How to Immigrate to Canada as a Skilled Worker From Nigeria
Canada is one of the countries that receive the highest number of immigrants per capita in any given year. Most of these immigrants usually end up seeking permanent residence in Canada due to the several benefits that are attached to being a permanent resident in the country including free healthcare system (although this is catered for through tax paid by the citizens), adequate facilities for the disabled and elderly, free public education, low crime rates, high standard of living and several other benefits.
Also Read: Canada Visa Requirements For Nigerian Citizens
There are quite a lot of ways by which immigrants can apply to enter into Canada. However, choosing an avenue to immigrate into Canada with the several options available may become daunting and confusing. Each immigration program by which individuals and families can migrate to Canada has its own application process, eligibility and requirements for different provinces and territories. One of the most popular ways by which people, especially skilled workers seek permanent residence in Canada is through the Skilled Workers System( Express Entry) and below is everything you need to know to ease your application through the system.
The Skilled Worker Immigration System
The skilled worker Immigration program is managed by an electronic system referred to as the Express Entry system. It is designed to permit individuals who are skilled in one category of job or the other and possess the ability to settle well in Canada. These factors give individuals an opportunity to be selected to immigrate into the country. However, to obtain a permanent residence in Canada through the skilled worker system is not a smooth jolly ride; it is fairly time consuming and requires dedication. You must first determine your eligibility to apply for a permanent residence through the express entry, meet certain prerequisites and have the stated requirements.
One can describe a skilled worker as an individual with specified training for unique skills required to carry out certain duties. Usually, skilled workers accepted under the skilled worker immigration system have obtained their skills from an institution either a college, a university, a technical school or through an apprenticeship program. Workers are accepted irrespective of whether they are skilled in the blue-collar or white-collar jobs and across wide-ranging levels of training or education.
The Government of Canada selects skilled immigrants as permanent residents based on certain prerequisites and characteristics. The major criteria are the ability of potential immigrants to settle in Canada easily and contribute significantly to the Canadian economy. An electronic system is employed to manage how people with skilled work experience apply to immigrate to Canada. This system is called the Express Entry System and it depends on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria to calculates each individual’s points and weigh them against others applying through the same avenue. Under the Comprehensive Ranking System criteria, individuals are awarded points based on a predetermined group of factors.
Basic Requirements for Skilled Worker Application
In order to apply for permanent residence through the skilled workers immigration system, an applicant must have the following basic requirements. These include:
- Skilled work experience: just as the name implies, the most important requirement to immigrate to Canada through the skilled workers immigration system is the skilled work experience. An applicant must have experience in a particular field accepted by the Canadian Government under the skilled work immigration system.
Usually, there is a system used to categorize the kind of jobs and skills accepted under the Skilled Workers Immigration System. This system is called the National Occupational Classification (NOC). Under the NOC, various skills are classified based on the job duties and the kind of work involved.
To be eligible to apply as a skilled worker under the Express Entry system, the applicant’s job experience must be under the skill type 0, or level A or B as stated in the National Occupational Classification and described below;
- Skill Type 0 (zero): this includes management occupations. Such occupations include the restaurant or catering services managers, mine managers and shore captains (fishing).
- Skill Level A: this skill type includes professional jobs. These are jobs that usually require a university education or a degree from an institution. Such occupations include medical or veterinary doctors, surgeons, dentists and architects
- Skill Level B: this skill type includes technical occupations and skilled jobs that usually require a college education or period of apprenticeship training. Such occupations include plumbing, carpentry, chefs and electricians.
- Language test or proficiency: it is important to understand at least one of the Canadian official languages (English or French). To provide proof of this, you are required to take a language test and meet the requirement which is the minimum score of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English Language and the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French language. For the language tests, your proficiency will be examined in the four test areas ;
- Writing
- Speaking
- Listening and
- Reading
- Level of Education: for applicants who have their education in other countries but Canada, you will need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) and provide the report from any approved agency. To see the list of approved agencies, you can follow this link. The ECA is a proof that you have a level of education equivalent to a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate as the case may be. However for applicants who have had their education in Canada, all that is required is a copy of your certificate, diploma or degree as applicable as evidence of your educational level.
- Possession of adequate funds: you must also be able to produce evidence that you have adequate funds to ensure your smooth stay in Canada. The Canadian immigration officer must be convinced you can take care of yourself while in Canada. This may however not be required if you already have been offered a job in Canada with evidence of employment and posses a letter of employment from your employer as proof. You may also not need proof of funds if you already possess the legal right to work in Canada
- Admissibility to Canada: another important requirement is to ensure you are admissible to Canada. If you fall into any of the categories below, you are regarded as inadmissible into Canada under the Canada’s immigration law.
- You have criminal record or have been engaged in fraud or violation of other people’s human rights or any organised crime.
- you have been convicted of a crime or undergiojg trial for such outside Canada that would be a crime
- you have a serious health issue or financial problem,
- you have been dishonest in your application or in an interview,
- You have a family member or members not allowed into Canada.
You can determine if you are inadmissible here.
The Selection Criteria
When you want to move to Canada for work through the Skilled Workers Immigration Express Entry system, the government assigns points to every applicant and compares each of them to other people applying through the same system. They use a system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to do this. The CRS looks at different factors to award points to individuals, and these factors include:
- Age : applicants are scored based on their age at the point of application. Applicants under 18 are awarded no points while those between 18 and 35 years are awarded 12 points which is the maximum score for age.
- Applicant’s education: your education will also be scored as one of the major factors. Here you can have a maximum of 25 points.
- Language proficiency: an applicant’s ability to speak, read, write and listen to any one or even both of the Canadian’s official languages will be weighed and scored as points. Under the language criteria, an individual can score a maximum of 28 points
- Work experience: the work experience is scored based on the number of years the applicants have had experience and the maximum score here is 15 points. Candidates with a year experience will be awarded 9 points, if you have between 2-3 years, its 11 points and so on. People with 6 years experience or above are awarded 15 points.
- Job offer: applicants with a job offer can get as much as 10 points under the CRS. You must have a valid job offer in Canada to be awarded points under this factor.
- Adaptability: an applicant can score a maximum of 10 points based on their ability to adapt easily and settle in Canada.
Important Tip: To qualify and be sent an immigration invitation to Canada through the Skilled Workers express entry system, an applicant must have at least 67 out of the 100 points as divided under the factors stated above.
How to apply
The following are the basic steps to follow if you wish to apply for permanent residence in Canada through the Skilled workers Immigration (Express Entry System);
Step 1: Determine your eligibility
You are required to first determine your eligibility before proceeding to apply under the skilled workers system. You can determine your eligibility to apply for permanent residence in Canada through federal skilled workers express entry.
Step 2: Create your online Express entry Profile
After you have successfully determined your eligibility, you must then create an online express entry profile. The express entry profile is created online and the process is free of any fees or service charge, the system is also secured such that applicant’s information is well protected.
Step 3: Create a job match account
This is the third stage in the application process for express entry system. Although this step is not compulsory, it is highly recommended. After completing your online express entry profile and being accepted into the pool of candidates, the next step is to create a job match account or link up with recruiters. The job match account is a system of job search in Canada. It is an online job search tool used to connect job seekers or potential employees with employers who have job offers that suit the skills of the applicants. It is important to create a job match account so that an applicant can easily find a job once they arrive in Canada. Having a job offer in Canada increases an applicant’s chance of been invited for permanent resident application in Canada. You can also keep using your job match account even while in Canada.
Step 4: Apply for Permanent Residence
Once an applicant has been accepted into the pool of applicants and sent an invitation to apply for permanent residence. The next step is to go ahead and apply. You will be given a period of ninety (90) days to apply for your permanent residence in Canada once you have received an invitation. During your application, ensure that you fill all your forms correctly and completely and attach all requested documents.
The period of getting your application for permanent residence processed may take up to six months depending on the situations surrounding your application. However, it may also take less time if your application does not require much investigation or request for other documents.
Important Things to Note
Applicants should pay attention to the following details:
- Unpaid internships of volunteer work do not count as job experience in the skilled immigrant system. Ensure that you include only paid work in your experience.
- Work experience to be used in your application must not have been over ten years.
- Work experience is required to be at least a total of 1,560 hours (a total of one year) either as part time or full time.
- Ensure that you provide proof of work experience that indicates clearly how you wee bale to carry out the duties allocated to the job experience and skill type as described in the National Occupational Classification.
- Inability to show your work experience with the specific descriptions stated within the NOC will make you totally ineligible for the plan.
- It is possible for an express entry applicant to not receive immigration invitation to apply for permanent residence. In this case, such applicant is advised to create and submit another profile. However, this must be after twelve (12) months of creating the first Express Entry profile.
- Invitations are sent out to highest ranking individuals periodically to apply for permanent resident from the available profiles in the system and based on the points per factors of such applicants.
There are factors that affect the number of applicants that are sent invitation through the Canadian express entry system apart from ranking. One of these is the Periodic Quota-the Canadian government usually sets a baseline or quota for the maximum number of applicants that will be sent immigration invites periodically. For the year 2018, the quota was fixed at 310,000 with different quotas for each month, hence only the top ranking 310,000 individuals from the system will be sent immigration invites at that period even if there are others who meet the cut off.
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I am a Nigerian and currently working in the United Nations office in Nigeria as a radio communication operator/security expert. I want to know if my job qualifies me for the skilled worker immigrant. Also, if im qualified,can i bring my family(wife and 3 children)along?
How long does the whole process take?
Please i need reply.
Nice going through this piece. I’m a prospect and applying for federal skilled worker with my family and our scores on the CRS is 360. Here you’re talking about 60–100 and from update I saw in CIC news bulletins 440, for qualification.
I’m considering taking another language proficiency test to boost my score.
kindly advice as I am confused about the score you wrote…atleast 60-100
Hi, travalvisa, Thanks for this wonderful information I’m planning to go to Canada this next year and you helping me to know the whole process through your blog you share a nice piece of information, You tells us a lot in basic requirements for a skilled worker.
Thanks for this. Which site can I create my online express entry profile
I read and understand the terms and conditions carefully, I wish to apply for a job as a skill parson thanks.
Can I get married over there