There are two types of people who could provide immigration and citizenship assistance.
Authorized representatives are those that have the legal right to charge you a fee for offering immigration assistance. This includes:
Unauthorized/ Unpaid Representatives
This includes, third parties who can provide assistance, but cannot charge you a fee for doing so. Unpaid representatives could include:
Canada plans to extend and bring in roughly 565,000 immigrants through the Express Entry stream, with a target of 1,000,000 immigrants into the country by 2020.
The minimum points required to qualify for Canadian migration through the Express Entry Stream differs every year but remains on average around 420-450 points on the CRS point system. In the latest express entry draw, the minimum required to qualify was 456 points on the comprehensive ranking system (CRS).
There are several factors that are used to measure these points, including:
The processing times for visas vary, depending on:
The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is used to measure and test a person’s English language ability. The highest score a person can attain on this exam is a CLB 9. The minimum requirement to qualify for migration is CLB 7, which is equivalent to the following scores for each belt on the IELTS exam (Reading: 6, Writing: 6, Speaking:6, Listening :7)
Toronto
Toronto is a world-class city, known for its high standards of living. The average monthly expenses in Toronto per person would roughly be between $2500 - $3,500.
Housing/Rent: $1000-$2000
Groceries: $300
Transportation: $150-$250
Phone/Internet: $100 - $150
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 350- $400
Entertainment: $350
Miscellaneous: $150 - $250
Quebec
The average expenses per month are $2000 -$2,800
Rent/Housing: $650-$1400
Groceries: $180
Transportation: $160 - $200
Phone/Internet: $120
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 200 -300
Entertainment: $200
Miscellaneous: $100 - $150
British Columbia
The prices in British Columbia are relatively reasonable compared to other cities in Canada. An average monthly expense per person is $1500 - $2,500.
Rent/Housing: $600-C$1500
Groceries: $150
Transportation: $130 - $150
Entertainment: $150-$175
Phone/Internet: $75 - $100
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 150 -200
Miscellaneous: $100
Alberta
Alberta is popular among Asian migrants, as there are vast job opportunities available to immigrants through the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The most popular cities in Alberta are Calgary and Edmonton. The Average monthly expenses in Alberta are $1600 - $2500
Rent/Housing: $600-$1500
Groceries: $155 - $200
Transportation: $120
Entertainment: C $165 - $200
Phone/Internet: $75 - $100
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 150 -200
Miscellaneous: $100
New Brunswick
The average monthly expenses in New Brunswick are $1800 - $2,500
Rent/Housing: $700-$1400
Groceries: $165 - $200
Transportation: $100
Entertainment: $150
Phone/Internet: $90 - $120
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 100 - $150
Miscellaneous: $80
Nova Scotia
The average monthly expenses in Nova Scotia are $1500 - $3000.
Rent/Housing: $700-$1400
Groceries: $165 $ 200
Transportation: $100
Entertainment: $150 -$200
Phone/Internet: $100
Utility bills (Gas, Electricity, Water): $ 150
Miscellaneous: $100
Although Canada is regarded as a cold climate country, its landscape is quite diverse and Canadians experience four distinct seasons each year including, Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter. During summer, the temperatures can rise as high as 35 degrees Celsius and in winter temperatures are known to drop down to -30 degrees.
Spring
Canadians experience Spring from March to May. During this time, Cherry blossoms are in full bloom, tulips adorn the streets and turn Canada into a picturesque wonderland. The weather is also quite cool and pleasant across the country.
Summer
Summer falls from June to August each year. If you are in Quebec or in southern Ontario you may feel some humidity during this period. West Coast states like British Columbia, experience moderate conditions, with little humidity and cool evenings.
Autumn (fall)
From September to November, Canadian’s experience the crisp, cooler temperatures of Autumn, whilst being mesmerized by the spectacular transformation of trees, as their leaves turn golden red, orange and yellow. The fall foliage can best be experienced in Quebec, Ontario, or the Maritime provinces.
Winter
Winter in Canada is experienced during the months of December, January and February.
Winters are generally cold with periods of snow, although in Alberta, residents sometimes experience something called a “Chinook”, which is an occasional dry wind that blows over from the Rocky Mountains and melts the snow. Around Vancouver and Victoria (southwest British Columbia), Winters are milder and wet, with frequent rain and periods of snowfall.
If it is your first Canadian winter, be prepared to brave the cold with the appropriate gear so that you can keep warm during this period. (It is recommended that you adorn yourselves with a beanie/cap, scarf, gloves, boots, thermal underwear and a dense overcoat)
Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area, with the 10th-largest economy. It is highly developed and takes pride in being one of the most stable economies in the world. The sustained economic competitiveness of the country can be attributed to strong rule of law and a rock solid open-market system.
The GDP of Canada is $1.7 trillion, based on ‘Purchasing Power Parity’, with a highly impressive growth rate of 1.7%. The country has a prestigious place among global economies and is a member of important world groupings like NAFTA, APEC, G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
Top 15 Attributes of Canadian Economy
In Canada, Permanent residents and citizens can apply for health insurance from their territory or province. It is publicly funded as the costs are covered through taxation.
Depending on the province, new PR holders can claim health insurance coverage as soon as they get their PR status confirmed. However, in some provinces there is a waiting period of up to three months before they can claim the insurance. During this period, private health insurance is an to cover their needs. Depending on the work that you are engaged in, your employer may be able to provide health insurance coverage which could include dental, optical, physiotherapy, as well as cost of prescription drugs.
In Ontario, the health insurance scheme/plan is known as Ontario Health Insurance plan (OHIP) and covers dental surgery, optometry, ambulance services, abortions, doctor visits, podiatry and hospital stays. It could take up to three months for the OHIP to cover the health insurance costs.
In British Columbia, the health insurance scheme is referred to as Medical Services Plan (MSP). You will have to wait up to three months after your arrival date in British Columbia for the coverage to begin. The MSP plan covers dental and oral surgery, eye exams, x rays, and services provided by physicians and mid wives. It does not cover prescription drugs, regular eye exams, and certain dental services, which you may either need to pay for additionally or find a different coverage plan.
In Alberta, the healthcare insurance is known as the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). The healthcare coverage is available to PR holders from the day they arrive in the province, as long as all the necessary requirements are met.
In Quebec, residents need to register for health insurance with the Health Insurance Board of Quebec, known as the RAMQ. The waiting period is three months after arrival and registration for the health insurance coverage to come into effect. Temporary workers who are able to provide evidence of at least 6 months’ work are eligible to claim coverage. Residents are encouraged to apply for coverage as soon as they arrive in Quebec by registering in person; visiting the registration office and submitting a form along with relevant documentation.
Canada has a well-funded public education system which is managed provincially. The education is administered and run by the Federal Government of Canada, which ensures that the education is consistent throughout each of the Canadian States and provinces.
Both private and public education systems exist in Canada, with the government spending as much as 6% of its GDP on education subsidization, by funding a child’s education from Kindergarten up to post-secondary level of education.
The education system is broken down into three levels:
Except in Ontario and Quebec, where children begin studies at the age of four years, in all other states and provinces, education is available to children once they turn five. Attending Kindergarten is optional in some provinces and each province has their own requirements for how long children are required to be enrolled in school.
LMIA for Employers
Before employers can hire temporary foreign workers they first need to apply for and obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The job offer being advertised to the temporary foreign worker must be related to goods and services being provided by the business.
Required Documentation
Before advertising a job vacancy to a temporary foreign worker, the employer must first be able to prove that they made various attempts to hire Canadian PR holders or Citizens and failed. Thereby, being able to open the job advertisement to foreign workers.
From the large number of resumes received for the job vacancy, it is important that the employer keep notes and records of who they interviewed, why they are eligible or not eligible for the job, why an application was rejected etc, as this information would need to be submitted along with the LMIA application, including how many applications were received, and how many were interviewed.
If an employer is unable to find a PR holder or Citizen of Canada to fill the job vacancy, then then they can open the job offer to a foreign worker. This job offer would include a contract that is signed by both the employer and the foreign worker. The contract needs to include details such as, job position, salary, job responsibilities, number of working hours per week and the duration of employment.
Once employers have gathered all the required documentation, they would be able to submit their LMIA application. The application processing fee for filling each job position is $1,000.
The processing times for applications may vary, however some applications could be processed within 10 days if it falls under any of the following:
A valid job offer is:
A job offer must be given in writing, and needs to list out details of the offer, including:
A valid job offer needs to be supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The employer would need to apply for one before they can extend a job offer to you. Once they receive the LMIA, they would be required to provide you with a copy, together with the written job offer. *There are some instances where an employer is exempt from needing an LMIA to support the job offer.
Under the express entry system, if you are extended a valid job offer from an employer, you can score an additional 50 – 200 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System, depending on the skill level of the job you have applied for.
A job offer may not be considered valid if your employer is on the ineligible list of employers or from an Embassy, high commission or consulate.
Any person applying for permanent residency in Canada through the Express Entry Stream need to make the following payments together with their application lodgment.
Processing fee: $550
Right of Permanent Residence Fee: $490
Including Spouse/partner in the application: $1,040
Dependent Child (per child): $150
Relevant/ Skilled work experience needed to apply for permanent residency includes:
When submitting documentation for immigration or visa purposes, a requirement may be to provide ‘certified copies” of documents. Certified copy refers to the copy of an original document which has been signed or stamped by an authorized person.
Authorized persons who are legally allowed to certify documents include:
A certifier does not need to be personally known to you; however it cannot be a family member.
The certified document needs to include the following information from the certifier:
You are allowed to bring your family members with you to Canada if you have included them in your permanent residence visa as your “Dependents”. Family members who can be included are:
The following family members cannot accompany you to Canada:
Dependents included on your application cannot arrive in Canada before you. They should arrive either WITH you, or AFTER you arrive in Canada.
*You could be eligible to sponsor relatives after you have migrated to Canada if you meet the following minimum criteria:
-Meeting set income guidelines
-Provide evidence of your ability to financially sponsor the migrating relatives (From the day they become a permanent resident for up to 20 years) Unless the person whom you are sponsoring signs an agreement saying that they have the means to support themselves and any other dependents included with them.
You will not be eligible to sponsor relatives for Canadian Permanent Residence if:
In Canada, the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list is used to classify jobs based on:
The jobs can be classified under the following skill types:
Skill Type 0 – Management Jobs
Skill Level A: Professional jobs (generally requires a Degree/Master’s qualification)
Skill Level B: Technical jobs, which require a diploma, degree or trade qualification
Skill Level C: Intermediate jobs that require a high school degree or job-specific training
Skill Level D: Labor jobs which provide on-the-job training:
For purposes of immigration, the NOC is used to decide if the person has the relevant eligibility criteria to qualify for migration.
Skilled jobs are those that have a NOC skill type 0, A or B. The eligibility is measured against the 2016 NOC code.
For Permanent Residence under Express Entry migration, the job needs to be listed under skill type A, B or 0, if you want to qualify under the following programs:
For the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, a person could qualify under Skill type A, B, C or 0.
If a job falls into Skill Level C or D, an applicant could come to Canada under the following programs:
OR
An applicant could come to Canada and work for a period of 2 years, if their skill level falls into skill level C or D and qualify under Temporary Residence status. They may be able to change their migration status to “Permanent” at a later stage, providing that they meet the eligibility criteria.
FULL National Occupational Classification LIST (NOC) can be found at: http://noc.esdc.gc.ca/English/NOC/QuickSearch.aspx?ver=16&val65=*
The minimum eligibility requirements to qualify for skilled migration to Canada include:
To qualify for Canadian Citizenship, you would be required to meet certain eligibility criteria, including:
*If you are between 18-54 years, then you would need to show proof demonstrating your ability to speak these languages – this could include a diploma, certificate or transcript
*If you have recently been/are in prison, on parole, probation and have been charged or convicted of a crime, or under a deportation order, then you would not be applicable for citizenship.
If you have worked for the Canadian armed forces, then the citizenship process can be fast-tracked.
If you are a spouse of a Canadian citizen, you would not automatically get citizenship, you would be required to meet the same eligibility requirements as everyone else.
Character assessment – Police certificate
When applying for permanent residency in Canada, the immigration department would ask you to submit a police certificate to determine if you have a criminal record or pose a security risk to the country.
Medical examination
You would additionally need to take a medical examination if you are applying for permanent residency. All family members would also need to take a medical exam, regardless of whether they are accompanying you to Canada.
You would need to set an appointment with a list of approved panel physicians as listed by the Canadian department of immigration.
You would be required to do a full medical examination which would include chest x-rays and laboratory tests. Once the exam is complete, the results would be mailed directly to the immigration department by the physician.
If there are any problems with the medical exam, the department will contact you in writing.
* Once you have submitted your PR application, the immigration department will contact you with instructions. Once received, you must complete the medical exam within 30 days of receiving the instructions. You should wait to be contacted by the department, before you arrange a medical examination.
When you go for your appointment you should take the following items with you:
*The medical test is valid for 12 months. If you do not enter Canada as a permanent resident during this time, then you may be asked to do another exam.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized English language proficiency exam that has been designed to test the English Proficiency of International students and migrants who wish to study, live and work in an English-speaking country/ environment. IELTS in managed by reputed International Organizations including the British Council, IDP, IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESQL Examination.
READ MOREThe PTE exam is a computer based English language test which helps migrants and international students in non-native English speaking countries to gain the required English proficiency required to study or work overseas. It tests individuals on four components, including Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
READ MORECanada Express Entry Draw; June 2019
The latest Canada Express Entry draw was held on 12 June 2019, with 3,350 invitations issued. The lowest qualifying score on the comprehensive ranking system (CRS) was 465 points. The next draw is expected to have a similar minimum CRS score. The previous draw had a minimum cut off point of 470.
QUEBEC issues first Skilled Worker invitations under ARRIMA profile
The latest Canada Express Entry draw was held on 12 June 2019, with 3,350 invitations issued. The lowest qualifying score on the comprehensive ranking system (CRS) was 465 points. The next draw is expected to have a similar minimum CRS score. The previous draw had a minimum cut off point of 470.
Canada is IN-DEMAND for overseas skilled workers!
Canada’s rapidly ageing population has left the country with the challenge of sourcing qualified, skilled workers to fill the increasing demand for skilled occupations. The Federal Government's solution has been to grow immigration levels over the next several years, and bring in qualified, overseas skilled workers through Canada's Express Entry Stream, and Provincial Nominee Programs.
