Top 5 Immigration Pathways to Canada in 2021

Planning to move to Canada in 2021? Specific changes have been made due to the global pandemic, but the country is expected to relax its closures to welcome over 400,000 new permanent residents and hundreds of thousands of temporary workers and students this year.

There are many ways to immigrate to Canada, but a few stand out this year. Here are five popular options for immigrants to consider in 2021.

Express Entry

Designed for skilled workers, Express Entry expected individuals under this type of immigration pathway to contribute to Canada’s economy for the long haul. They plan to welcome over 100,000 new permanent residents through Express Entry in 2021. With that, three programs fall under this particular immigration system:

Federal Skilled Worker: With foreign work experience
Canadian Experience Class: With Canadian work experience
Federal Skilled Trades: With employment or licensing in Canada

Express Entry is a highly competitive immigration system. Your application will be based on several factors, such as:

Language Ability
Level of Education
Work Experience
Canadian Connections

The eligibility requirements follow a point system with a total of 1,200 points. Only the ones with the highest scores will be invited to submit their applications through Express Entry Draws.

If you get an application invitation, you and your accompanying family members can apply directly for Canadian permanent resident status. The applications are processed in less than six months.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

PNPs are mini-immigration programs organized by various provinces and territories in the country. Canada aims to welcome more than 80,000 new permanent residents through PNPs this year.

PNPs allow provinces to implement immigration programs that are designed to meet their needs. Therefore, each province in Canada has different PNP streams. There are four types of PNP streams:

Job Offer
In-Demand Occupations
Connection to the Province
Business/Entrepreneur

Work Permits

Canadian work permits allow an individual to come to the country and work for a specific period. Some work permits enable individuals to change employers and move around the country, while others are tied to a particular employer in a particular location.

In 2019, the country admitted over 400,000 temporary workers. There are various types of work permits:

International Experience Canada (IEC)
Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
Intra-Company transfer
USMCA or CUSMA

Albeit a work permit only allows temporary residents, it can still be a stepping stone towards permanent status. This is because as a worker in the country, individuals can gain valuable work experience. In turn, this makes them a more competitive candidate for Express Entry or PNPs.

Study Permits

Canada is known to have one of the best education systems in the world. In 2019, Canada admitted over 400,000 new international students.

Coming to Canada as an international student has many benefits. For one, you can work while studying in the country. Another thing is that you may be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit after you finish your studies. This allows international graduates to gain Canadian work experience, which can be their stepping stone towards permanent resident status.

Family Sponsorship

If you’re in a relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, family sponsorship is a great way to immigrate to Canada in 2021. However, only certain types of relatives are eligible to be sponsored: