Frequently Asked Questions

ANSWER: Inmigracion Canadiense is a private consultancy that specializes in helping skilled foreign workers and their families move to Canada successfully. Our company works with experienced Canadian immigration consultants who are certified as Authorized Representatives to provide assessments and guidance to clients who want to live and work in Canada. Professional services offered include a personal Canadian immigration assessment to determine a client’s best option for a visa to Canada, as well as expert guidance during the Canadian visa application procedure.

ANSWER: People who live in Canada generally experience a high quality of life in one of the most prosperous, peaceful and beautiful countries in the world. Citizens and permanent residents of Canada receive free public healthcare and tend to enjoy one of the world’s longest lifespans. Canada is a multicultural country where immigrants from around the globe feel welcomed and find many great opportunities, including for employment, education and personal freedom. Immigrants who live in Canada as permanent residents for three years and meet other criteria have the option to apply for Canadian citizenship. These are only some of the many benefits of living in Canada!

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: When you apply for immigration to Canada, you can also include your spouse/partner (opposite sex or same sex) and “dependent” children on your Canadian visa application. For the purposes of Canadian immigration, a “dependent child” must normally be under 22 years of age and not have a spouse/partner. You and your family members will need to meet all of the eligibility requirements, including the criteria for good health and character, before being approved for Canadian immigration.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Canadian immigration programs require that skilled foreign workers have adequate skills in English or French (Canada’s two official languages), as demonstrated by satisfactory scores received within the last two years on an authorized language evaluation exam. Nonetheless, Canada is a multicultural country with millions of immigrants who speak English and/or French, plus many Canadians know additional languages (such as Spanish).

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Inmigracion Canadiense offers its professional services to people in Spanish-speaking countries and many other places around the world, so the website is translated into Spanish, English and French for the convenience of those who prefer to read in one of these languages. Skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in Canada will, of course, need to have adequate language skills in either English or French, even though they might also speak other languages.

ANSWER: There are several Canadian visa programs that allow skilled foreign workers and their family members to live and work in Canada for an unlimited period of time as Canadian permanent residents. Examples include the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Provincial Nominees Program (PNP), and Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). Expat workers who meet the eligibility requirements for the FSWP, FSTP or PNP may have an opportunity to apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada. Skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec will need to apply for the QSWP. The authorized Canadian immigration consultant who works with Inmigracion Canadiense can evaluate your eligibility to apply for a permanent resident visa to Canada and guide you through the process.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Express Entry is a points-based Canadian immigration management system for skilled foreign workers who want to apply for a permanent resident visa to Canada through an “economic immigration” program, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Provincial Nominees Program (PNP). After a foreign worker provides the necessary information in his/her online Express Entry profile, a Canadian immigration official will review the details and points will be calculated for different factors according to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System. If the foreign worker seems to meet the criteria for one of the qualifying Canadian immigration programs (such as the FSWP, FSTP or PNP), his/her profile will be placed in the Express Entry pool of candidates for up to 12 months. After the Invitation to Apply (ITA) is issued, the foreign worker will have up to 60 days to file the application for a permanent resident visa to Canada (which also involves providing all of the required documents and paying the visa application fee) and should receive a decision from the Canadian immigration officials within about six months.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Invitation to Apply (ITA) is a message from the Canadian immigration officials that is posted in the online Express Entry account of a skilled foreign worker when he/she is invited to apply for a permanent resident visa to Canada through the Express Entry system. The ITA is issued to a person who is in the Express Entry pool of candidates if he/she has one of the highest point scores in the Comprehensive Ranking System (there are 1,200 points possible), or receives a qualifying offer of employment in Canada, or gets a provincial nomination for a Provincial Nominees Program (PNP). After the Invitation to Apply (ITA) is issued, the foreign worker will have up to 60 days to file the application for a permanent resident visa to Canada (which also involves providing all of the required documents and paying the visa application fee) and should receive a decision from the Canadian immigration officials within about six months. If an ITA is not issued within 12 months after the date that a foreign worker was placed in the Express Entry pool of candidates, his/her profile will be deleted from the Express Entry system; however, he/she may then file a new online Express Entry profile.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is used to calculate the point score of a skilled foreign worker who files an online Express Entry profile for immigration to Canada. A total of 1,200 points can be received for various factors, such as: skills; work experience; education; language ability (i.e., English/French); getting a valid offer of employment in Canada; spouse/partner factors (such as his/her education, English and/or French language skills, etc.); receiving a nomination from a province or territory for the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP); having a certificate, diploma or degree from a university in Canada; possessing strong French language abilities; and having a brother or sister who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada. After being placed in the Express Entry pool of candidates, it is important to update the online Express Entry profile if, for example, a qualifying offer of employment in Canada or provincial nomination is received for the PNP, since additional points could be given in the Comprehensive Ranking System and this could lead to an Invitation to Apply (ITA) being issued.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is a point-based Canadian immigration program for skilled foreign workers and their family members who want to live and work in Canada for an unlimited amount of time as Canadian permanent residents. A skilled foreign worker who wants to apply for the FSWP must have at least one year of full-time paid work experience during the past 10 years in an occupation that is listed in Canada’s 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) at Skill Level 0 (managers), Skill Level 1 (professions that usually require a university education) or Skill Levels 2 or 3 (occupations that normally require a college education or apprenticeship training). At least 67 out of 100 points must also be received for certain factors, such as: age, English and/or French language abilities, education, relevant work experience, arranged employment in Canada, or adaptability. A favorable Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is usually required, along with a qualifying score received within the past two years on an authorized language evaluation exam for English and/or French. Furthermore, an Express Entry profile needs to be filed online; an Invitation to Apply (ITA) must be received; the Canadian visa application must be filed with the required documents and fee; good character and health criteria have to be satisfied; and other requirements need to be met in order to be approved for Canadian immigration through the FSWP.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is a Canadian immigration program for skilled foreign tradespeople who want to live and work in Canada (other than Quebec) long-term as Canadian permanent residents. Skilled foreign tradespeople who want to live and work in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec should apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), rather than the FSTP. In order to apply for the FSTP, a foreign worker must have at least two years of full-time paid work experience during the previous five years in a skilled trade that qualifies for the FSTP. He/she must also meet the job criteria (except for the certificate of qualification) for that skilled trade as it is listed in Canada’s 2016 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Part of the process for the FSTP also requires the foreign worker to get a valid job offer for full-time employment in Canada that will last a minimum of one year in his/her skilled trade, or to receive a certificate of qualification for the skilled trade granted by a provincial or territorial authority in Canada. An adequate score on an approved evaluation exam for English or French that was received during the previous two years will be required and a favorable Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) may also be needed. The skilled foreign tradesperson will have to file an online Express Entry profile; an Invitation to Apply (ITA) must be received; the Canadian visa application has to be filed with the required documents and fee; good character and health requirements must be satisfied; and other criteria need to be met in order to be approved for Canadian immigration through the FSTP.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Most of the provinces and territories in Canada, in coordination with the Canadian national immigration agency, have created their own Provincial Nominees Program (PNP) for skilled foreign workers who are needed to fill job openings that cannot be filled locally by Canadian workers. An expat worker and his/her family who are approved for immigration to Canada through the PNP will be authorized to live and work long-term as Canadian permanent residents in the province or territory that nominated them. Please note that foreign workers who want to live and work in the French-speaking province of Quebec should apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). Although each Canadian province or territory creates its own PNP criteria, they all share the same basic two-step procedure. A skilled foreign worker will apply directly to the PNP in the province or territory where he/she wants to live and work in Canada. The provincial/territorial officials will review the expat worker’s details and if they think that he/she meets the criteria for their particular PNP, they will issue a provincial nomination certificate. After the skilled foreign worker receives a provincial nomination certificate, he/she can then apply to the Canadian national immigration agency (using the traditional method or through the Express Entry system) for a permanent resident visa to Canada.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Expat workers who want to immigrate to Canada and live and work in the mostly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec should apply for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). The QSWP is a point-based Canadian immigration program in which points are given for education, work experience, age, French and/or English language abilities, connection to Quebec, spouse/partner, and other factors. An applicant will first apply to the QSWP and if the Quebec provincial officials believe that the foreign worker and his/her family will be a good match for Quebec, they will issue a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). The second stage of the procedure will involve applying to the national Canadian immigration agency for a permanent resident visa to Canada. If approved for immigration to Canada, the foreign worker and his/her family will be authorized to live and work in Quebec for an unlimited period of time as Canadian permanent residents.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Canadian visa application processing fee is paid when you file your application for a permanent resident visa to Canada. As of 2020, the Canadian visa application processing fee is $825 CAD and it is subject to change.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: You may be required to provide “Proof of Funds” to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family members (i.e., spouse/partner and “dependent” children, as relevant) when you move to Canada. This money cannot be borrowed from another person and must be available to support you and your family when you immigrate to Canada. Proof of Funds documentation is normally requested after an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a permanent resident visa to Canada is issued. The minimum amount required for Proof of Funds will depend on the size of your family. Please note that you do not need to provide Proof of Funds if you have a valid offer of employment in Canada or are authorized to work in Canada.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: The Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) is paid after your application for Canadian permanent residence has been approved. As of 2020, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) is $500 CAD and it is subject to change. Please note that you also have the option to pay your Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) at the same time as you pay your Canadian visa application fee.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: You will pay $50 CAD (as of 2020) to receive a Canadian Permanent Resident Card after you have been approved for immigration to Canada as a new permanent resident and after you have paid the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). The Canadian Permanent Resident Card has to be delivered to an address in Canada and you will carry it with you as an official form of identification and proof that you are a Canadian permanent resident authorized to live and work in Canada for an unlimited period of time. Please note that the fee for the Canadian Permanent Resident Card is subject to change.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: You and your family members (i.e., spouse/partner and “dependent” children, as relevant) must be in good health and will be required to pay to have an immigration medical exam from a physician who is on the list of panel physicians approved for this part of the Canadian immigration procedure. The immigration medical exam will normally be scheduled toward the end of the Canadian visa application procedure and the results will be valid for 12 months.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: You and your family members (i.e., spouse/partner and “dependent” children, as relevant) must have good character to immigrate to Canada and may be required to get a police certificate. A foreign national who has been convicted of a crime, committed an act outside of Canada that would be considered a crime, or is considered to be a security risk may not be allowed to enter Canada (known as being “inadmissible”).

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: Yes – Permanent residents of Canada and Canadian citizens receive free public healthcare, which is administered locally by each province or territory in Canada. After you immigrate to Canada, you should apply for a Canadian Health Insurance Card (sometimes called a Care Card) in the province or territory where you will live in Canada. Please note that some Canadian provinces or territories may have a waiting period before coverage begins and some provinces and territories offer additional services beyond the basic healthcare that is provided across Canada. Therefore, you may want to learn more about the healthcare coverage and policies of the provinces or territories where you may want to live in Canada.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

ANSWER: After you live in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) during a five-year period and meet all of the other eligibility requirements, you can apply to become a Canadian citizen. Once you become a citizen of Canada, you can apply for a Canadian passport and receive other benefits.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not and should not be considered as expert or professional advice.

 

 

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