and I are currently applying/interviewing for jobs with a government agency in Vancouver. We have graduate degrees in city planning and civil engineering, respectively. We are aged 56 and 49. Our goal is to work in Canada for 5-10 years and then retire there. After reading all the info on your informative site, it appears (due to our age) we would be wise to delay applying for permanent residency until we (or one of us) are actually hired under a work visa/permit and have a couple of years of Canadian work experience under our belt. Do you agree? Given our ages, is there any advantage in applying for PR before we have job offers? Thanks!
The IRCC offers a brief quiz to determine if you would be eligible to apply for immigration. Since Express Entry is primarily geared towards young professionals, you likely wouldn’t qualify for Express Entry without an offer of employment. You will receive an additional 200 CSR points if you have arranged employment for a job in the NOC 00 category (or just 50 points for an offer in the NOC 0, A or B categories).
I have a short term project in onterio Canada I was asked about 3-5 weeks tops. I wanted to send 2 of my best guys over to cover the job but sure if they need a work visa. This project is on school buses by the way. Just seeing if it’s even a possibility right now.
thanks so much for such helpful articles! It gives me hope! Ive been wanting to immigrate from australia for mannnnnny years now!Im 36 with a certificate 3 in business administration, 10 years employed full time in superannuation administration( not sure what NOC code this would be), fluent in english, no spouse or dependents or convictions and want to immigrate and work in Edmonton, I have 2 very close friends who live there – one permanent resident and one canadian citizen. Would this improve my chances? Im thinking of even taking up french to boost my number of points! Im not sure which program to apply under, express entry looks to be for management positions or people with university degrees 🙁
oh I should add, the business admin certificate which is only 9 weeks i start this next month. Im weighing up my options, maybe im more eligible to study in canada. I dont know if this course would be recognised there so maybe its better to study it in canada instead so I dont end up doing 2 of the same course and wasting my money. Are certificates or diplomas enough to get a student visa or are they wanting a degree?? Im confused as to what visa to apply for as express entry doesnt seem like im eligible and I was going to do a certificate here to improve my chances. Any advice would be much appreciated thankyou!
ohh its only 9 weeks to do here in australia as its an advanced course.if i study in canada I think it would take a bit longer. Can you study any course in canada and get the student visa or does it have to be a bachelor degree? Im only interested in a certificate 3 qualification in business administration/ or certificate 4 in health administration and then hopefully finding work there
Hi. Hope you have time to answer my queries. I have been on the points calculator that you linked to above and I scored 309.
My job (estimator) is on the Canada skills shortage list.
I am 47 almost.
I have an aunty & uncle who are citizens of Canada.
I’m from the UK.
I have some entries on my criminal record – growing small amount of cannabis. Assault when much younger (20’s) Posession of drugs (again in my 20’s).
Do you think I have any chance of being accepted?? Or maybe I should just apply for a work permit instead of the express entry. Can you advise me please.
What about retiring to Canada? My great-grandfather was an RCMP, but I’m not counting on my distant Canadian relatives who are still residents. We can support ourselves in retirement.
I realize there are many different situations and your excellent “Can you move to Canada” can’t cover all. Our, my wife and I, situation is that we are US citizens, retired, not looking for work, but have assets that would allow us to purchase a home in Victoria. We have income from US Social Security and Military retirement that should be sufficient for us to live in Victoria. Understanding that those incomes could be eliminated by a stroke of the pens in Washington D.C. Should that be the case we have significant IRA assets that would also provide. Understanding that life, no matter what your age, can change for the worst, medically, and destroy any and all assets one has.
We are also exploring the possibility that my wife can obtain British citizenship, her father was a British citizen married to a US citizen residing in the US. That of course has to be submitted to British authorities, through a British solicitor of course. My understanding is that having British citizenship would allow her to live in Canada.
This is all getting a little long so if you would be so kind to address the details in my first paragraph I would be much appreciated.
Thanks! Unfortunately, there isn’t really way to retire to Canada if you are no longer in the workforce, don’t want to start a business, or don’t have direct decedents that already immigrated there. Immigration programs focus on reuniting families or growing the economy through bringing in young professionals or entrepreneurs that would create new jobs. There are other countries that make it easier to retire to that may be worth looking into.
There is no pathway to Canadian residency as a British citizen, though that was a possibility until the 1970s.
Thank you Casey. Looks like retired persons have little options, none of those fit us.
The British citizenship may require more research on my part. There is some indication that since both the UK and Canada are members of The Commonwealth of Nations that right of abode be apply to a British citizen living in Canada. It’s quite clear that that person’s British Citizenship is unchanged.
While there used to be free movement between Commonwealth nations, that stopped being the case in 1972 with the passage of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1971. British (and American) citizens can stay in Canada without a visa for up to 6 months, but would not be eligible to work or to remain after 6 months without requesting an extension to their visitors visa. Similarly, Canadian citizens cannot cannot move to the UK or any other commonwealth nation without applying for a visa or specific immigration program.
On a more personal note, a friend of ours is a UK citizen and is currently applying for permanent residency through the CEC program because she has no right to live in Canada as a UK citizen once her current visa expires.
I’m a young American looking to immigrate to Canada. I took the IELTS exam and passed with a score of 8.5. Had my undergraduate degree in English assessed. I’ve been working in a healthcare office for a year full time, been working in a library part-time for a library, then I was a part-time technical writer for 3 years. I don’t want to go into health care – I took the health care job for money and to add full time to my resume. With all of my experience and test score, I only scored 438. I meet the minimum for express entry. I need to get a job and I have found it difficult so far. I have an English degree with a concentration in writing. Am I hopeless? I do have friends in Toronto and mom has business contacts in Toronto as well (her company has branches in Canada). I just reached out to the one to follow up and I am so nervous. I just hope I am needed somewhere.
If you’re under 35 with an advanced degree and a few years of working full time in a qualifying NOC job, then you’ll probably get invited to apply. You gain the most CRS points if you’re under 30 and zero points after 44. Unofficially, the older you are over 30, the more academic degrees you’ll want to have in order to make up for the lost points.
I’m 27 with a bachelor’s in English with a year of full time experience under my belt. Most of my experience is part time, I’ve been with my library job for 10 years. My score right now is 438.
Hello,
I am living separately from my spouse and don’t have any document supporting our separation. I have 2 kids under 13. I’m a financial auditor with over 5years experience and I’m 34 years old living in Africa. Do I stand a chance migrating to Canada.
So long as you are legally married, your spouse would need to be included on your application and identified that they would be non-accompanying. Your spouse would need to pass background and medical tests, even if they would not immigrate with you. With a family of 4, you would need to provide proof of funds of at least $22,603, even if your spouse would not accompany you.
You have a ton of good information here, so thanks for putting it together! I’m still a little unsure, though about the order of operations for my situation. I’m a US citizen, professional with a Masters degree, slightly over 35, who just wants to work in Canada for a year or two. Do I understand correctly that I need a job offer (and the accompanying LMIA document from employer) before I can submit a work permit application? That’s annoying because the job applications I’ve looked at ask,”Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?” I assume that answering No to that question automatically disqualifies me. Where am I supposed to start?
If you don’t want to immigrate, then getting a job offer is likely the best way to legally live in Canada for 1-2 years. Some jobs are exempt from needing the LMIA and some professions would allow you to enter Canada under NAFTA. If neither of those applies to you, then you’ll have to get a valid job offer, which may be difficult. You may have better luck reaching out directly to potential employers instead of submitting generic applications to show that you’re worth the effort and cost of getting the LMIA. If you work for a company that has an office in Canada, you may be able to transfer to the Canadian office.
This is very informative. The challenge i have is I am a foreign trained medical graduate and do not know how to qualify to relocate to Canada. Reason is that i know that with my present qualifications i wont be eligible to work in my profession in Canada until get licensed to . Does this reduce my cahnces of being able to move to Canada. Pls eenlighten me. Thanks I’d like to know because i am already in the process of starting an application
Immigration through Express Entry is not dependent on a job offer, so if you are invited to apply and your application is accepted then you won’t need to have employment lined up. Once you get permanent resident status then you’d be able to look for a job or attend further academic training.
My partner and I have been exploring a move to Canada and are ready to make it happen. There are barriers for us primarily age 60 and 62 and currently do not have employment in Canada. We are employed by a university as a psychologist and Director of Human Resources. We have consulted with a Canadian Immigration attorney so we understand that these barriers are real.However, we are problem solvers and want to understand if there are some creative solutions or strategies to employ that might enhance the likelihood of eventually obtaining permanent residence status. We appreciate any feedback you might offer.
BTW! My brother and sister in law live in Toronto and we visit regularly…great city. We’;ve been exploring. A move to Ottawa, though are open to other parts of Canada if that might increase are chance for residency.
Even with a job offer, you may face difficulties getting an invitation to apply through Express Entry since you’re both over the age of 47 (though you will get extra points for having relatives that live in Canada). However, there are other ways to immigrate if you’re able to invest in the Canadian economy.
My wife and I have both taken your test and found that we’d both probably be able to immigrate through the Federal Skilled Worker program. Do we both need to apply or just one of us? If just one, how do we know which one should apply?
Only one person in a couple needs to apply if you’re married or in a common-law relationship. Your ability to immigrate, once approved, will automatically include an invitation for your spouse and any dependents children included on your application. Whichever of you is more likely to get a higher score should be the primary applicant. Scores are based on education, work experience, language skills, and age. You’re best off using a third party calculation tool to figure out which of you would have the highest score.
I am a bit confused when it comes to the immigration laws of Quebec, particularly when it comes to speaking French. In the quiz it says you aren’t able to immigrate if not fluent in French, however under the more information tab, it says you are not required to speak French before moving to Quebec. Are the qualifications different for that of a residence permit and work permit? Do both require working proficiency in French?
The ability to communicate orally in French is a requirement for immigration to Quebec (with an advanced intermediate knowledge) as a skilled worker.
Hi!
I bought your book on amazon and it was really helpful for the move.
I just wanted to mention that the B4 form to declare goods is not required for declaring household items or personal items. Only for specific artifacts that are mentioned in the CIC website.
Thanks 🙂
Hi there! First let me say your site has been such a blessing, thank you for compiling all of this great information and breaking it down so it is easy to understand. Your checklists have been my bible!
I am in the process of moving to Canada to be with my boyfriend of 4 years who is a Canadian citizen. I can’t seem to figure out the best avenue to go. I am 36, a business owner/self employed, but also have 14 years of professional experience in a skill level B. I am qualified to apply via Express Entry but without a job offer I have a score of 408 which is just under the average score for ITA. When I explored coming under self-employment it says processing time is about 62 months! Yikes! I am open to going to school if that would help me get into the country and bump up my score.
Do you know if you can apply for Permanent Residency in more than one way? Or do you know if are you able to change your application, i.e. if I put myself in the pool for Express Entry and later decide to go for a student visa is that possible? Also if I come to Canada as a visitor and live with my boyfriend for one year, would we qualify as common law partners?
As you can tell I’m totally confused. Any help is most appreciated, thanks so much for your time!
At each draw, the IRCC invites candidates to apply based on differing criteria. Over the past year, sometimes those invited have had scores much lower than 408. You can check the previous rounds and the minimum scores here. You don’t actually apply for Express Entry under a specific program. Instead, you subnmit your interest to the IRCC and then, after reviewing your background, they will invite you to apply (ITA) under a specific program. Check your eligibility here.
You cannot legally live in Canada for a year without a visa. The length of time you can stay in Canada varies depending on your nationality. For example, a US citizen can only stay in Canada as a visitor for up to 6 months without a visa.
I’m curious why you don’t get married, as those immigration applications are processed in under a year and you can usually apply for a visa to live and work in Canada with your spouse while you wait for your PR to process.
My wife and I are currently applying/interviewing for jobs with a government agency in Vancouver. We have graduate degrees in city planning and civil engineering, respectively. We are aged 56 and 49. Our goal is to work in Canada for 5-10 years and then retire there. After reading all the info on your informative site, it appears (due to our age) we would be wise to delay applying for permanent residency until we (or one of us) are actually hired under a work visa/permit and have a couple of years of Canadian work experience under our belt. Do you agree? Given our ages, is there any advantage in applying for PR before we have job offers? Thanks!
The IRCC offers a brief quiz to determine if you would be eligible to apply for immigration. Since Express Entry is primarily geared towards young professionals, you likely wouldn’t qualify for Express Entry without an offer of employment. You will receive an additional 200 CSR points if you have arranged employment for a job in the NOC 00 category (or just 50 points for an offer in the NOC 0, A or B categories).
I have a short term project in onterio Canada I was asked about 3-5 weeks tops. I wanted to send 2 of my best guys over to cover the job but sure if they need a work visa. This project is on school buses by the way. Just seeing if it’s even a possibility right now.
You would have to see if your project qualifies under NAFTA. If you’re not sure how it works, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in this area. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/work/international/nafta.asp
thanks so much for such helpful articles! It gives me hope! Ive been wanting to immigrate from australia for mannnnnny years now!Im 36 with a certificate 3 in business administration, 10 years employed full time in superannuation administration( not sure what NOC code this would be), fluent in english, no spouse or dependents or convictions and want to immigrate and work in Edmonton, I have 2 very close friends who live there – one permanent resident and one canadian citizen. Would this improve my chances? Im thinking of even taking up french to boost my number of points! Im not sure which program to apply under, express entry looks to be for management positions or people with university degrees 🙁
oh I should add, the business admin certificate which is only 9 weeks i start this next month. Im weighing up my options, maybe im more eligible to study in canada. I dont know if this course would be recognised there so maybe its better to study it in canada instead so I dont end up doing 2 of the same course and wasting my money. Are certificates or diplomas enough to get a student visa or are they wanting a degree?? Im confused as to what visa to apply for as express entry doesnt seem like im eligible and I was going to do a certificate here to improve my chances. Any advice would be much appreciated thankyou!
You don’t need a student visa in order to do a program that’s less than 6 months. A 9 week course would be done under a tourist visa. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp
ohh its only 9 weeks to do here in australia as its an advanced course.if i study in canada I think it would take a bit longer. Can you study any course in canada and get the student visa or does it have to be a bachelor degree? Im only interested in a certificate 3 qualification in business administration/ or certificate 4 in health administration and then hopefully finding work there
Only programs offered by designated learning institutions (DLI) are eligible for student visas.
We made a quiz to help identify which immigration programs you might be eligible for. The IRCC also offers a brief quiz that evaluates your skills to see if you’d be eligible to apply to immigrate to Canada. Having friends in Canada does not increase your CSR points, but you will gain points for having 2+ years of professional work experience and being fluent in English will.
Hi. Hope you have time to answer my queries. I have been on the points calculator that you linked to above and I scored 309.
My job (estimator) is on the Canada skills shortage list.
I am 47 almost.
I have an aunty & uncle who are citizens of Canada.
I’m from the UK.
I have some entries on my criminal record – growing small amount of cannabis. Assault when much younger (20’s) Posession of drugs (again in my 20’s).
Do you think I have any chance of being accepted?? Or maybe I should just apply for a work permit instead of the express entry. Can you advise me please.
Thanks in advance
Dazza
Having a criminal conviction may make you inadmissible to Canada even as a temporary visitor on vacation. You may want to consult an immigration attorney.
The latest draw for Express Entry picked candidates with a CRS score of 413 in May 2017. You are unlikely to be invited if your score is significantly lower than that.
What about retiring to Canada? My great-grandfather was an RCMP, but I’m not counting on my distant Canadian relatives who are still residents. We can support ourselves in retirement.
Retiring to Canada isn’t so easy since most immigration programs focus on bringing younger professionals into the country. Read more here.
I realize there are many different situations and your excellent “Can you move to Canada” can’t cover all. Our, my wife and I, situation is that we are US citizens, retired, not looking for work, but have assets that would allow us to purchase a home in Victoria. We have income from US Social Security and Military retirement that should be sufficient for us to live in Victoria. Understanding that those incomes could be eliminated by a stroke of the pens in Washington D.C. Should that be the case we have significant IRA assets that would also provide. Understanding that life, no matter what your age, can change for the worst, medically, and destroy any and all assets one has.
We are also exploring the possibility that my wife can obtain British citizenship, her father was a British citizen married to a US citizen residing in the US. That of course has to be submitted to British authorities, through a British solicitor of course. My understanding is that having British citizenship would allow her to live in Canada.
This is all getting a little long so if you would be so kind to address the details in my first paragraph I would be much appreciated.
Thanks! Unfortunately, there isn’t really way to retire to Canada if you are no longer in the workforce, don’t want to start a business, or don’t have direct decedents that already immigrated there. Immigration programs focus on reuniting families or growing the economy through bringing in young professionals or entrepreneurs that would create new jobs. There are other countries that make it easier to retire to that may be worth looking into.
There is no pathway to Canadian residency as a British citizen, though that was a possibility until the 1970s.
Thank you Casey. Looks like retired persons have little options, none of those fit us.
The British citizenship may require more research on my part. There is some indication that since both the UK and Canada are members of The Commonwealth of Nations that right of abode be apply to a British citizen living in Canada. It’s quite clear that that person’s British Citizenship is unchanged.
Thanks again for your kind assistance.
While there used to be free movement between Commonwealth nations, that stopped being the case in 1972 with the passage of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1971. British (and American) citizens can stay in Canada without a visa for up to 6 months, but would not be eligible to work or to remain after 6 months without requesting an extension to their visitors visa. Similarly, Canadian citizens cannot cannot move to the UK or any other commonwealth nation without applying for a visa or specific immigration program.
On a more personal note, a friend of ours is a UK citizen and is currently applying for permanent residency through the CEC program because she has no right to live in Canada as a UK citizen once her current visa expires.
Hmmmm… I guess I will need a job in Toronto then. I also have other countries in mind too.
I’m a young American looking to immigrate to Canada. I took the IELTS exam and passed with a score of 8.5. Had my undergraduate degree in English assessed. I’ve been working in a healthcare office for a year full time, been working in a library part-time for a library, then I was a part-time technical writer for 3 years. I don’t want to go into health care – I took the health care job for money and to add full time to my resume. With all of my experience and test score, I only scored 438. I meet the minimum for express entry. I need to get a job and I have found it difficult so far. I have an English degree with a concentration in writing. Am I hopeless? I do have friends in Toronto and mom has business contacts in Toronto as well (her company has branches in Canada). I just reached out to the one to follow up and I am so nervous. I just hope I am needed somewhere.
I’ve been working part-time in the library for 10 years, just to clarify.
If you’re under 35 with an advanced degree and a few years of working full time in a qualifying NOC job, then you’ll probably get invited to apply. You gain the most CRS points if you’re under 30 and zero points after 44. Unofficially, the older you are over 30, the more academic degrees you’ll want to have in order to make up for the lost points.
I’m 27 with a bachelor’s in English with a year of full time experience under my belt. Most of my experience is part time, I’ve been with my library job for 10 years. My score right now is 438.
Also, the full time job I’ve been working does fall under the NOC. It’s a B class, as is my library job.
Generally, people with scores lower than 450 haven’t gotten an ITA. You’ll want to look at how to increase your CSR points.
Hello,
I am living separately from my spouse and don’t have any document supporting our separation. I have 2 kids under 13. I’m a financial auditor with over 5years experience and I’m 34 years old living in Africa. Do I stand a chance migrating to Canada.
So long as you are legally married, your spouse would need to be included on your application and identified that they would be non-accompanying. Your spouse would need to pass background and medical tests, even if they would not immigrate with you. With a family of 4, you would need to provide proof of funds of at least $22,603, even if your spouse would not accompany you.
You have a ton of good information here, so thanks for putting it together! I’m still a little unsure, though about the order of operations for my situation. I’m a US citizen, professional with a Masters degree, slightly over 35, who just wants to work in Canada for a year or two. Do I understand correctly that I need a job offer (and the accompanying LMIA document from employer) before I can submit a work permit application? That’s annoying because the job applications I’ve looked at ask,”Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?” I assume that answering No to that question automatically disqualifies me. Where am I supposed to start?
If you don’t want to immigrate, then getting a job offer is likely the best way to legally live in Canada for 1-2 years. Some jobs are exempt from needing the LMIA and some professions would allow you to enter Canada under NAFTA. If neither of those applies to you, then you’ll have to get a valid job offer, which may be difficult. You may have better luck reaching out directly to potential employers instead of submitting generic applications to show that you’re worth the effort and cost of getting the LMIA. If you work for a company that has an office in Canada, you may be able to transfer to the Canadian office.
This is very informative. The challenge i have is I am a foreign trained medical graduate and do not know how to qualify to relocate to Canada. Reason is that i know that with my present qualifications i wont be eligible to work in my profession in Canada until get licensed to . Does this reduce my cahnces of being able to move to Canada. Pls eenlighten me. Thanks I’d like to know because i am already in the process of starting an application
Immigration through Express Entry is not dependent on a job offer, so if you are invited to apply and your application is accepted then you won’t need to have employment lined up. Once you get permanent resident status then you’d be able to look for a job or attend further academic training.
Thanks ma’am.
My partner and I have been exploring a move to Canada and are ready to make it happen. There are barriers for us primarily age 60 and 62 and currently do not have employment in Canada. We are employed by a university as a psychologist and Director of Human Resources. We have consulted with a Canadian Immigration attorney so we understand that these barriers are real.However, we are problem solvers and want to understand if there are some creative solutions or strategies to employ that might enhance the likelihood of eventually obtaining permanent residence status. We appreciate any feedback you might offer.
BTW! My brother and sister in law live in Toronto and we visit regularly…great city. We’;ve been exploring. A move to Ottawa, though are open to other parts of Canada if that might increase are chance for residency.
Even with a job offer, you may face difficulties getting an invitation to apply through Express Entry since you’re both over the age of 47 (though you will get extra points for having relatives that live in Canada). However, there are other ways to immigrate if you’re able to invest in the Canadian economy.
My wife and I have both taken your test and found that we’d both probably be able to immigrate through the Federal Skilled Worker program. Do we both need to apply or just one of us? If just one, how do we know which one should apply?
Only one person in a couple needs to apply if you’re married or in a common-law relationship. Your ability to immigrate, once approved, will automatically include an invitation for your spouse and any dependents children included on your application. Whichever of you is more likely to get a higher score should be the primary applicant. Scores are based on education, work experience, language skills, and age. You’re best off using a third party calculation tool to figure out which of you would have the highest score.
This is so much more informative and easy to follow than the EE quiz on the CIC website. Thank you!
Wow, this is awesome.