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What are the requirements for immigrating to Canada? How much does it cost?

Published on 2024-07-09 Updated on 2024-11-05

Canada is one of the countries with the highest immigration rate in the world. So how to immigrate to Canada? Next, I will introduce several immigration methods and the conditions that need to be met. How much does it cost to apply and prepare for immigration? This will involve how to remit money to Canada. Don’t worry, we will answer them one by one.

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How to remit money

First, let’s take a look at the remittance issue. After going to Canada, there will be a lot of fees. At this time, you need to choose a legal, compliant, convenient and fast remittance method.

Specifically, you can use BiyaPay for remittance. It supports real-time exchange rate inquiry and exchange of more than 20 legal currencies and more than 200 digital currencies, providing a more convenient and efficient solution. It mainly has the following advantages:

Local transfer method: Integrates local transfer methods in most regions, allowing for zero cost intermediate bank transfer to Canada.

Unlimited amount: Support overseas remittances in most countries or regions around the world, with no limit on the remittance amount.

Instant arrival: It can achieve instant arrival and provide efficient service.

Legal and safe: Global remittances are completed online, supporting full-process chain tracking and having multiple compliance qualifications.

Immigration methods

Canada offers three main immigration methods: skilled immigration, investment immigration, and family immigration. Next, let’s take a look at the specific conditions that need to be met. Among them, investment immigration is only applicable to Quebec, and some programs have closed for application, which will not be elaborated in detail.

Skilled migration conditions

Overall, Canada has five skilled immigration programs. One of them is designed specifically for Quebec, and the other four are applicable to other provinces. The first three immigration programs introduced below are all “Express Entry” and take about six months to process.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

（Federal Skilled Worker Program）

Applicable to individuals engaged in management, professional, and technical work. In addition to the “Comprehensive Ranking System CRS” commonly used by Express Entry, this program also has an independent scoring system that requires at least 67 points in a 100-point scoring system, as well as meeting the minimum work experience (one year), language proficiency (IELTS at least 6.0), and education level (high school or above) requirements.

Federal Trades Program

（Federal Skilled Trades Program）

For skilled workers, at least two years of work experience are required, meeting the requirements of working in Canada (at least one year of full-time contract) and language proficiency (IELTS listening and speaking at least 6.0, reading at least 3.5, writing at least 4.0).

Canadian Experience Class Immigration

（Canada Experience Class Program）

Suitable for applicants with work experience in Canada, who need to meet one year of work experience and language proficiency (according to occupational classification, the overall IELTS score is at least 4.0 or 6.0).

Self-employed person immigration program

（Self-employed Persons Program）

Applicable to those with relevant experience in the cultural and sports fields, who need to score 35 points or above (out of 100 points) in independent scoring, and have at least two years of relevant experience, with a processing time of 21 months.

Quebec’s Regular Skilled Worker Program

（QuebecRegularSkilled Worker Program）

For those who intend to immigrate to Quebec, it is divided into two stages: first, submit a letter of intent and obtain a “Quebec Selection Certificate” before applying for immigration. Applicants need to score 50 points (out of 103 points) for being single or 59 points (out of 120 points) for being married in the scoring system. The overall process takes about 15 to 17 months.

Dependent immigration conditions

Canada’s Dependent Immigration Program allows spouses, dependent or adopted children, parents or grandparents, and other relatives to immigrate through family reunification. Eligible sponsors include Native Americans, Canadian citizens, and permanent residents who are over 18 years old and registered in Canada. Applicants must have good financial status and no criminal record, and have not received any social assistance. The processing time for this program is usually 12 months (spouse category) and 20 to 24 months (parent or grandparent category).

The required conditions for “dependent immigration” are:

  • After the application is approved, the main applicant must return to Canada to reside
  • Having sufficient income to ensure that basic needs of relatives can be met
Number of family members Minimum income requirement (CAD)
1 (Applicant) 25,338
2 31,544
3 38,780
4 47,084
5 53,402
Each additional person thereafter 6,827
  • The guarantor shall bear financial responsibility for the guaranteed relatives for a certain period of time
Kinship type Period of financial responsibility
Spouse 3 years
Dependent/adopted children under 22 years old 10 years or until age 25 (whichever is earlier)
Dependent children aged 22 or above 3 years
Parents or grandparents 20 years
Other relatives 10 years

Immigration scoring

The scoring system for Canadian immigration only applies to the skilled immigration program, and there are a total of four scoring systems.

The total score of the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is 1,200 points, divided into four parts. Based on the applicant’s scores, the immigration bureau will issue an Invitation To Apply (ITA) based on their scores.

The total score of the Federal Skilled Worker Program points system is 100 points, divided into six parts. Applicants need to score at least 67 points to submit their application.

The total score of the self-employed immigration program scoring system is 100 points, divided into five parts. Applicants need to score at least 35 points to submit their application.

The full score of Quebec’s regular skilled immigration program scoring system is 103 points (single) or 120 points (married), divided into nine sections. Single applicants need to score at least 50 points, and married applicants need to score at least 59 points to be eligible for further application. Scores will also affect the waiting time for obtaining an immigration invitation.

Immigration costs

The following are the application fees and other fees for the skilled migration program.

Cost items Amount
Application fee CAD 1325 (including CAD 500 application processing fee and CAD 825 permanent residency fee)
Secondary applicant (e.g. spouse) The application processing fee of CAD 825 plus the permanent residency fee of CAD 500, totaling CAD 1,325
Dependent children 225 Canadian dollars
Language test fees (such as IELTS) About $300
Educational qualification certification fee About 200-300 Canadian dollars
Medical examination fee About 200-400 Canadian dollars
Certificate of no criminal record About 20-50 Canadian dollars

Let’s take a look at the cost of family immigration again:

Cost items Amount
Guarantor application fee $75
Main applicant The application processing fee of CAD 475 plus the permanent residency fee of CAD 500, totaling CAD 975
Spouse 975 Canadian dollars
Dependent children $150 CAD

Summary

The above is an introduction to the relevant conditions that immigrants need to meet. Everyone can choose the appropriate immigration project according to their own situation. Of course, this article is only a brief summary of relevant information. You can go to the official website to check the latest policies and more detailed information.

Finally, I wish everyone a smooth immigration journey!