Canada Immigration

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Applications Form for Canadian Immigration
• Check Application Status
• How To Obtain Police Certificate
• Instructions for Medical Examination
• Check Your Case Timeline

Investors, Entrepreneurs, and Self-Employed Persons Investors The Immigrant Investor Program seeks experienced business people to invest and become permanent residents. Investors must:

• show that they have business experience
• have a minimum net worth that was obtained legally and
• Commit the investment.

Your investment is managed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and is guaranteed by the Canadian provinces that use it to create jobs and help their economies grow. If your application is approved, you must make your investment before a permanent resident visa will be issued. You must usually do this within 30 days. The visa office will send you a letter with instructions. Learn more about making your investment– please refer to www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/business/investors/apply-after-invest.asp.

Entrepreneurs The Entrepreneur Program seeks to attract experienced business persons who will own and actively manage businesses in Canada that contribute to the economy and create jobs.

Self-Employed Persons The Self-Employed Persons Program seeks to attract applicants who intend and are able to become self-employed in Canada. Self-employed persons must have either:

• relevant experience that will make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada or
• experience in farm management and the intention and ability to purchase and manage a farm in Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker Category New The Federal Skilled Worker program has a new eligibility stream that is open to international students who are pursuing or who have completed doctoral (PhD) studies at Canadian institutions. Important As of July 18, 2011, applicants for Permanent Residence are asked to complete the new Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008). Applicants are encouraged to complete the form electronically and validate the information to generate 2D barcodes before printing. Be sure to use the most recent application form. There are two other programs for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents. They are as follows:

• Provincial Nominee

• • As of December 1, 2011, if you are applying under the Provincial Nominee Program, you must submit your application to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Once you have gathered all required forms and documents listed in the Document Checklist, you are required to send your application to: Citizenship and Immigration Provincial Nominee Program Centralized Intake Office PO Box 1450 Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6K5 Canada
  • If the CIO determines that your application is complete, it will be sent to the appropriate CIC processing office for processing. The processing office will contact you for further documentation once they are ready to process your application.
  • If your application does not include all of the documents and forms set out in the checklist, CIC will return it to you. Do not provide documents which are not listed in the checklist.
  • Note: Applications that were sent prior to December 1, 2011 and that are received on or after this date at the visa office will be processed by the CIC office as long they are complete.
• As of July 18, 2011, applicants for Permanent Residence are asked to complete the new Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008). Applicants are encouraged to complete the form electronically and validate the information to generate 2D barcodes before printing.

• Quebec Skilled Workers
  • Under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements and selects immigrants who will adapt well to living in Quebec. If you want to come to Canada as a Quebec-selected skilled worker, you must first apply to the Quebec government for a certificate of selection (Certificat de sélection du Québec).

Language Test:

Are you eligible for skilled workers category? Try this self test to determine your eligibility. Will you qualify? If you are eligible to apply as a skilled worker, you will be assessed on six selection factors and a point system. Learn more about each factor by clicking on it.

You can also assess your qualifications using our skilled worker self-assessment test. If your score is the same or higher than the pass mark, then you may qualify to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. If your score is lower than the pass mark, you are not likely to qualify to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. We recommend that you do not apply at this time. However, you can still apply if you believe other factors would show that you are able to establish yourself in Canada and support your dependants. Language Test and criteria: Designated language tests You can arrange to take a language test from any of the following designated agencies. English

• IELTS: International English Language Testing System; see www.ielts.org

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program; see www.celpiptest.ca

French

• TEF: Test d’évaluation de français ; see http://www.francais.ccip.fr

Note: You must submit results from the following TEF tests as proof of your French language proficiency:

• compréhension écrite
• compréhension orale
• expression écrite
• expression orale