Canada immigration is the process of individuals moving to the country to become permanent residents or citizens. Canada offers various immigration pathways for skilled workers, students, and entrepreneurs to settle and contribute to its economy and culture. In 2023, at least 139,780 Indians got their PR visas through various immigration pathways. Globally, as many as 471,771 permanent residents have made Canada their home in 2023.

Immigrants settle in Canada due to affordable healthcare and education, high living standards, and a stable and peaceful life. On the other hand, Canada is a country plagued by an aging and retiring population. Thus, it heavily relies on and invites skilled immigrants to support its ever-growing economy and meet its labor force requirements.

Canada Immigration: Overview

Canada Immigration Programs
Eligibility
Canada Immigration Points Calculator
Documents Required
Canada Immigration Process
Cost of Canada Immigration
Processing time
Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026
Immigration vs Citizenship
Benefits of Canada Immigration
Best Canada Immigration Consultants

Pathways for Canada Immigration

There are ten main immigration programs or pathways that can be used to immigrate to Canada. These pathways are for skilled workers, students, and business persons. The immigration or PR pathways are grouped into four categories:

Economic
Family
Refugees and Protected persons
Humanitarian and Others

Immigration Category	Programs
Economic	Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program Quebec Selected Skilled Worker Atlantic Immigration Program Caregiver Agri-Food Pilot Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Start-up Visa Program Self-Employed Persons Program
Family	Family Sponsorship
Refugees and Protected Persons	–
Humanitarian and Others	–

1. Express Entry – The most popular program for Canada immigration

The Express Entry system manages three economic immigration programs. You must be eligible for any one of the following:

Applicants can create an Express Entry profile if they are eligible for one of the above programs. They will get a CRS score out of 1200 points according to the information provided while creating their profile. They can receive an ITA in the Express Entry draws if their score is equal to or more than the cut-off. After getting an Invitation to Apply (ITA), they can apply to IRCC for Canada PR within 60 days or two months.

The Ultimate Express Entry Guide

2. Provincial Nominee Program or PNP

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows the Canadian provinces and territories to nominate eligible skilled workers, students, and entrepreneurs. Each province has its own nomination program and sub-categories dedicated to workers, students, and businesspersons.

Learn about each PNP pathway: Canada Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Canada immigration through the Provincial Nominee Program includes the following main steps:

Select the province you want to work and settle in
Choose the PNP program of that particular province
Determine your eligibility
Submit an application
Get a provincial nomination certificate if the application is approved
Apply for Canada PR within 6 months or 180 days.

If a provincial nominee applies for Canada PR through the Express Entry system, they get additional points in the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS calculator.

3. Quebec Selected Skilled Workers

Even though Quebec is a Canadian province, it has its own rules to invite skilled workers, students, and businesspersons. To be eligible to immigrate to Quebec, you must get a Quebec Selected Certificate or CSQ. As a skilled worker, you can apply for a CSQ through one of the following programs offered by Quebec:

Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP)
Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
Workers in Food Processing Pilot
Orderlies Pilot Program
Pilot Program for Workers in Artificial Intelligence, Information Technologies, and Visual Effect Sectors

Once you get a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), apply for Canada PR through the Quebec Selected Skilled Worker Program.

4. Atlantic Immigration Program

You can immigrate to Canada through the Atlantic Immigration Program if you want to work and live in any one of the four Atlantic provinces – Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. To be eligible you must:

Be an eligible skilled worker or international graduate with a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada.
Get a provincial endorsement certificate

5. Family Sponsorship

You can immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident if an eligible Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsors you. To be eligible for this pathway,

You must have a family member such as a spouse, parent, grandparent, or children sponsor you to immigrate to Canada.
The sponsor should be at least 18 years old
They must either be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident living in Canada.
They must have sufficient funds to support you financially

Once your sponsor signs and fills the sponsorship form, you can apply for Canada immigration through the Family Sponsorship Program.

6. Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot invites eligible skilled workers to work and live in participating rural communities. Meet the following eligibility requirements to immigrate to Canada through the RNIP pathway.

Meet the community-specific requirements
Have at least one year of work experience in the last three years. International students are exempted from this requirement if they have completed a 2 year (or longer) academic course in one of the rural communities.
Get a job offer from an employer from one of the communities
Get a recommendation from one of the participating rural communities.

Once you are recommended by the community, you can apply for Canada PR through the RNIP or the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

Note: The rural communities can recommend eligible candidates till 31 July 2024. The last date for candidates to apply for Canada PR is 31 August 2024.

7. Agri-Food Pilot

Agri-Food Pilot invites eligible skilled workers to support the labor requirements of the Canadian agri-food industry. This immigration program will continue to accept applications till 14 May 2025.

To be eligible for this pilot program the applicant must:

Have a job offer in one of the eligible agri-food industries.
Have completed high school (If you live in Canada, you can either have a job offer or meet the academic requirements)
Score CLB or NCLC 4 on the language proficiency test
Have the required proof of funds

If you are eligible, apply for a PR visa through the Agri-Food Pilot. If your application is approved, you will be able to immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident.

8. Caregiver Program

There are two pathways under the Caregivers Program – Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker. Both pathways enable eligible caregivers to immigrate to Canada and permanently settle as permanent residents.

To be eligible for the Home Child Care Provider you must:

Have at least one year of work experience in the last 36 months in the NOC code 44100.
You must have cared for children in either your home or in your employer’s home. Child care in institutions such as daycare does not count.

To be eligible for Home support worker you must:

Have a qualifying one-year work experience in the last three years in NOC 44101.
Should be caring for someone in the employer’s private home. Institutional care is not considered as eligible work experience.

9. Start-Up Visa

You can immigrate to Canada through the Start-Up Visa program if:

You can establish an innovative and successful start-up that is successful and creates jobs for Canadians
Have a letter of support from an approved designated organization that invests in start-ups.
Score at least CLB/NCLC 5 on the language proficiency test
Have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family.

Note: IRCC has made significant changes to the Start-Up Visa Program. Until 31 December 2026, each designated organization will accept only 10 group applications. Acceptance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

10. Self Employed Program

This immigration program allows experienced applicants to settle in Canada as a self-employed individual. To be eligible you must:

Have two years of relevant experience within the last 5 years in cultural or athletic activities.
Must have participated in cultural or athletic activities at a world-class level
Score at least 35 out of 100 points in the selection grid.

Note: The Self-Employed Program has been paused and is not accepting new applications till January 2027.

Eligibility Requirements for Canada Immigration

Before applying to any of the Canada immigration programs, you must make sure that you meet all the eligibility requirements of that particular pathway. In addition, you must also meet the following conditions.

You must be at least 18 years of age
Must pass the medical examination and be of sound mind and body.
All applicants undergo a background check. They must not have a criminal record. This is ensured by the Police Clearance Certificate or the PCC.
Availability of sufficient funds. Most immigration pathways for Canada mandate the demonstration of sufficient funds. In other words, you must be able to establish that you have enough legal and liquid money to sustain yourself and your family (if applicable)
You must have at least CLB/NCLC 4 in English or French. IRCC accepts PTE-Core, IELTS, and CELPIP tests for English language proficiency. It accepts TEF and TCF for French language proficiency. The language test must not be older than 2 years.
You must be admissible in Canada
Compliance with Canadian immigration laws is mandatory

Note: Although there is no age limit for Canada immigration, applicants in the age groups 25-45 years are preferred by most of the immigration programs.

Canada Immigration Points Calculator

Canada immigration points calculator popularly refers to the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS score calculator that scores Express Entry profiles out of 1200 points. These points are assigned as follows:

Core or Human Capital Factors (age, education, language proficiency, etc) – 500 points
Transferability Factors – 100 points
Additional Factors (Provincial Nomination, Canadian education, etc) – 600 points

While the CRS or Canada immigration points calculator is exclusively for Express Entry, many PNP pathways have their own assessment grids to score applicants. The higher the score, the better the chances of getting an ITA or Invitation to Apply in the various PNP draws.

Documents Checklist for Canada Immigration

Although each immigration program has its own set of paperwork, some documents are generally required in all. Before immigrating to Canada, one must be prepared with the following documents:

Medical Tests
Language Tests
Proof of Funds
ECA (Educational Credential Assessment)
Proof of Identity and Age
Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)
Passport

Complete Documents Checklist: List of Documents Required for Canada PR from India

Canada Immigration Process

Immigrating to Canada as a permanent resident includes the following steps.

Choose a suitable immigration program from the list of options discussed in the article above.

Create a profile: In case the immigration program is completely online like Express Entry, make an online profile and submit all the necessary information. In the case of the Provincial Nominee Program, each province has its online profile portal. For instance, in the case of SINP, the online profile portal is called OASIS.

Confirm your eligibility: All the information you supply to your profile is then assessed and gets you a score. Different immigration programs have different calculators. For example, Express Entry has the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program has SIRS or Skills Immigration Registration System, etc. Invitation to Apply is given to those applicants who get the eligible score to apply to the IRCC for Canada PR.

Get your documents ready: An Invitation to Apply from any Canadian immigration program implies that you can apply to IRCC for a PR visa through that particular pathway. Once you receive an invitation, get your documents ready. An ITA during the Canadian immigration process must not be confused with a Canada PR. An ITA is only an invitation to apply for Canada PR and is in no way the end of the immigration process.

Once you have been invited to apply in the Express Entry draw or have received your provincial nomination, create an account in the Permanent Residential Portal.
Begin a new application

Select the immigration program you are applying through. In case you are applying through the Express Entry system, you will need to create and apply through your Express Entry profile.

Pass your medical exam and get PCC and biometrics.

Upload all the documents and forms required.

Pay the application fee.

Sign the declaration form

Submit the PR application

Get a COPR or Confirmation of Permanent Residence once your application is assessed and approved.

Watch How to Get Canada PR in Detail

Cost of Canada Immigration

The cost of submitting a Canada PR application is CAN $1,525. This includes the application processing fee of CAN $950 and the right to permanent residence fee of CAN $575. However, the total cost of Canada Immigration is more than the PR application fee. It includes many other expenses such as the expenses incurred in:

Cost of application submission (depending upon the pathway you are applying through)

Language proficiency tests like CELPIP, IELTS, TEF, and TCF
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
Additional PNP program fee (if applicable)
Medical Exam
Work Permit (if applicable)
Biometrics
Police Clearance Certificate

Read: Total Cost of Canadian Immigration from India

Processing Time

The processing time for Canadian immigration depends on the pathway you are applying from. For example, if you are applying through the Express Entry pathway, it might take as little as 6 to 9 months.

On the other hand, if you are applying through the Provincial Nominee Program, it might take at least 9 months or longer. Submitting a complete and updated application helps IRCC process your application faster. It also reduces the chances of rejection.

Note: Processing time for Canada immigration might change weekly. This might result in some discrepancies in the data.

Read: Processing Time for all Canada Immigration programs

Canada Immigration vs Citizenship

Canada immigration is the process of settling in the country as a skilled worker or an entrepreneur as a permanent resident.

On the other hand, Canadian citizenship makes an individual a legal member of the country. While Canadian permanent residents enjoy many of the benefits enjoyed by the county’s citizens, they cannot vote and hold government administrative positions.

Learn everything about Canadian Citizenship

Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2024

On November 1, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026. According to the plan, the country aims to invite at least 4,85,000 immigrants in the year 2024.

It will also prioritize economic immigration and reunification of families through sponsorships. At the same time, IRCC also aims to increase the number of Francophone immigrants or permanent residents outside Quebec by at least 6% in 2024. Below is an overview of the Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2024.

Benefits of Canada Immigration

The advantages of immigrating to Canada are numerous and most have a positive impact on your lifestyle and overall quality of life. Affordable education and healthcare, worker benefits, a healthy environment, and a great quality of life make this country one of the best to settle in.

Get to know Why is Canada the Best Choice for Indians?

Best Canada Immigration Consultants

Talent Connected Worldwide has recently been awarded the best Canada immigration company in India. This makes us the country’s one of the only award-winning CICC-licensed immigration consultancy firms. In addition to being CICC authorized, founder Rachal Sidhu (R527196) is also a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC R 16157) which is the largest and the only non-profit organization for immigration consultants in Canada.

Talent Connected Worldwide is the best immigration consultant because we:

Provide complete and transparent information about your application.
Give you a list of all immigration options with better success chances.
Boast of a high success rate in Canada PR through Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), and other prominent pathways.
Help you upload updated and complete paperwork.
Get your application processed faster.
Never make false promises or give guarantee regarding Canada PR.

Thinking of safe and successful Canada immigration? Think Talent Connected Worldwide.