Relocating to Canada: Every year, Canada welcomes tens of thousands of new residents. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) estimate that up to 500,000 new permanent residents from across the world will be welcomed to the country by 2025, up from 437,180 in 2022.
The time to educate yourself about the Canadian immigration system is now if you’re thinking about making Canada your new home. Although making the decision to relocate to Canada is thrilling, the actual relocation process involves extensive preparation.
Here are five things to keep in mind before starting the immigration process that will help make your transition easier.
- Decide on a goal.
The first stage in planning for a move to Canada should be settling on a specific reason for making the move. It will serve as a useful guide for your studies and choices.
If you want to further your education in Canada and acquire a graduate degree, for instance, you can focus on finding universities that meet your specific requirements.
- Examine Potential Settling Areas
Once you know why you want to go to Canada in the first place, you can start looking into specific cities and regions. Knowing your own requirements and preferences before moving to a new province or territory will help you choose the perfect place to settle down.
For instance, if you wish to live in a prominent Canadian city while pursuing a career in healthcare, you may look at healthcare education and employment opportunities in places like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver.
- Look into possible immigration routes
Many economic immigration routes allow foreigners to settle in Canada. Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program are the most popular options.
IRCC’s principal immigration route to Canada is called “Express Entry.” The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are the three immigration streams that Express Entry users may qualify for.
Except for Quebec and Nunavut, all provinces and territories in Canada run a scheme called the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Permanent residency is offered by the federal government to individuals who may help fill vacancies in the local employment market in each participating province or territory.
- Get your transcripts and diplomas evaluated.
In order to enter Canada legally as a permanent resident through certain economic classes, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is necessary. Those who possess degrees or certificates earned outside of Canada can have the equivalency appraised in accordance with Canadian criteria through an ECA.
You can get an ECA from a vendor like WES, World Education Services, that is approved by the IRCC. Outside of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, WES is one of only five organisations in Canada authorised by IRCC to issue ECAs. It is important to emphasise that WES does not assess professional or trade credentials.
Numerous advantages accrue to Express Entry and PNP applicants who obtain an ECA.
Express Entry and ECAs: Express Entry candidates seeking permanent residence in Canada must reach the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff score established by IRCC for each round of invitations in order to be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Candidates should take advantage of every opportunity to increase their CRS score. Getting an ECA is a good strategy to boost your score.
PNP and ECAs: Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program both allow applicants to choose their preferred province or territory of settlement in Canada. Provinces and territories can find potential residents through the Express Entry system and extend nomination offers to them. Given that an ECA might boost your CRS (as mentioned above), it might help a candidate get nominated for the PNP.
- Set up the basics
Essentials like a phone, internet access, and a bank account should be set up before making the move to Canada. You should plan ahead by learning as much as possible about your options, from prices to services supplied.
Basic things to keep in mind for Relocating to Canada:
Phone: To contact people both near and far, you will need a phone. There is a wide selection of carriers in Canada to choose from. When deciding on a service provider, you should think about both pricing and contract flexibility.
Internet: Having access to the internet is a necessity in today’s society, and Canadians have a wide variety of options to choose from depending on their location, budget, and desired connection speed.
Bank Account: Several international banks have branches in the country, and all of them welcome new customers with introductory deposit accounts.
Concluding Ideas on Relocating to Canada
Making the decision to relocate to Canada from another country is significant. It’s normal to have difficulties in your immigration journey. Keep in mind that help in the form of resources and instruments is at hand. You can seek guidance from people you know, settlement agencies, or online resources like the Celpip.biz.
Prepare thoroughly and in advance by giving yourself adequate time to learn the basics. Moving to Canada is an adventure, and you’ll have more fun at the beginning if you’re well-prepared.
Summary:
- Understand Canadian immigration.
- Select destination and reasons.
- Research settling areas.
- Explore immigration routes.
- Assess education credentials.