Well, Canada immigration is all about making the right choices. And some choices need to be made before you have even considered the idea of immigrating to Canada. If you are a youngster, then you need to start making the right choices immediately. And if you are a professional or businessperson, then you certainly can play it smart and make the right choices once you have decided to seriously explore a life in Canada.
No. 1—Study in Canada?
Studying in Canada is, without doubt, a simple and easy way to make your dream of a Canadian job and life come true.
Join a study program, work during your studies, do internships, graduate, apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit, get a job based on your Canadian degree and professional contacts built during your study days, and you can qualify for permanent residence after one year of Canadian work experience.
No. 2—Where to Study in Canada?
This is an important question that impacts the quality of your education as well as your post-study prospects.
Unlike federal programs that apply to everybody in Canada except Quebec, PNPs or provincial nomination programs are restricted to those intending to settle in that particular province.
This means your eligibility for a particular province’s International Graduate or International Graduate Entrepreneur stream will depend on whether where you chose to study. The Atlantic program’s stream for international students too is open only to those qualifying from the four Atlantic provinces.
No. 3—Skilled Worker or Entrepreneur or Startup Founder
It’s a misconception that Canada only wants skilled workers who will work for Canadian employers. There are multiple federal and provincial programs for businesspersons, entrepreneurs, startup founders, and even self-employed persons.
Irrespective of whether you are an international student in Canada or planning to work in Canada after completing your studies in your own country, this is an important choice that will impact your immigration options.
No. 4—Work Permit or Direct PR?
Next, you need to choose between applying for a work permit and entering Canada as a temporary worker or opting for direct permanent residence. The unique thing about Canada’s immigration system is that you don’t need a job to qualify as a skilled worker under Express Entry.
Of course, a job in hand helps but direct PR is possible as long as you score enough points without a job and have enough funds to sustain yourself. But, direct PR can seem too big a decision to take in a hurry. For such persons, the work permit route may seem more attractive.
From this point onward, you will have many choices, but it won’t be a simple either/or setup. A job in hand can help you qualify for the work permit as well as direct PR. The work permit may be a LMIA-mandatory one or you may be eligible for LMIA-exempt positions as well.
When considering direct PR, you need to choose whether you want to focus on the federal immigration programs or provincial nomination programs. In case of the latter, the obvious question is your choice province next.
And then, there are pilot programs including the new pilots announced by Quebec. This is exactly where professional immigration advice can be very beneficial. You cannot study and do a full-time job in Canada at the same time.
So, this is a binary choice where you will have to necessarily choose one option over the other. But whether you should focus on federal programs or PNPs or the pilots, or whether you need to explore your startup idea instead is not just about choosing one over the other.
For instance, you can be in the EE pool and indicate province(s) of your choice so that both EE and PNP options remain open as long as you are in the pool. If you have enough capital, then you can also give entrepreneur programs a serious look.
This is why it’s advisable to have an immigration professional guide you. Most applicants choose one route or program and hope that their choice works. A real professional will guide you and help you explore all available options until your Canadian dream becomes a reality.
