Useful And Essential Facts About Immigration To Canada

By Carol Gibson


Taking a look at the demographic history of Canada, the country has been admitting more and more immigrants across its borders. Canada has struggled with having a low population despite being the biggest country in all of the Americas. Its current population is only about 10 percent that of the US. As such, the government is committed to boosting the population, with the main goal of achieving higher productivity in the long term. Here are facts regarding immigration to Canada.

The government has several programs in place that promote the admission of immigrants from various countries. All the programs require one to go through several steps in order to be able to be approved to migrate into the country. The process of being approved also takes a long time. In most cases, it takes several months, but it can take up to a few years for one to be approved.

Chances of one being approved faster are higher if they know the options available to them. Understanding how the process is done can also prevent frustrations, pitfalls, and delays. For a non-Canadian to become a Canadian citizen, they have to pursue one of the five available options which are presented as programs. These options are family class sponsorships, Canadian investor immigration, express entry program, provincial nominee programs (PNP), and LMIA work visa.

Under the express entry program, people are allowed to migrate into the country so that they can live as skilled workers. People who are skilled or possess the required qualifications are assessed, recruited, and selected through a sophisticated system. There are three programs under the federal economic immigration programs. These are CEC, FSWP, and FSTP. The aim of these programs is to meet labor market demands.

Family reunification is very important and is at the center of Canadian immigration policy. As such, it is possible for individuals residing in Canada to sponsor their families residing in other nations to get permanent residency and Canadian citizenship. In order for one to sponsor a Canadian citizen, they must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident themselves.

However, only spouses and children can be sponsored to gain permanent citizenship. The law only permits children below 22 years to be sponsored. However, there are some exceptions that can be considered regarding the age of children. Currently, parents and grandparents cannot be sponsored to become Canadian citizens. The super visa category can however be used if one wants to have their parents and/or grandparents move to Canada.

Many people who apply to Canadian immigration start by getting a Canadian job offer. They then apply for a work visa. The work visa gives them the basis to move to Canadian cities. With the LMIA work visa program, one must secure a Canadian job offer first. The Canadian employer is the one that applies for an LMIA. If the LMIA is approved, the applicant can then apply for a work permit.

The PNP route to becoming a Canadian citizen is increasing in its popularity a lot. Many provinces in Canada such as Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia have developed their own programs for admitting immigrants into the country. These programs require applicants to live in the province through whose program they entered the country first.




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