Student Immigration – Immigration to Canada via Education
There are several safe pathways to immigrate to Canada. Immigration to Canada as an international student is one of the clearest ways to become a Canadian permanent resident. Canada is well-known for its prominent education system. Many Canadian universities and colleges are among the top-ranked learning institutions in the world. In addition, the Canadian government promotes Canadian education and is seeking foreign nationals to apply for higher education in Canada. All this combined makes Immigration for students very easy in Canada!
International graduates are ideal candidates for immigration to Canada, as they possess the skills and knowledge required in the Canadian labour market, they have fluency in the Canadian official languages, and they already are familiar with life in Canada. In 2020, Canada became the third most popular country in the world for foreign students.
To increase your chances of immigration through education in Canada, we recommend you applying for a program that lasts at least two academic years. This will give you the opportunity to apply for a work permit after graduation. It is also very important that your program will be in the Designated Learning Institution that participates in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. Most private colleges do not participate in the program, so graduating from such programs will not allow you to immigrate afterwards.
As an international student in Canada, you have the right to part-time work while studying. Currently, the Canadian government allows foreign students to work up to 20 hours weekly.
If you are married or have a common-law partner and/or dependent children, they can come to Canada with you! Spouses of international students can get an open work permit and your children can get a study permit to attend a public school at the time of your academic program.
Immigration through education is a lengthy process, but it is also the most smooth, since adaptation to a new country is gradual.
Immigration for students consists of several stages:
The first step to Immigration for students is to become a student. You will need to be admitted to an academic program in Canada. It could be an undergraduate (bachelor degree), postgraduate program (master degree or Ph.D.) or postgraduate certificate or diploma. Once you receive a Letter of Acceptance from your college or university, we can prepare and submit your application for a study permit.
To study in Canada you will need proper documents from the Canadian government. During this stage you also receive the instruction regarding the documents we will need to apply for a Study Permit and if you are not from the visa-exempt country, you will also need a Temporary Resident Visa (if required). If your spouse and/or children are coming with you, we will also need to apply for a Work Permit for your spouse and a Study Permit for your children.
Once your application for the Study Permit and other documents has been approved, you will get a Letter of Introduction from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). With this letter, you will be able to get your Study Permit when you arrive in Canada. Study Permit will be issued by the border officer when you land in Canada. At this stage, your task is to successfully complete your educational program.
When you successfully complete your education program, you become eligible for a Post Graduate Work Permit. It is an Open Work Permit that allows you to work for any Canadian employer. You will also need to extend your Temporary Resident Visa (if applicable) and get new Work/Study Permits for your family members (if applicable). Once you get a Post Graduate Work Permit you can legally stay in Canada for a period of your permit. This time is intended for your immigration.
At this point, we assess your immigration perspectives. Depending on your situation we will advise the proper immigration path. Immigration for students is available via Federal or Provincial Programs. Your options at this point are Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, or Work in Canada in order to get your Permanent Residency.
At this stage, we evaluate your prospects for immigration. Depending on your situation, we will advise you on the most appropriate immigration strategy. This can be federal immigration, provincial immigration, or employer-supported immigration.
- Stage 5a: Express Entry
If we find that based on your case you may score enough points in the Express Entry, we will create you a profile in the Express Entry system and process your application under the Federal Skilled Workers program. - Stage 5b: Student streams of the Provincial Programs
Immigration for students becomes very popular. Many provinces created specific immigration streams aimed at international graduates. If your province has such a stream we may process you via this path. In this case, you will need to receive a nomination of the province and then apply for permanent residence. - Stage 5c: Canadian Work Experience
In order to significantly improve your score in the Express Entry, you will need to obtain one year of Canadian Work Experience is the skilled work. - Stage 5d: LMIA
If your employer is willing to apply for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in support of your permanent residency application, it can provide you with an additional 50 points to your Express Entry profile.
The Federal government will check your application for completeness and make sure that you satisfy all the requirements of your immigration program. During this stage, you will have to pass the medical exam and background check. The background check consists of criminality and security assessment. In some cases, the IRCC may request additional documents to make a final decision.
Once all checks are cleared, you will receive a Ready for Visa email with the request to send your passports or passports copies to the Visa office. 3-4 weeks after that you will get a Confirmation of the Permanent Residency. With this document, you will be able to do the landing. After the landing, you will be officially a Permanent Resident of Canada.