Canada ranks 6th in the world in terms of Indian population living overseas. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 million Canadians have Indian origins and they make up just over 4% of the total Canadian population. Geographically Canada borders the United States of American to its south and west, Canada is the second largest country in the world by total area after Russia. The primary languages spoken in Canada are English & French. Canada’s proximity to USA, cold climate, scenic beauty, good living conditions and easier to obtain citizenship norms make it a hotspot for Indians wishing to migrate abroad. Canada’s capital city is Ottawa and Montreal, Toronto & Vancouver make up the largest population centres of the country.
This guide will help you understand all the requisites, conditions needed to move to Canada and answer all your doubts. Note – This write-up only provides a basic outline of the topics covered below, please do your own thorough research before making any decisions.
Sponsored LinksImmigration Necessities
There are different ways one can enter Canada be it for work, study or settle there. All the immigration methods have different prerequisites and you can see if you qualify for it. We have outlined the different methods for migrating to Canada below –
- Express Entry: There are 3 programs under Express Entry pathway to move to Canada. Express Entry is the fastest way for skilled professionals and their families to move to Canada. The first thing you need to check is your eligibility to apply for Express Entry under any of these 3 programs. If you are eligible, you can submit your profile to Canadian immigration via a specified process. Your profile will be scored on the basis of numerous factors like your age, education, work experience, English/French communication skills and other factors. The Canadian immigration aims to process Express Entry applications within 6 months from date of application. Approximately once in every 2 weeks, the Canadian immigration invites successful applicants on behalf of the Canadian government to apply for Permanent Residence visa in Canada.
The cost for Canadian residency via Express Entry depends on the costs of the language tests required, educational credentials assessment, police clearance fess and medical clearance tests & certificates. All the mentioned fees along with Permanent Residence Application fees have to be calculated before you decide to apply. The permanent residence application fees can cost between $ 1,300 and $ 1,400 for each adult and around $ 250 per child.
Sponsored Links- Provincial Nominee Programs: Via the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), the Canadian government allows its provinces & territories to manage their own PNPs to acquire and help people with the requisite skills, education and work experience required in the area under their jurisdiction to move to Canada. All provinces which have PNPs have different requirements and criteria for students, business entrepreneurs semi-skilled and skilled employees. If opting for entry via PNPs, research thoroughly through each province’s requirements and desired qualifications and plan expenditure required after tallying the fees for all the requisite processes.
- Other Entry Programs: Canada has announced special immigration entry ways so that international graduates, frontline & essential workers and French-speaking people can opt to remain in Canada permanently. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can research more about these special entry programs which can fast track your immigration application progress as Canada has opened some 90, 000 spots for immigration in 2021. There are also other specific programs like the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, Quebec Experience Program, Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, Start-up Program, caregiver pathways among others which encourage immigrants with the required expertise to settle in Canada.
- Family Sponsorship: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of minimum 18 years of age can sponsor a relative to move to Canada. So, if you have any relatives currently residing in Canada, they can sponsor you to move to Canada should they be willing to do so. The application fees will depend on the type of relationship between the sponsor and the applicant, the process could take up to a year if sponsoring spouse and upto 2 years if the sponsor is sponsoring grandparents. The sponsor cost for an adult ranges between $ 1000 and $ 1500 and for children it is around $ 150 to $ 200.
- Work & Student Permits: Canada also offers work permits with or without Labour Market Impact Assessments depending on the job requisites and the countries from which the applicant is applying. Canada is also offering study permits to students during the pandemic, students who cannot travel to Canada to study can study in their respective countries at Canadian designated learning institutions and be eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) later. Once a student receives Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from Canadian DLIs (schools, colleges, universities & other such educational institutions) authorised to invite international students, the student has to submit an application to the immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to prove fluency in language skills and evidence to be able to financially support any family members who might move with you to Canada.
Living Costs in Canada
After all the expenditure on application and immigration process fees, comes the cost of moving and living to Canada. Travel and logistical costs can go into thousands of dollars depending on how much stuff you decide to move from here to Canada. The average cost for living in Canada for a family of 4 is around $ 3,674 whereas the average cost of living for a single individual comes to around $ 1,109 per month. According to estimates by the Canadian govt., the average Canadian family or individual spends around 35% to 50% of their income on housing, utilities and other expenditure required for living. The rent also varies with which area of Canada you decide to move to. The average rent for a room for a single person comes to about $350 a month and increases to $2000 a month for a larger apartment or independent house for a family. The living costs in Canada across different regions are listed below:
- Atlantic Canada: Less expensive compared to other provinces and more natural beauty to live around.
Average 2 bedroom rent – $1000 to $1500
Average salaries in Atlantic Canada – $42,000 to $60,000
- Quebec: Prefers French speaking immigrants. Low living costs and rent.
Average 2BHK rent – $800 to $1300
Average Salaries in Quebec – $49,000
- Ontario: Population centre of Canada, Toronto falls in Ontario. Expensive rent and high living costs but many immigrant communities to join/connect with.
Average 2BHK rent – $1000 to $3000
Average salaries in Ontario – $55,000
- The Prairies – Higher rent and living costs than most Canadian provinces.
Average 2BHK rent – $1200 to $2750
Average salaries in The Prairies – $45,000 to $63,000
- British Columbia – Vancouver lies in British Columbia, very picturesque surroundings and pleasant climatic conditions with high rent and living costs.
Average 2BHK rent – $2500 to $3500
Average salaries in British Columbia – $54,000
Now that you have a good outline of what to expect when you move to Canada, you can plan and decide whether relocating to Canada is a good option for you.
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