Apart from the Express Entry, there are several Canadian immigration categories. Following is the list of most of the famous immigration categories, the Canadian Government has to offer
1. The Economic Class
Candidates who are able to qualify in more than 100 immigration programs in Canada are labeled as an economic benefit by the Canadian Government. This makes the Economic Class one of the biggest categories of Canadian immigration.
2. Express Entry
The most famous immigration program implemented by the Federal Government of Canada is the Express Entry. Although there are furthermore immigration draws working under the Express Entry system.
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The Federal Skilled Trades Program-
The program is specifically designed for skilled trades who possess a minimum of 2 years of work experience, 5 years before submitting the application.
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The Federal Skilled Worker Program-
The program is meant for professionals who possess work experience in specified categories of NOC code. Every occupation has a code mentioned which helps in the identification of applicants belonging to the Economic Class.
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Canadian Experience Class-
This program specifically targets foreign professionals who have had a Canadian work experience for at least a period of one year, with certain language criteria.
The applicants applying under the Express Entry have to start by submitting a valid profile to the IRCC. Once the IRCC receives all the profiles, it evaluates them on the various factors like work experience, educational qualification, etc.
The candidates are then marked accordingly and are positioned in accordance with their total score and applicants who bag the top positions apply for permanent residency.
3. Provincial Nominee Program
The majority of Canadian provinces are given the power to conduct immigration draws and then nominate candidates out of it. The PNP is also diversified into 2 different streams, one being the Enhanced PNP, under which applicants are selected from the Express Entry and are given an additional 600 scores.
Another is the PNP which is executed external to the Express Entry and operated by the Canadian provinces thus the processing time of such draws may take more time than usual.
Although it does not insure getting the status of Canadian Permanent Residency, because only the federal government of Canada holds this power. It can only help in increasing the total CRS score which can further increase the chances of the applicant getting the Canadian Permanent Residency.
4. The province of Quebec
The working style of the province of Quebec does not coincide with the other Canadian provinces as under a special agreement with the federal government of Canada, the province can select its own immigration applicants.
Also, the official language of Quebec is French so it includes the language as the eligibility criteria in the majority of its immigration programs.
5. Family Class Sponsorship
The program is designed for inviting the family of immigrants which makes it the second most famous Canadian immigration pathway. For efficient management of the program, it has been further segmented into the parents and Grandparents Program and The Spouses, Partners, and Children Program
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Spouses and partners-
This program allows Canadian permanent residents and citizens to sponsor the stay of their partner and dependent children. Although the Canadian resident/citizen needs to assure the Government of Canada that they are financially sound to assist their family member in times of need during the 3 years of their stay.
Also, the applicants have to submit shreds of evidence to demonstrate the relationship they share, like the marriage certificate, birth certificate, snaps of their marriage, etc. The country does not discriminate between same-sex couples, as it welcomes same-sex couples.
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Parents and Grandparents-
This program is specifically designed for Canadian residents/citizens who would like to sponsor their biological parents or grandparents. And in order to sponsor parents or grandparents, the applicant needs to show evidence to prove that they are financially sound to support their family members.
6. Refugee and humanitarian Class
The country is a home for refugees, people impacted by wars, disasters in their home country, etc. But the candidate needs to belong to any of the 3 categories to avail themselves of the benefits of the Refugee and Humanitarian Class
- Resettled refugees- Refugees sent by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to Canada who will be provided with assistance by the Canadian Government for a year.
- Asylum claimants- People who are persecuted in their own country can seek help by applying a claim for asylum. Refugee Board of Canada and The Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration take the decision of either approval or denial of the asylum claim by the applicant.
- Humanitarian and Compassionate Claimants- The least utilized immigration program as it is formed for applicants who are eligible for other Canadian permanent residency programs.
Conclusion
The step to immigrate to Canada is majorly concerned with getting aware of the all categories offered by the Government of Canada and then finding the most suitable of them.
No matter, whether the applicant is a foreign skilled worker, refugee, or trying to sponsor their family and grandparents, the basic initiate should become familiar with all the important information related to Canadian immigration.
