How to Immigrate to Canada from India?

A Step-by-Step Guide to immigrating to Canada from India. Explore the comprehensive process of immigrating to Canada, including visa options, eligibility criteria, and essential steps.

Canada is now home to one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world. Over 120,000 Indians settle in Canada as permanent residents every year. The thriving economy of Canada provides opportunities for Indians in a variety of sectors like information and communication technology (ICT), health and other science and engineering related fields.

Canada is also labelled as a safe and politically stable country. They boast of globally recognized education system and highly developed healthcare system. In addition, Canada aims to welcome over 110,000 immigrants by 2024.

Canada is the world’s first country to introduce points system to select immigrants. Through this system, it evaluates candidate’s age, education, language skills, work experience, occupation and other factors. Canada uses the Express Entry application management system for three skilled worker programs.

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Benefits of Migrating to Canada

1. You have almost the same rights and obligations as Canadian citizens.
2. Migrating to Canada is the fastest legal way to become a Canadian resident.
3. You are eligible to live, work and study in any Canadian province or territory.
4. You can sponsor your family and relatives.
5. Canada has world class schools and universities and the fees is much lesser than the US. Your children are eligible for free education.
6. Canada has world class health care facilities.

Annual Salary in Canada

Canada provides a handsome remuneration to skilled labors. The table below shows the annual salary of various professions. (1 Canadian dollar = Rs 60)

Immigration Programs – How to Immigrate to Canada

There are various programs through which you can get PR in Canada from India, including Canada Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), Family Sponsorship, and Business Immigration. The eligibility requirements, application process, and processing times vary depending on the program or pathway chosen.

Express Entry Program – This is the quickest way to get permanent residency in Canada. However, one must be a highly skilled individual to get into this program. The pathway is points-based, and applicants will be scored on the basis of their experience, qualifications, education, and skills.

There are different types of programs that operate in the Express Entry such as:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Program
• Provincial Nominee Program

Quebec Selected Skilled Workers – This program is specifically for those who want to live in Quebec. To get this permit, you have to apply to the Government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate and follow their guidelines.

Self-Employment Visa – You have to provide evidence that you can be self-employed in Canada and have enough relevant work experience in cultural activities or athletics.

Start-Up Visa – You must have a qualifying business idea and a letter of support from a designated organization. You should also meet the language requirements, and your business must generate enough money to settle in Canada.

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Let us learn in detail about the more popular programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

The FSWP (Federal Skilled Worker Program) allows candidates with work experience and no connection to Canada or job offer to apply for permanent residence. Candidates can use their foreign work experience, education, language skills and other human capital factors to become economically established in Canada. Pursuing immigration through the FSWP is beneficial since you can gain permanent residence within six months, compared with longer processing times for Canada’s other skilled worker programs.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can pursue immigration to Canada through the FSWP:

Step 1: Find out if you meet the FSWP’s eligibility criteria.

Step 2: Submit your Express Entry profile onto the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Upon uploading Express Entry profiles, candidates from India receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on their human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, and official language ability among others.

Step 3: See if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Every two weeks, IRCC sends out invitations to apply for permanent residence to the highest scoring candidates in the pool.

Step 4: If you receive an ITA, you can go ahead and submit your completed permanent residence application to IRCC. You can then move to Canada after IRCC completes the processing of your application.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, candidates must meet the minimum requirements for work, language ability and education.

The minimum requirements are:

• One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation classified under the  National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3.;
• Validated language ability equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
• Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.
• Get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The program’s grid assesses candidates based on factors that include age, education, work experience, arranged employment, language ability, and adaptability.
• Meet the settlement funds criteria (if applicable). Candidates have to show they have a certain amount of savings to support themselves and their family financially upon arriving Canada.

If you are eligible for the FSWP, you may also be eligible for category-based Express Entry draws. Meeting the eligibility criteria of category-based draws provides you with additional opportunities to be invited for Canadian permanent residence.

FSWP Selection Factors

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is the other major option for Indian immigration candidates. Canada is a federal country with 10 provinces and three territories, the majority of which administer the PNP. Each province and territory has its own immigration programs that target certain groups and requirements. The program allows each province and territory, with its own population and economy, to design immigration pathways based on its economic and demographic needs.

Indian candidates may be able to apply to immigrate to Canada directly through a PNP, provided they meet eligibility criteria. They can apply using the non-Express Entry process, or through Express Entry. If they are nominated through an Express Entry-linked stream, they will receive an additional 600 CRS points. This means they are virtually guaranteed to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA) in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can pursue immigration to Canada through the PNP:

Step 1: Apply to the PNP in the province or territory where you want to settle. The selection process and conditions to get a Provincial Nominee Certificate may be different from one province to the next. Check their websites to find out what you need to do before you apply.

Step 2: The province or territory will assess if you will be able to meet their economic or labor market needs, and those of Canada.

Step 3: After the province or territory approves your application, your next step is to apply for permanent residence within the time period they set out. The province or territory will let you know whether you must apply through the Express Entry system or through regular application process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many immigrants does Canada welcome under FSWP every year?

Canada welcomes more than 110,000 permanent residents every year under Express Entry.

Is there an eligible occupation list?

There is no eligible occupations list as such. Applicants need to have at least one year of work experience in the past 10 years in an occupation classified under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) as skill level A or B or skill type 0.

Can I Get Canadian Dual Citizenship?

Yes, Canada permits dual citizenship. However, if your home country does not allow it, you must choose which nationality you want to keep.