Canada is a land of opportunities and is very open to immigrants. Canada has the eighth largest immigration population in the world, up to 23% of its population. Canada hosts a vibrant South Asian community, making it an ideal choice for Pakistani nationals. It accommodates nearly three lac people from Pakistan. People come to Canada for various reasons, like better economic opportunities, quality education, and a higher standard of living. Canada offers several immigration routes for people who wish to migrate and settle in Canada. Immigrants who move to Canada by using these immigration routes are classified into the three most common categories, which are:

• Economy class
• Family class
• Refugees

Among these, the most popular and the most prominent pathway to immigrate to Canada is economy-class immigration. The second largest immigration pathway is family sponsorship, through which people can sponsor their spouses, parents, children, grandparents, law partners, and others. The third pathway is the refugee immigration program, in which immigrants are referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In this article, we will explore the different immigration routes to move to Canada, their requirements, step-by-step procedures, and the most suitable way for immigration to Canada to become a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Express Entry System

This immigration program is one of the most efficient and popular routes to immigrate to Canada. There are three federal economic programs under this system, and participating in this program can open doors to permanent residency in Canada. These immigration programs are:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Federal Skilled Worker Program

This program is for applicants who haven’t worked or studied in Canada before but have foreign work experience. The requirements to be eligible for this program are:

• Proof of sufficient funds or a valid job offer in Canada
• Proper work experience of at least one year in a skilled occupation
• Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), 7 scores in English or French across all abilities (writing, listening, speaking)
• Educational credential (minimum one)
• A minimum score of 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP scoring grid

Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience class program is for people who have experience working and living in Canada to get permanent resident status. The requirements to qualify for the CEC program are:

• One year of eligible Canadian work experience within the last three years
• A CLB score of 7 or higher for jobs that fall under the National Occupational Classification A category,
• A Canadian Language Benchmark score of 5 for jobs under the NOC B category

Federal Skilled Trades Program

This program is for skilled trades workers to gain permanent residency in Canada. To be eligible for the FST program, you must fulfill these requirements:

• Minimum CLB of 5 for listening and speaking and 4 for writing and reading in English or French
• Before applying, you must have two years of skilled trades work experience within the five years
• Demonstrate proof of funds if you still need a valid Canadian job offer

Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate applicants’ profiles. The highest-scoring applicants receive an ITA for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry draws.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

The provincial Nominee program is an immigration program that allows each province and territory to design its immigration pathways to meet its economic and demographic needs. In this program, candidates are nominated by the provinces for various reasons, like to satisfy their labor needs or to address other issues like low population. The provinces design PNP streams according to their needs, varying from province to province. People who may immigrate to Canada through PNP include:

• People with valuable skills,
• People with Professional experience
• People with connections to any province of Canada

Besides Nunavut and Quebec, other Canadian provinces and territories manage their immigration system. Some PNPs are managed through EES, and the qualifying applicants are then called for provincial nomination. A candidate receives an additional 600 points upon receiving a provincial nomination, which helps in getting an invitation to apply for permanent residency (ITA) through an Express Entry draw. PNP is one of the best options to immigrate from Pakistan to Canada.

Study in Canada

Another way to Canadian immigration is by choosing to study in Canada. To study in Canada, you need to enroll in one of Canada’s Designated Learning Institutions. After you receive a letter of acceptance from your institute, you can apply for a study permit. A study permit allows you to study and work part or full-time during your course of study and academic breaks in Canada. After completing your studies, you can get a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), which extends your stay in Canada for up to three years. Suppose you stay in Canada long enough on your work or study permit. In that case, you may become eligible for permanent residence in Canada.

A post-graduate work permit helps you gain job experience, which you can use later on to apply through the CEC stream of Express Entry Program to start the immigration process for permanent residency.

Work Permits

Work permits are another way to move to Canada from Pakistan. A work permit is a document that foreigners require to work and stay in Canada. There are two types of work permit programs in Canada that offer several kinds of work permits. Work permits allow you to work and stay in Canada and open the doors for permanent residency in Canada. These programs are:

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TWFP)
• International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)

Most work permits require a job offer from a company in Canada. However, IRCC also offers open work permits occasionally for skilled workers. Open work permits are not employer-specific, and they offer a great opportunity for moving to Canada in a flexible way. A work permit in Canada can significantly increase the chances of gaining permanent Canadian residency.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Two programs provide work permits in Canada, and one of them is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (PGWP). The Canadian government designed this program to hire skilled workers to address the problem of labor shortages in Canada. It allows employers to hire foreign nationals temporarily. One of the most important requirements of this program is to get a Labor market impact assessment, in which the employers must demonstrate that they cannot find a Canadian citizen for the position. LMIA is done to check that hiring a foreigner does not affect the Canadian workers. After the demonstration, they can officially hire a foreign national. The TWFP covers several streams, which include:

• High-wage workers
• Low-wage workers
• The Global Talent Stream
• Foreign agricultural workers
• In-home caregivers
• Foreign academics

Some streams exempt the requirement of getting an LMIA.

International Mobility Program

This program provides temporary foreign workers to Canada without an LMIA. Most workers are brought through this stream as the work done is considered not a significant benefit to Canada. Different streams come under this program, including Reciprocal Youth Exchange Agreements, The Intra-Company Transfer Program, and The Bridging Open Work Permit. The processing time in this program is around two weeks, making it an ideal choice to start a life in Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

There is another type of immigration program besides the TWFP and IMP. In this program, acquiring education in Canada from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) qualifies the applicant for a work permit. After you complete your graduation or study program, which lasts longer than 8 months, you can apply for a work permit known as a post-graduate work permit (PGWP). It allows you to stay and work in Canada for up to three years. In this period, you can gain valuable work experience. You can apply for permanent resident status in Canada through the CEC stream of the Express Entry Program.

Family Sponsorship

Family class immigration program is created to reunite the families in Canada. Through this program, people residing in Canada as permanent residents or Canadian citizens can sponsor their relatives like:

• Spouses
• Dependent children
• Parents
• Common law partners

There are two sponsorship options: it can be applied from within Canada or from outside Canada.

In-Canada sponsorship:

In this option, a sponsored person living in Canada with a valid temporary resident status can sponsor from within Canada. In this case, the sponsored individual also applies for an open work permit, which allows them to work in Canada.

Overseas sponsorship:

This option is for people living outside of Canada, and the sponsorship application is submitted from their country of origin or from where they are legally residing for at least one year. This option is for Pakistani candidates residing outside Canada, and the application is submitted to the visa office.

Conclusion:

For people who wish to immigrate to Canada from Pakistan in 2024, there are several immigration options available through which you can immigrate to Canada and attain the status of a permanent resident. However, It is highly advisable to choose a professional and reputed immigration advisor who outlines the best ways to immigrate to Canada and outlines the details for you. You can select any immigration route that suits your circumstances and preferences. These routes have different requirements and procedures. If you follow all the details and carefully work through the process, you may attain permanent residency in Canada. These procedures can be complex and tiring, so it is highly recommended to speak to a professional immigration consultant. An immigration consultant can move you through these procedures swiftly and efficiently. HSA consultants are a trusted name in immigration procedures. They can help you start your journey of immigration to Canada from Pakistan.