Economic
Immigration to Canada
Canada Needs Skilled Workers
Canadian economic immigration programs (federal and provincial) are designed by the government of Canada to attract or retain educated and experienced skilled workers and professionals, self-employed immigrants, caregivers, tradesmen and lower-skilled workers employed by the vital industries in Canada.
Economic immigration programs play an important role in the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy. Canada is expected to accept a total of up to 662,000 permanent residents through the economic immigration categories each year for the next 3 years
Express Entry Categories
Express Entry is an on-line system administered by the Canadian government to facilitate faster processing of applications for permanent residence from skilled workers. 80% of the permanent residence applications submitted through the Express Entry system are processed within six months or less, according to the government-established processing standards. Express Entry is a point-based system that assigns points to candidates based on their personal factors: age, education, language skills (English and/or French), skilled work experience (foreign and/or Canadian), factors of accompanying spouse (education, language abilities and Canadian work experience) and applicant’s connections to Canada (Canadian education, Canadian work experience, a job offer from a Canadian employer, Canadian siblings and a Provincial Nomination.
The applicants are scored against a 1,200 point scale and, upon meeting the minimum requirements for each individual category (defined below), are entered into a pool of Express Entry candidates. The government of Canada conducts periodic Express Entry draws from the pool where the highest-scoring candidates in different categories are invited to apply for permanent residence.
Non-Express Entry Categories
Applications in these categories are prepared and submitted on paper and are processed outside of the Express Entry system.
Federal Skilled Workers
Minimum Requirements:
- One year of full time paid, continuous, skilled work experience accumulated in the last 10 years;
- English or French language skills equivalent to level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark;
- Secondary (High-School) level of education;
Selection Factors
Applicant has to score at least 67 points out of possible 100. The points are assigned in the following categories:
- Language skills points – maximum 28 points;
- Education points – maximum 25 points;
- Work experience points – maximum 15 points;
- Age points – maximum 12 points;
- Arranged employment in Canada points – maximum 10 points;
- Adaptability points – maximum 10 points;
Other requirements:
- Must plan to live outside of the province of Quebec;
- Have enough money for the applicant and family to settle in Canada (unless you’re currently working in Canada or have a valid job offer);
- Be admissible to Canada.
Canadian Experience Class
Minimum Requirements:
- One year of full time (or equivalent part time), skilled, legally obtained work experience in Canada accumulated in the last 3 years;
- Language Ability (English or French):
– Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for National Occupation Classification (NOC)
Skill Level 0 or A jobs or
– Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for NOC B jobs.
Other requirements:
- Be admissible to Canada.
Provincial Nominees – Express Entry Stream:
Minimum Requirements:
- Be eligible (by meeting the minimum requirements) for one of the Federal Economic Immigration Programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker;
- Canadian Experience Class;
- Federal Skilled Trades.
- Create and Submit and Express Entry Profile;
- Apply for a provincial nomination from a province or territory. (For further details please see Provincial Nominees – Paper-Based Categories);
- Receive a nomination for permanent residence from a Canadian province or territory under a provincial Express Entry stream. The nomination will be automatically posted into the applicant’s Express Entry Profile;
- Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence from the federal government through an Express Entry draw and submit an application for permanent residence.
Federal Skilled Trades (such as welders, electricians, machinists, cooks, carpenters, mechanics and plumbers):
Minimum Requirements:
- At least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before the application;
- Language Ability (English or French): meet the minimum score of the Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for speaking and listening and the Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for reading and writing;
- Meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification;
- Have a :
- Valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or
- Certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
Other requirements:
- Must plan to live outside of the province of Quebec;
- Have enough money for the applicant and family to settle in Canada (unless you’re currently working in Canada or have a valid job offer);
- Be admissible to Canada.
Non-Express Entry Categories
applications in these categories are prepared and submitted on paper and are processed outside of the Express Entry system.
Self-Employed Persons:
Minimum Requirements:
- Have at least 2 years of Relevant Experience in the last 5 years before applying:
- Applicant has taken part in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level or been a self-employed person in cultural activities or athletics;
- for cultural activities:
- 2 one-year periods being self-employed in cultural activities, or
- 2 one-year periods participating at a world-class level in cultural activities, or
- a combination of a one-year period described in (a), and a one-year period described in (b)
- for athletics:
- 2 one-year periods being self-employed in athletics, or
- 2 one-year periods participating at a world class level in athletics, or
- a combination of a one-year period described in (a) above, and a one-year period described in (b) above
Selection Factors – the applicant has to score at least 35 points out of 100, points are assigned in the following categories:
- Language skills points – maximum 24 points
- Education points – maximum 25 points
- Work experience points – maximum 35 points
- Age points – maximum 10 points
- Adaptability points – maximum 6 points
Other requirements:
- Must be willing and able to be self-employed in Canada;
- Must plan to live outside of the province of Quebec;
- Have enough money for the applicant and family to settle in Canada (unless you’re currently working in Canada or have a valid job offer);
- Be admissible to Canada.
Provincial Nominees - Paper-Based Categories:
Canadian federal government has entered into bilateral agreements with provinces and territories (except for Quebec and Nunavut) to allow them to nominate individuals for permanent residence based on their ability to contribute to the economic growth and development of those provinces. Each provincial nominee program has its own set of requirements and qualifications used to select immigrants that will be economically beneficial to the nominating provinces and territories. Provincial nominees are divided into the following groups:
- Students
- Business people (Entrepreneurs)
- Skilled workers
- Semi-skilled workers
Provincial Nominee Process:
- Applicants have to meet the requirements of the provincial nominee program of the province or territory where they reside or intent to reside;
Alberta – https://www.alberta.ca/ainp.aspx
British Columbia – https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/B-C-Provincial-Nominee-Program
Manitoba – http://www.immigratemanitoba.com/immigrate-to-manitoba/general-mpnp-policies/
New Brunswick – http://www.welcomenb.ca/content/wel-bien/en/immigrating/content/HowToImmigrate/NBProvincialNomineeProgram.html
Newfoundland and Labrador – https://www.gov.nl.ca/immigration/immigrating-to-newfoundland-and-labrador/provincial-nominee-program/overview/
Northwest Territories – http://www.immigratenwt.ca/
Nova Scotia – https://novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/
Ontario – http://www.ontario.ca/oinp
Prince Edward Island – https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/office-immigration
Saskatchewan – https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/moving-to-saskatchewan/immigrating-to-saskatchewan/saskatchewan-immigrant-nominee-program/apply-to-the-sinp
Yukon – http://www.education.gov.yk.ca/employers/ynp.html - The applicants have to either enter a pool of provincial nominee candidates and receive an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination OR
- Submit an application for a provincial nomination to the provincial/territorial government;
- If the application is approved, the applicant receives a Provincial Nomination for permanent residence;
- The applicant then submits a paper-based application to the federal government as Provincial Nominee.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot:
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (“pilot” means that this is a temporary immigration program) helps employers in Atlantic Canada hire foreign skilled workers who want to immigrate to Atlantic Canada and international graduates who want to stay in Atlantic Canada after they graduate. The participating provinces are New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
There are 3 streams under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot:
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
- Atlantic High-skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program
Those eligible to apply are foreign nationals who have the ability to become economically established in Atlantic Canada, intend to reside in a participating province in the Atlantic region and meet all of the following pass or fail criteria:
- Receive a Provincial endorsement letter;
- Meet the minimum education requirements;
- Meet the minimum language proficiency requirements;
- Have a minimum work experience in a qualifying occupation within the 3 years before the date of application including: the employment requirements relevant for the occupation identified in the job offer, as listed in the National Occupation Classification (NOC) description;
- Meet minimum job offer requirements.
Summary of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Requirements for each stream:
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot programs | |||
| Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program (AISP) | Atlantic High-skilled Program (AHSP) | Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP) | |
| Job Offer from a designated employer |
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| Skilled work experience |
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NA | |
| Education |
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| Language | Level 4 of the Canadian Language Benchmark in English or the Niveau de completence Linguistique Canadien in French | ||
| Provincial endorsement | Letter of endorsement | ||
Caregivers
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot:
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot are 5-year pilot programs (temporary programs) that allow qualified caregivers and their family members come to Canada with the goal of becoming permanent residents. If you’ve been offered a job in Canada as a caregiver or have experience working in Canada as a caregiver, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through one of these pilots.
Summary of Requirements for Permanent Residence as a Caregiver:
- Job offer from a Canadian employer (if you don’t already have 24 months of Qualified Work Experience):
- Full time – at least 30 hours per week;
- Outside of Quebec;
- Apply for a Caregiver Work Permit in order to accumulate the Qualifying Work Experience;
- Permanent Residence application will be on hold until Qualifying Work Experience is accumulated.
- Qualifying Work Experience of 24 months (obtained within the last 3 years):
- full time – at least 30 hours per week;
- In one of these occupations:
- Home Child Care Provider – NOC 4411(experience as a foster parent doesn’t count);
- Home Support Worker – NOC 4412 (experience as a housekeeper doesn’t count).
- Education:
- At least one year of post-secondary in Canada;
- Or Education Credential Assessment Report (such as WES) for foreign education of at least one year of post-secondary.
- Language Abilities in English or French:
- Canadian Language Benchmark of level 5 (out of 12 levels).
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program:
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (temporary program) is a community-driven program. It is designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller Canadian communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.
Participating communities: The pilot will launch in participating communities at different times. If a website is listed as “coming soon,” the pilot hasn’t launched in that community.
| Community | Community website |
| North Bay, ON | Coming soon |
| Sudbury, ON | www.investsudbury.ca |
| Timmins, ON | www.timminsedc.com |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON | www.welcometossm.com |
| Thunder Bay, ON | www.gotothunderbay.com |
| Brandon, MB | www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com |
| Altona/Rhineland, MB | www.seedrgpa.com |
| Moose Jaw, SK | Coming soon |
| Claresholm, AB | www.claresholm.ca |
| Vernon, BC | www.rnip-vernon.ca |
| West Kootenay, BC | www.wk-rnip.ca |
Requirements for Applicants:
- Work Experience: At least 1 (one) year of full – time work experience in 1 occupation in the last 3 years:
- Can be with different employers;
- Must meet the occupation requirements per the NOC code;
- Must be related to the job offer;
- Can be one NOC level above or below your job offer NOC;
- International Students in Canada who completed at 2 year post-secondary program or a Master’s Degree in a public school, full time, in the designated community (for at least 16 months in the last 24, or for length of Master’s program) – do not need any work experience;
- Language Abilities (English or French):
- Job offer in the NOC Levels 0 and A: CLB/NCLC 6
- Job offer in the NOC Level B: CLB/NCLC 5
- Job offer in the NOC Levels C and D: CLB/NCLC 4
- Education:
- Completion of at least secondary level program (High-School);
- Education Credential Assessment report needed to confirm foreign education;
- Settlement Funds:
- Must prove you have enough money to support yourself and any family members while you get settled in your community;
- Not needed if working legally in Canada.
- Job Offer From a Participating Community:
- Full time,
- Permanent,
- The wage must exceed Job Bank’s Minimum Wage,
- Your job offer must be at the same skill level, 1 level above or 1 level below the NOC that matches your work experience. Exception: NOC D job – work experience has to be in NOC D.
- Community Specific Requirements:
- Each community has their own specific additional requirements.
Agri-Food Pilot:
The Agri-Food Pilot (temporary immigration program) helps to address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector. The pilot provides a pathway to permanent residence for experienced, non-seasonal workers in specific industries and occupations. It will run until May 2023.
Eligible industries (classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)):
- meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116)
- greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)
- animal production, excluding aquaculture
- cattle ranching and farming (NAICS 1121)
- hog and pig farming (NAICS 1122)
- poultry and egg production (NAICS 1123)
- sheep and goat farming (NAICS 1124)
- other animal production (NAICS 1129)
Eligible occupations (classified by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code):
- For meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116), eligible jobs are
- NOC B 6331 – Retail butchers
- NOC C 9462 – Industrial butchers
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC D 9617 – Food processing labourers
- For greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114), eligible jobs are
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
- NOC D 8611 – Harvesting labourers
- For animal production, excluding aquaculture (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124 and 1129), eligible jobs are
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
Important! There are annual limits on the number of applications that will be processed for each eligible occupation.
Agri-Food Pilot Applicant Requirements:
- Work Experience:
- Must be Canadian work experience;
- At least 1 year of non-seasonal, full-time work (at least 1,560 hours in the past 3 years);
- In an eligible occupation within an eligible industry;
- Through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required to be obtained by the employer);
- A Labour Market Impact Assessment with a minimum of 12 months duration must have been submitted by your employer when hiring you.
- Job Offer:
- Must have a genuine job offer;
- In an eligible occupation within an eligible industry;
- Full-time;
- Non-seasonal;
- Your employment is permanent;
- Meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing wage for your job offer’s occupation in the province of employment (or at the national level if no provincial rate is available);
- In Canada but outside of Quebec.
- Language Abilities (English or French):
- CLB/NCLC Level 4 (out of 12 levels).
- Education:
- Completion of at least secondary level program (High-School);
- Education Credential Assessment report needed to confirm foreign education;
- Settlement Funds:
- Must prove you have enough money to support yourself and any family members while you get settled in your community;
- Don’t need if working legally in Canada.
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