Disclaimer: The information
given below was current and accurate at the time it was published; you
are advised that immigration policy is subject to change at any time.
Click on a question below to get the
answer.
What
is a Canadian Skilled Worker's Visa?
What
are the Advantages of obtaining a Canadian Skilled Worker's Visa?
What
rights does having Canadian Permanent Residency status confer?
How
long does it take to get Canadian Permanent Residency Status?
Who
may be included in the application for Permanent Residency?
What
supporting documents must I submit?
Do
I need to show I have some money available to support myself in Canada?
Will
my application benefit if I have a close relative living in Canada?
How
important is work experience?
Must
my work experience have been full-time and continuous?
What
if my education is not highly relevant to my work experience?
Does
work experience during post-secondary study count?
Must
I have an offer of employment from an employer in Canada to qualify?
Can
I apply if I don't yet have enough work experience to qualify?
What
are the fees for obtaining Canadian Permanent Residency?
What is a Canadian Skilled Worker's Visa? |
The Skilled Worker Visa for Canada is the most popular
way of applying for migration to Canada. The Canada Skilled Worker Visa
points selection system requires a pass mark of 67 out of 100 points
and is assessed on six main factors including age, education, work experience,
language ability and adaptability.
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What are the Advantages of obtaining a Canadian Skilled Worker's
Visa? |
The Canadian Skilled Worker Visa allows migration to
Canada as a Permanent Resident, without the need for an employer or
sponsor, to seek employment and apply for jobs following the exact same
process as a resident skilled worker. Canada is keen to have skilled
workers and this Canada migration points system is designed to encourage
Canadian immigration by skilled workers.
You are able to accept a job and join a new employer
without you and that employer needing to go through the work permit
process
The Canada Skilled Worker Visa gives you the right
to apply for Citizenship after 3 years, providing that you follow the
necessary requirements to apply, thus making this visa a very attractive
and popular method of Canadian immigration for skilled workers.
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What rights does having Canadian permanent residency status confer? |
Pursuant to the provisions of Canada's constitutional
laws, the holder of a Canadian permanent resident visa and his/her accompanying
dependants are permitted to permanently reside in Canada and earn a
livelihood in any one of the ten provinces or three territories within
Canada. In addition, individuals with Canadian permanent residence may
attend primary and secondary education institutions in the various provincially
administered public school systems, tuition exempt. Permanent residents
also qualify for provincially administered universal health care coverage.
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How long does it take to get Canadian Permanent Residency Status? |
Depending upon the time of year, the immigration office
in question and other factors, the processing time for an application
for permanent residence filed under the economic class can vary from
between 6 months and 40 months. This is the time generally needed to
demonstrate compliance under one of the applicable categories; a clean
bill of health for the applicant and accompanying dependants; sufficient
assets to successfully establish the family in Canada; and a confirmation
of no criminal inadmissibility’s for the applicant and the overage
accompanying dependants. (The immigration offices in New Delhi, Islamabad,
Singapore and Beijing currently attract the most applications and therefore
have the longest processing times).
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Who may be included in the application for Canadian Permanent Residency? |
The application for permanent residence generally includes
the applicant, spouse or common-law partner or conjugal partner 16 years
of age or older and any unmarried children under the age of 22 years.
Children over the age of 22 may in certain prescribed circumstances
be included as accompanying family members.
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What supporting documents will I need? |
Supporting documentation generally encompasses evidence
of employment, education, assets, civil status, and an absence of criminal
convictions. It is advisable to seek expert guidance or buy
a good handbook.
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Do I need to show I have some money available to support myself
in Canada? |
Skilled Worker applicants will generally be required
to prove that they have settlement funds sufficient for themselves and
any accompanying dependents. They are expected to be able to support
the landed family (the principal applicant and all accompanying dependents)
until employment is obtained.
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Will my application benefit if I have a close relative living in
Canada? |
Skilled Workers will receive bonus points if a close
relative is a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident and is over 19
years of age. The applicant is then referred to as an "assisted
relative". To qualify as a close relative, the Canadian citizen
or permanent resident must be the applicant's uncle, aunt, brother,
sister, parent, nephew or niece.
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How important is work experience? |
Work experience is a critical requirement for a Skilled
Worker immigrant. Applicants must be able to demonstrate at least one
year's work experience in an occupation appearing on the General Occupations
List. Applicants with arranged employment in Canada are exempt from
the work experience requirement.
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Must my work experience have been full-time and continuous? |
No. Part-time work experience is also acceptable. It
is assessed in proportion to a standard full-time working week. For
example, a part-time job held for 2 years in which you worked 20 hours
a week will be counted as 12 months work experience. Non-consecutive
work experience in jobs involving the same duties may also be counted,
if the work experience meets the minimum experience requirements when
added up.
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What if my education is not highly relevant to my work experience? |
Under the present selection criteria, work experience
is fully counted towards the assessment of an applicant's work experience.
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Does work experience during post-secondary study count? |
Yes, as long as the experience gained at that time
is consistent with the definition of an occupation appearing on the
General Occupations List, it can be counted in the assessment of work
experience.
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Must I have an offer of employment from an employer in Canada to
qualify? |
You are not required to obtain an offer of an employment
to qualify as a Skilled Worker.
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Can I apply if I don't yet have enough work experience to qualify? |
Applicants without 12 months work experience in an
"open" occupation (6 months if you are going to live in Quebec
or Manitoba) are required to have obtained an offer of employment from
an employer in Canada.
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What are the fees for obtaining Canadian Permanent Residency? |
When applying for Permanent Residency you must include
the appropriate non-refundable processing fees for yourself and any
persons who will be accompanying you. For people applying under the
Skilled Worker programme, the application Fee is currently $550 CAD
for each applicant as well as each family member of the principle
applicant who is 22 years of age or older. A Fee of $150 applies
to each family member under 22 years of age.
Further, a Right of Permanent Residency Fee of $975
CAD will be requested for each person who is 22 years of age or older
before visa's are issued.
The Processing fees mentioned in the first paragraph
must be sent together with the application for Permanent Residency.
Disclaimer: The information
given above was current and accurate at the time it was published; you
are advised that immigration policy is subject to change at any time.
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