How to Come to Canada ( Choose Your Best Pathway)

Inside: If you’re planning to apply to Canada, this guide on how to come to Canada will let you choose your best pathway.

I know you have been dreaming of coming to Canada. You have heard a lot of good things about life here. Mind you, it’s not all good things though. Especially in the first few months or even a few years, there will be lots of struggles and challenges. This is applicable for those who are staying longer or permanently, but not for tourists.

My family has been living here in Canada for the last 14 years and I would say, it took us like 7 years before we really felt stable and secure. It might not be the same for everyone, but for sure it’s not all beds of roses.

Looking back on all those difficulties though, I could say that they’re all worth it because life is more comfortable now for my family.

Let me tell you about these then.

The different pathways on how to come to Canada:

1. Study permit

This is the most common pathway for the younger age group. It doesn’t matter if you are still a student back home or already working, as long as you’re willing to go back to school. There are lots of colleges and universities that accept foreign students. These need to be designated learning institutions ( DLI ) and you need to obtain a letter of acceptance from your school of choice before you can secure a temporary resident visa to enter Canada.

Be ready for expensive financial requirements though, including tuition fees ( should be fully paid for the first year of study ) and a guaranteed investment certificate ( GIC ) of at least $10,000 from any bank insured by the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation ( CDIC ) or any bank listed in the IRCC SDS web page.

Make sure that your letter of acceptance from your school is not fake because some agents might issue one and could cause you to be deported back home.

You can apply for Permanent residency later if you have gained certain working hours after graduation and you need a post-graduation work permit ( PGWP) for this. This is if you want to stay for good in Canada, which is usually what you intended in the first place, I assume.

Watch this video of an international student’s experience on her journey and application process.

2. Tourist visa

If you just want to visit your family, relatives, or friends who are already here for a certain number of months, sometimes it’s easy to secure a visa, but sometimes it’s not. It depends on your life circumstance, for example, if you’re still single or married, or have a stable job in your home country.

During the interview, you really have to convince the Canadian embassy agent that you are really just visiting and plan to go back home after your temporary stay.

This is also common for parents who have children here in Canada. Or if you just want to see or explore Canada and experience life here, before finally applying to stay permanently.

You also need ” show money ” in your application, to provide proof that you can support yourself while staying temporarily in Canada.

I remember when I was already in my 30s but still single, and had a stable job in the Philippines, I was denied in my application as a tourist. I did not know the reason, probably they thought that I might stay illegally and not come back after my visit. Who knows?

3. Work permit

Some people like this pathway because they don’t require ” show money,” but looking for a job and therefore securing a job offer might be a challenge.

There are two kinds of permits: employer-specific work permits and open work permits. The first one needs an employment contract and Labour Market Impact Assessment ( LMIA ) while the latter is offered only in specific situations.

You can apply for permanent residency before your work permit expires so you can stay for good. Some temporary workers are not able to do this in time and could be the cause of being deported back home.

4. Permanent Residency

This was our pathway. We had relatives here and it was not hard to apply. It was all paperwork then for us, as compared nowadays that you can apply online. This might take longer for some applicants like 4-5 years, but for us, it took only 2 years. Having relatives in the province where we applied might have boosted our application.

There are various programs to apply for as permanent residents: Provincial Nominee Program ( specific for the province of your choice ) Federal Skilled Worker Program, Express Entry Program, etc.

As permanent residents, you will have benefits, like free healthcare, free education for your young kids ( elementary and high school ) and child tax benefits, etc.

You can bring your whole family with you when you come as long as they are listed in your application. After a certain number of years or days of stay in Canada, you can then apply to become a citizen, be able to vote and be issued a Canadian passport, which can be your legal requirement to enter the US and other countries.

Start your journey now!

There you go, four pathways to come to Canada. Whether you just want to visit, study, work for a few months or years, or plan to stay for good, you can try any of those mentioned.

Just be sure that you are 100% positive about your decision and are willing to face all the struggles to become challenges, then start your journey now.

If you want a better future for your family, Canada is one of the best places to apply.

We can help you make your plans happen– we will assist and guide you in the best way that we can. Email us at admin@canadaboundcoaching.com.

If you have questions, please post them below.

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