Moving to Canada can be a fruitful endeavour for anyone looking for safer neighbourhoods, better healthcare, and more employment options. Before the pandemic, the Canadian government wanted to give this opportunity to 351,000 immigrants in search of a new life in 2021.
However, these recent developments only set the bar higher, initiating 401,000 new permanent residents into the country, which aids with economic growth.
Looking toward the future, the Canadian federal government hopes to introduce 411,000 permanent residents in 2022 and thousands of temporary residents to boot. If you're one of the hundreds of thousands yearning to reunite with loved ones or start anew, consider one of the six options below for how to immigrate to Canada with the help of Insurdinary.
The Express Entry Route
Taking the Express Entry route allows individuals in other parts of the world to use their job qualifications as grounds for permanent residency in Canada. They can apply online for any of the three immigration programs that the Express Entry system carries. Those programs include the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Each one requires candidates to create an Expression of Interest profile online. Once completed, the system pits each user against others in the pool. Any candidates who prove to be exceptionally skilled or well-educated in their points system will obtain an Invitation to Apply (ITA), which they must fill out and process within three months.
As a master of your trade, if you choose to use one of the provincial nominee programs, locate a specific area you would consider living in when moving to Canada and begin job hunting. A job offer from a Canadian employer will boost your qualifications and better your chances of acceptance into the country.
Family Sponsorship in Canada
Family Class Sponsorship is popular among immigrants considering how to immigrate to Canada to move closer to their relatives. With this option, any legal Canadian citizen can sponsor their significant other once they’re married and any children under the age of 22. Unfortunately, since 2012, the government has done away with the option to sponsor parents, grandparents, and other relatives until further notice.
To help other family members gain residential access in Canada, a Super Visa may help. Super Visas are multi-entry visas that allow immigrants to enter the country for up to two years at a time over ten years. Depending on the family unit size of the Super Visa, two or more immigrants in the same family can use it simultaneously.
Once a loved one sponsors a relative, this new permanent Canadian resident can access Canada's universal health care within three months of moving. Unlike the US, which doesn't have a universal healthcare system, Canada offers free checkups and other essential services with any primary care physician or hospitals that fall within their Provincial Health Insurance.
Some things new immigrants will still have to pay for, however, include emergency ambulances, OTC medications and prescriptions, dental, vision, and facility care. It’s good to be aware of this before you relocate, in case these costs are already high for you where you currently live.
Work Visas
Another option for how to immigrate to Canada includes applying for an LMIA work visa. LMIA work visas differ from traditional work visas in the application process.
With traditional visas, an immigrant must first apply for positions in the country. Upon obtaining a job, the immigrant must then apply for a work visa and travel to Canada according to their job needs. With LMIA, the future Canadian employer must file for an LMIA visa for the immigrant. After receiving one, the immigrant must then file for a work visa.
Unlike traditional visas, an LMIA visa has a better chance of paving the way for the immigrant to gain permanent residency. Under a Canadian employer, a permanent resident may also benefit from group health insurance that covers all fellow employees within a given company. Group health insurance covers dental, vision, emergency care, ambulances, and continuing facility treatments that Canadian citizens would otherwise have to pay for out of pocket since Canadian universal healthcare doesn’t cover these services.
Overseas Students
Students looking to study internationally in Canada can apply for any two-year program after obtaining a study permit. As long as they're a full-time student at an official learning facility, they can work on or off-campus without applying for a work visa.
What’s more, the Canadian government is more willing to grant permanent residency to immigrants who studied in the country, making a Dual Intent visa a popular choice. The government typically issues Dual Intent visas, which are both temporary and permanent visas, to temporary workers, students, and visitors seeking permanent residency for the future.
To receive a Dual Intent visa, an immigrant must first prove that a Canadian institute has accepted them as a student. They must also prove they have enough money to pay institution fees (including boarding, tuition, and equipment fees), they're in good health and are willing to take a physical, and have no criminal background. Over 350,000 immigrants receive this visa annually.
However, once a temporary resident is nearing the end of their academic endeavours, they must apply for a post-graduate permit to participate in the Canadian labour market. After receiving this temporary visa, they can apply for a permanent residency visa via the Provincial Nomination Program or the CEC under Express Entry.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
When considering how to immigrate to Canada, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) is another highly sought-after work-related program that allows immigrants with a job offer to apply for permanent residency.
If an immigrant is an international graduate or highly-skilled worker, an employer in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island can help them and their families settle into an Atlantic province by contacting a settlement service provider.
Before an immigrant family could travel to Canada in the past, a Labour Market Impact Assessment had to prove no Canadian resident could conduct the position better. In recent years, though, with the urgent need for a better labour market, new pilot programs no longer require this assessment. This three-year employer-driven plan is another way Canada recruits trained workers for a more robust economy.
Investor Immigration
The Canadian government had planned to introduce 401,000 immigrants into the country in 2021 as permanent residents, and then 411,000 and 421,000 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The primary reason for this plan is to restabilize the economy after the pandemic.
However, the best way to do so is by accepting applicants with high net worth for numerous reasons which include paying higher taxes to help fund public services, creating new jobs in the labour market as future Canadian employers, and adding to the country's wealth since one-third of all high-net-worth individuals are permanent residents not native to Canada.
Potential residents must have two to five years of prior work experience as a business manager or operator directly before residency application. They must also have a net worth of at least $2 million. $1.2 million of that the immigrant will invest in a Canadian immigrant investor program. After five years in an interest-free account, the government will refund the total amount.
The immigrant and their family must also take medical and security assessments and another point-based assessment to determine education level and work experience. The government will grant residency if they pass these requirements via the Federal Investor Program or Quebec Program. Those under the Quebec Program must also prove that they have spent time in Quebec before moving.
Trust Insurdinary with Your Insurance in Canada
When you’re ready for a change, how to immigrate to Canada is just one of your concerns. Although Canada offers free universal healthcare, unlike the US, there are still some services that you will have to pay for once you gain your permanent or temporary residency.
At Insurdinary, we aim to help each client find a health and dental plan right for them and their family by comparing quotes from top insurance providers in the country. We pit these services against one another so you can uncover different benefits and compare prices for the lowest rates available. We also make it easy for you to sign up with your preferred insurance company in a fast and free way.
Our team knows how important it is for you to have vision, dental, prescription and preventative care, and emergency coverage, which does not fall under Canada’s basic healthcare. Without it, the simplest medical emergency turns into a financial crisis for your family. That’s why Insurdinary makes the process of getting private insurance in Canada as easy and simple as possible. When you’re ready to sort through your options, Insurdinary has your back. Complete our quote form to begin reaping the benefits of Canadian health insurance today!
