Canada Immigration programs

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CANADA AIP (atlantic immigration program)

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada who want to work and live In New Brunswick. The program helps New Brunswick employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally.

We are now accepting expressions of interest from New Brunswick employers. If you are an employer looking to become designated and endorse a candidate, visit the INB Portal, create an employer profile or log into an existing profile, and submit an expression of interest.

Eligibility Criteria

Employers facing shortages must first become “designated” to have their positions “endorsed” by the Province. Being designated means you can hire candidates under the Atlantic Immigration Program. The province is responsible for approving employers .

Once the employer is designated, they may apply to the province to endorse a position for a foreign worker. Once the employer position(s) are endorsed, the foreign worker(s) identified by the employer, can apply directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residency under the Atlantic Immigration Program. The foreign worker may also receive a temporary work permit while waiting for permanent residency.

Step 1: Employer Designation

To become designated, your organization must:

not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
be in good standing and comply with employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation
not recruit or hire workers for the purpose of establishing a pool of candidates that can be later transferred or contracted out to separate businesses for staffing purposes
have been in continuous, active operation under the same management for at least 2 years in 1 of the Atlantic provinces, or be able to show continuous, active operation in another location with confirmation of approval from the province in which you’re applying for designation
work with a New Brunswick settlement service provider organization to help your candidates get settlement services
commit to taking the onboarding training
commit to taking the intercultural competency training, unless you’re exempted by the province. A New Brunswick workforce attraction officer will inform you if you need to take the training during the intake conversation.

CANADA AIP

Step 2: Employer Position Endorsement

To have a position endorsed, an employer must:

Receive Designation from New Brunswick
Demonstrate that efforts to hire locally have been unsuccessful
Recruit a foreign worker
Provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer co-signed by the foreign worker
Provide an individualized settlement plan through one of New Brunswick’s settlement service providers, co-signed by the foreign worker
Complete mandatory onboarding training;
Complete intercultural competency training, unless exempted by the province.

Documents that will be required at the endorsement application stage

IMM0157E Job Offer Form
Signed offer letter or contract
Detailed Job Description
Proof of recruitment efforts
Evidence of the candidate’s previous work experience
A valid language assessment (IELTS or CELPIP for English, TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French)
The Principal Applicant’s (including any accompanying family members’) Settlement Plan
Signed copy of the Endorsement Application Form
If the candidate is already in Canada, a copy of their legal status in the country (work permit, visitor permit or study permit)
Copy of passport for principal applicant and dependents

Step 3: Foreign Worker Immigration Application

To apply for permanent residency foreign workers must:

Have a valid endorsement certificate issued by New Brunswick.
Foreign workers who require a work permit must have a work permit referral letter issued by the Province.
Employers supporting work permit applications must register in the federal employer portal, submit the job offer and pay a compliance fee.

Please ensure to submit a complete application to IRCC. This includes detailed reference letters with main duties, demonstrating you have met the description of the lead statement of the NOC, a valid language assessment with qualifying language scores ,and proof of education- accompanied by an Education Credential Assessment or Canadian equivalency.

Please consult Union Migration for the AIP checklist ,and for more information on permanent residency requirements.

CANADA AIP

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CANADA RNIP (rural and northen immigration )

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is community-driven, which means participating communities take the lead in attracting new immigrants and matching them with local job vacancies, promoting a welcoming community, and connecting newcomers to established members of the community and local settlement services.

To be considered eligible to participate in the pilot, the community must:

have a population of 50,000 people or less and be located at least 75 km from the core of a Census Metropolitan Area OR up to 200,000 people and be considered remote from other larger cities (using Statistics Canada’s index of remoteness)
be located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon;
have job opportunities;
have an economic development plan;
have a local economic development organization that can manage the pilot for your community;
have the capacity to settle new immigrants in the community by having or developing:
- relationships with local or regional immigrant-serving organizations;
- opportunities to connect newcomers with established members of the community, such as through mentoring or networking;
- access to key services like education, housing, transportation, and health care.

How to Immigrate Through the RNIP

Eligibility Requirements for candidates

In order to be considered for the RNIP, potential candidates must meet the following federal criteria as well as requirements established by the participating community where they are hoping to settle.

The federal criteria are:

Have a recommendation from one of the designated communities
Have one year of continuous work experience in the past three years (a minimum of 1,560 hours)
OR
Have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community
Have a genuine job offer to work in one of the designated communities
Meet the language threshold for the NOC skill type/level of the job being offered
Have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves and their family in the community
Have an intention to live in the community

CANADA RNIP

Community Recommendation

A community recommendation is based on the candidate’s:

intention to live in the designated community
job offer and the community’s economic needs
work experience and skills
ties to the community

Recommendations are made by a designated community economic organization.

Work Experience

Eligible candidates must have:

a minimum of 1,560 hours (one year) of paid work experience in the past three years;
- the work experience must be in one occupation but can be with different employers
- the work experience can be obtained in Canada or outside Canada
- the work experience can be accumulated during the 3 years preceding the application, regardless of breaks in employment
- Self-employed work experience is not eligible

Candidates must have performed the majority of the main duties and all the essential duties listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for their profession as well as the activities listed in the lead statement.

Please note that international students may be exempt from the work experience criteria if they are recent graduates:

from a full-time post-secondary program of a least 2 years, or
from a full-time master’s program or higher.

Job Offer

Potential candidates must have a genuine, full-time, permanent, job offer in one of the participating communities. The wage must meet the minimum wage listed for that NOC in the Canada Job Bank and the candidates’ previous experience must demonstrate that they can perform the duties of the job offered.

The Government of Canada defines a genuine job offer as one that:

must meet the needs of the employer
the employer must actively be in the business for which the offer has been made
the employer must be able to fulfill the terms of the offer
the employer must have complied with all employment laws and rules in the past

CANADA RNIP

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CANADA YCP (yukon community pilot)

The Yukon Community Pilot (YCP) is a federal–territorial permanent resident stream with a work permit component. The pilot was started by the Government of Yukon in January 2020. The goal of this pilot is to attract and retain immigrants in Yukon communities by testing innovative approaches to permanent immigration.

Facilitating entry with the issuance of open work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP) supports paragraph 3(1)(e) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) by encouraging the settlement and retention of workers in Canadian communities.

A person who has a valid nomination from Yukon for permanent residence and 2 or 3 job offers from up to 3 employers based in a participating Yukon territory community may be issued a location-specific open work permit without requiring a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). For the purposes of this pilot, foreign nationals may be issued a work permit under paragraph 205(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) (LMIA exemption code A75).

Pilot parameters

The pilot will run for 5 years, from January 22, 2020, to June 22, 2025.

Yukon, along with IRCC, will monitor and evaluate the pilot over time to assess the

effectiveness and efficiency of its implementation
overall impact on Yukon’s labour market

Yukon undertakes integrity activities to ensure the employers are meeting the terms of their job offers with the foreign national (that is, wages, duties and working conditions).

Yukon will report on a performance measurement strategy with a focus on retention.

CANADA YCP

Eligible work locations

The participating communities are

Carcross
Carmacks
Dawson City
Haines Junction
Watson Lake
Whitehorse

All of the job offers for each foreign national must be located within the same community, although they may be for either the same employer or different employers. Each job offer should reflect work in a single National Occupational Classification (NOC). For example, someone working part-time as a hotel receptionist and part-time as a server in the hotel bar should have 2 job offers, even though the employer is the same for both.

Interim measures for work permits

This is a pilot stream under the Provincial/Territorial Nominee Program, and it will be in place until the territorial annex is renegotiated and amended. Work permits under this stream must be issued under LMIA exemption code A75 with special program code YUKONCP.

Employer eligibility

Yukon must provide a nomination to a foreign national with 2 to 3 part-time job offers from up to 3 employers, ensuring the foreign national will accumulate 1,560 hours in a single year (equivalent to annual full-time work).

If an employer should leave the agreement because they can no longer provide adequate work, Yukon must help the foreign national to find new employment to maintain full-time, year-round work.

Foreign worker eligibility

To be eligible for the YCP work permit stream, foreign nationals must

be destined to a job location in a participating community in Yukon
have 2 to 3 job offers with up to 3 employers that will allow them to accumulate 1,560 hours in a single year (equivalent to annual full-time work), within the same participating Yukon

CANADA YCP

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Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)

The Saskatchewan Provincial Nominee Program, officially the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) launched in 1998. It launched to help address economic and labour market needs through immigration to the province.

Saskatchewan's provincial program has been very successful. Seven out of 10 newcomers to the province immigrated through the SINP. The province also has a high employment rate for newcomers, around 76 per cent. Retention rates are also high, with over 85 per cent of newcomers choosing to stay in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan is a popular destination among newcomers. The Saskatchewan PNP program has a reputation of being an “easy PNP". This may be because of the variety of immigration options it provides immigration candidates. Saskatchewan has an enhanced sub-category, and many base sub-categories. The enhanced sub-category is called Saskatchewan Express Entry, and is under the International Skilled Worker Category.

Saskatchewan Immigration Streams:

If you wish to immigrate to Saskatchewan, then you have four options to choose from:

International Skilled Worker Category
Saskatchewan Experience Category
Entrepreneur and Farm Category
International Graduate Entrepreneur Category.

The International Skilled Worker Category is for skilled workers who wish to live and work in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Experience Category is for foreign workers who are already living in Saskatchewan, including holders of a current work permit and international graduates.

The Entrepreneur and Farm Category is for individuals who wish to own and actively operate a business or a farming operation in Saskatchewan.

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Category is for international students graduating from an eligible post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan and who are planning to start a business in the province.

Saskatchewan SINP

International Skilled Worker Category

The International Skilled Worker Category consists of four pathways:

Tech Talent Pathway

This sub-category is for highly skilled workers who have a job offer from a Saskatchewan employer in one of 11 tech occupations.

Employment Offer

This sub-category is for skilled workers who have a job offer from a Saskatchewan employer.

Occupations In Demand

This sub-category is for highly skilled workers with experience in an in-demand occupation in Saskatchewan, who do not yet have a job offer in the province.

Saskatchewan Express Entry

This sub-category is for candidates already in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) Express Entry pool and have skilled work experience in an in-demand occupation in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Experience Category

The Experience Category consists of six pathways:

Skilled Worker With Existing Work Permit

Skilled Worker With Existing Work Permit
Semi-skilled Agriculture Worker with Existing Work Permit
Health Professionals
Hospitality Sector Project
Long Haul Truck Driver Project
Students

Entrepreneur and Farm Category

Entrepreneur Sub-Category

This sub-category is for people who wish to invest in Saskatchewan by establishing, acquiring or partnering in a business in the province. You’re expected to take on an active management role in the business.

International Graduate Entrepreneur Category

This category is for international graduates of eligible post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan, who are planning to start a business. Approved candidates must operate and manage a business in Saskatchewan for at least a year to be eligible for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

Saskatchewan SINP

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Canada Visit Visa

A visitor visa, also referred to as a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is an immigration document that allows foreign nationals to travel to and enter Canada. Unless you are from a visa-exempt country, you will need a visitor visa to enter Canada whether you are coming as a student, temporary worker, or simply to visit. It launched to help address economic and labour market needs through immigration to the province.

There are two types of Canadian visitor visas: single entry visas and multiple entry visas.

A single entry visa allows foreign nationals to enter Canada for one-time only. A multiple entry visa allows holders to enter and leave Canada as often as they want as long as the visa is valid. You don’t need to choose which kind to apply for, applicants are automatically considered for multiple entry visas and are only issued single entry visas under unique circumstances.

Multiple entry visitor visas permit the holder to travel to Canada for six months at a time as many times as they want, as long as the visa remains valid.

Who Needs a Visitor Visa

Everyone who wants to enter Canada who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or otherwise visa-exempt, requires a visitor visa. Canadian permanent residents are not permitted to apply for a visitor visa, even if their permanent resident card has expired. They must instead apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD). Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, are also not permitted to apply for a visitor visa. They must be travelling on a valid Canadian passport. If you are transiting through or coming to Canada for business, not as a temporary foreign worker, you may need a business visitor visa.

Canada Visit Visa

Visa-Exempt Countries

The only people, other than Canadian citizens and permanent residents, who do not require a visitor visa to enter Canada are individuals who are visa-exempt. Canada has agreements with several countries that exempt citizens of those nations from requiring a visa to visit Canada for a period of up to six months. If foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries wish to visit Canada by air, they require a valid electronic travel authorization (eTA).

If they choose to visit by land or by sea, they only require their valid passport issued by a visa-exempt country. The only exception is citizens of the United States. The Canada-U.S. border is the longest undefended land border in the world, and thousands of Canadian and U.S. citizens cross that border every day. U.S. citizens are able to travel to Canada on a valid U.S. passport, and do not require a visitor visa or eTA, provided they are not staying for a period longer than six months. U.S. permanent residents, or Green Card holders, are visa-exempt regardless of their country of citizenship. They require an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, and must present a valid Green Card and a valid passport to enter Canada.

How to Apply

Applicants who need a visitor visa to enter Canada can apply online, with a paper application, or in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC). If you are travelling as a family, each family member, including dependent children, must complete their own application. However, you may submit all of the applications together. Applicants may be required to include biometric information in their application, depending on their country of citizenship. If biometrics are required, the applicant will need to provide their fingerprints and photograph at a biometric collection service point. Biometrics can be collected after submitting the visitor visa application when you are prompted to do so, or at the same time as submission if submitting in person at a Visa Application Center (VAC).

Extending a Visitor Visa

Visitor visas, whether single entry or multiple entry, allow foreign nationals to legally live in Canada for up to six months at a time. At the end of this period, your legal status will expire and you must leave Canada. Foreign nationals who would like to extend their stay beyond six months must apply to do so while their temporary resident status is still valid. You should apply for an extension at least 30 days before your status will expire. If your current visa expires while your extension application is still being processed, you may remain in Canada while waiting for a decision to be made. This is called implied status. You can also apply for permanent resident status, if you are eligible for one of Canada’s immigration programs.

Why Visitor Visas Get Denied

Visitor visas are often rejected due to issues like incomplete documentation, financial instability, criminal background, health concerns, unclear travel intentions, weak ties to the home country, past travel history problems, misrepresentation, overstaying records, or illegal status. For an in-depth understanding of these reasons and valuable insights on improving your visa application, we invite you to explore our comprehensive article titled “Top Reasons Behind Canada Visitor Visa Refusals”. There you can find the guidance you need to enhance your chances of a successful visa approval.

Canada Visit Visa

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Canada Named LMIA

LMIA ( LMIA Work Permit ) is a letter issued by the Labour office of Canada stating that hiring a foreign won’t negatively affect the workforce. To obtain an LMIA, the Canadian employer needs to submit a series of forms and documents proving that the Company
wasn’t able to find the right candidate from local talent.

LMIA Work Permit

When newcomers arrive in the country, there is always the question about finding a job in Canada. It is essential to know that there are different work permits in Canada: Work permits with an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) and Work permits that don’t require an LMIA. LMIA is a letter issued by the Labour Office of Canada stating that hiring a foreign won’t negatively affect the workforce. To obtain an LMIA, the Canadian employer needs to submit a series of forms and documents proving that the Company wasn’t able to find the right candidate from local talent. In this case, the LMIA letter is the first step to secure your job in Canada while you have a valid work permit.

How to apply LMIA Work Permit ?

When a Canadian employer wants to hire a foreign worker, the first step is obtaining a positive or neutral LMIA. To get a positive or neutral LMIA, the employer must provide certain documents and information about the position, why they want to hire a foreign worker and why the Canadian workers could not do this job. If the LMIA is for a position located in Quebec, other documents may apply. When the LMIA is granted, the Canadian company must provide a copy and a job offer to the applicant.

Canada Named LMIA

LMIA requirements for employers

Apply for LMIA to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Obtain positive or neutral LMIA
Provide the foreign with a valid job offer
Update the foreign candidate with the following information: Employer name and address, start date, LMIA number and NOC related to the job position.
Foreign Worker applies for Work Permit. The foreign worker can apply for a temporary work permit to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

LMIA Processing Times

LMIA processing times can be somewhat unpredictable, ranging from a couple of weeks, to a few months. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has pledged to process certain LMIA applications within 10 business days. The following categories will now be processed with a 10-business-day service standard:

All LMIA applications for the highest-demand occupations (skilled trades), or
Highest-paid (top 10%) occupations, or
Short-duration work periods (120 days or less).

LMIA process for candidates

Canadian employers must obtain a neutral or positive LMIA from ESDC. This letter proves that there are not Canadian citizens or residents to do the job.
Employers extend the job offer to the candidate.With the LMIA, the employer must provide a copy and a job offer to the candidate to apply for the work permit in Canada.
The foreign worker applies for Work Permit in Canada:Submit an application to the IRCC for a temporary work permit.
The work permit is issued:At the entry point by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer, the temporary work permit will be issued when the foreign worker arrives in Canada. A temporary work permit may be issued for a few days to a few years.

Canada Named LMIA

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Canada Unamed LMIA

Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, employers can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before a temporary foreign worker (TFW) has been identified. LMIA applications that do not contain the names of the TFWs will be assessed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)/Service Canada and employers who meet the requirements will receive a positive “Unnamed LMIA”, valid for 12 months.

Exceptions

This unnamed LMIA option does not apply to all Program streams and is not offered in all provinces/territories.

All provinces and territories

An unnamed LMIA application can only be submitted for available positions in:

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
Agricultural stream (except for positions in Quebec)
Caregiver Program (except for positions in Quebec)
Low-wage stream (except for positions in Quebec)
High-wage stream (except for positions in Quebec)

Unamed LMIA

Quebec

An LMIA application that does not include the names of the workers cannot be submitted unless the duration of the position is 30 days or less and in one of these streams:

Agricultural stream
Caregiver Program
Low-wage stream
High-wage stream

How to apply

The process for an unnamed LMIA application consists of:

the employer submits an LMIA application without completing the “Foreign Worker Information” section or by indicating “Unnamed” in that section
the application must be accompanied by all supporting documentation as the assessment is the same as a standard LMIA application
the employer must continue to make efforts to recruit Canadians and permanent residents until the names of the TFWs have been provided
ESDC/Service Canada verifies that the LMIA application meets the criteria for an unnamed LMIA, and assesses the application according to the Program requirements
if the result of the assessment is positive, a positive LMIA letter labelled “Unnamed LMIA” will be sent to the employer for a given number of positions, and a specific period of employment
as soon as the TFWs have been identified, the employer must complete and submit the form “Request to Add or Remove a name on an LMIA (EMP5661)” to the appropriate Service Canada processing centre. When the request is to add 10 names or less, employers can also call the Employer Contact Centre for assistance. Note the names cannot be added after the expiry date on the positive LMIA.
ESDC/Service Canada will add the names of the TFWs into the system and issue an official positive LMIA letter to the employer within 5 to 10 business days. The official positive LMIA letter will include the same expiry date as the unnamed positive LMIA letter.

TFWs must apply for a work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before the expiry date of the positive LMIA. Their applications for a work permit must include a copy of the official positive LMIA letter, the annexes, and the employment contract.

Unamed LMIA