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How to Immigrate to Canada from India?
India became the biggest source of immigration to Canada in 2017. In 2019, 85,585 Indians migrated to Canada representing 25% of the total immigration to Canada. India is also the top source of international students who choose to study in Canada. As many as 219,855 Indian students choose to enroll in various courses in Canada in 2019.
Even during the coronavirus pandemic, Canada immigration for Indians is still open. Those who qualified for Canada Permanent Residency visa before restrictions were put in place got admitted to the country while temporary workers from abroad were also allowed to work in crucial industries like food supply and healthcare. The federal government of Canada released the 'immigration levels plan' just before the COVID-19 outbreak where it said that it is ready to welcome more than 1.1 million new permanent residents until 2022.
While the immigration levels were quite low in April and May 2020, the number of immigrants increased to the pre-pandemic level by June 2020. So, this is the right time to start the Canada PR process for Indians.
Visa2Immigration is the best Canada immigration consultant in Delhi which offers you the services of experts who can guide you on which visa and immigration programs are best suited to you and can increase your chances of success.
What are the popular options for Canada immigration for Indians?
Canada immigration programs most popular in Indians are:
- Business Immigration (which includes the Start-Up Visa Program)
- Family Class Sponsorship
- Federal Economic Class
- Provincial Economic Class
- Quebec Immigration
- Temporary Residence Program (which can later be transitioned to the Permanent Residence Program)
Am I eligible for the Business Immigration Program?
Entrepreneurs and investors from India can apply for Canada’s business immigration programs if they meet all the requirements.
The federal government of Canada offers three types of business immigration, which include:
- Self Employed Program
- Start-Up Visa Program
- Immigrant Investor Venture Capital (IIVC) Pilot Program
We will elaborate on the start-up visa program here as it is most popular among Indians but if you are interested in knowing about other programs, consult Visa2Immigration experts now.
What is the Start-Up Visa Program?
The Start-Up Visa Program is a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for immigrant entrepreneurs. If you are an innovator and can get funding from a private sector investor in Canada, you can settle in Canada on a work permit at first, establish and run your business, and then, apply for the PR visa.
Applicants for the Start-Up Visa must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- They must have a qualifying business.
- They have sufficient settlement funds that are available, unencumbered, and transferable.
- They meet the English or French language requirement and achieve scores that match the Canadian Language Benchmark Level 5.
- They have a Commitment Certificate and Letter of Support from a designated entity (or investor).
A qualifying business must be incorporated in Canada and conduct its business there. The applicant must have at least 10 percent of the corporation’s voting rights and no other person should hold 50 percent or more of the voting rights in it.
Private-sector investors you can join hands with include:
- Angel investors,
- Business incubators, and
- Venture capital funds.
To be the A Start-Up Visa Program designated entity, investors need to meet the following requirements:
- An angel investor group must invest at least $75,000 in the business to be designated. If candidates can get two or more investors providing an investment of $75,000, they are allowed to do so.
- A venture capital fund needs to invest at least $200,000 to be designated. Candidates may also collect that much through 2 or more VC funding.
- A business incubator must agree to incubate the applicant’s business to be considered designated.
An investor can support up to five PR candidates for the same business at a time but if one of them withdraws his or her application, applications of all other applicants may get terminated too.
What is the Quebec Immigration Program?
Amongst the business programs of Canada, Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is quite popular as it is the only investment program that is passive and still leads to Canadian PR. Right now, it is paused by the provincial government of Quebec.
To be an investor in Quebec, you need to:
- Invest $1.2 million in passive investment guaranteed by the government for five years. This investment does not offer you any interest.
- Have a net worth of $2 million,
- Have two years of management or business experience within the five years before applying for the program, and
- Have an intention to settle in Quebec province.
Quebec also runs self-employed or immigrant entrepreneur programs like other provinces.
Most of the provinces in Canada require you to operate businesses and spend time there as a temporary resident before granting you the PR status.
What does Owner-Operator Business Immigration mean?
Visa2Immigration’s Canada immigration consultant in Delhi also helps candidates from the UAE who intend to make use of the ‘Buy a Business and Move to Canada’ program option. Under this option, immigrants can buy the majority of the shares in an existing profitable business in Canada. Once they are transferred in your name, you can get a temporary work permit on that basis.
You can then transition to the Permanent Residence status later.
Am I eligible for the Family Class Sponsorship Program?
If your family members are already permanent residents or citizens of Canada, they can sponsor you for PR. A sponsor must be at least 18 years old and be able to support you financially, if necessary. They have to sign a sponsorship agreement agreeing to that.
Family members that can be sponsored include:
- Spouse, Common-Law Partner, or Conjugal Partner,
- Parents,
- Dependent Children,
- Grandparents,
- Siblings, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren who are orphans, under 18, and are not married or have common-law relationships,
- Other relatives under specific conditions (such as spouse, partner, or dependent children of the above).
If you are sponsoring a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, you need to agree that once they become permanent residents of Canada, you will support them for at least three years. In the case of dependent children, you need to provide for them financially until they are 25 or for 10 years (whichever comes first).
Am I eligible for the Federal Economic Class Program?
Canada is ready to accept as many as 200,000 immigrants under the Federal Economic Class program over the next three years. The largest cohort that gets accepted under this option is of highly-skilled workers.
If you are applying for Canadian permanent residence form India, you can apply under the following federal economic class options:
The federal economic class immigration option operated through the Express Entry (EE) system. Many provincial nomination programs that fall under the ‘economic class’ category also work through EE.
Am I eligible for the Provincial Economic Class Program?
Applicants who do not qualify for the Federal Economic Class program may get through Provincial Immigration programs. Many Canadian permanent residents from India use provincial streams to enter the country. Each provincial immigration program may have its own eligibility requirements to meet the specific demands of the market which may include specific skills.
Popular provincial economic-class immigration programs in Canada are:
- Alberta Immigration
- British Columbia Immigration
- Manitoba Immigration
- New Brunswick Immigration
- Newfoundland Immigration
- Nova Scotia Immigration
- Ontario Immigration
- Prince Edward Island Immigration
- Quebec Immigration
- Saskatchewan Immigration
Consult our experts to know the best-suited federal or provincial immigration program for India based on the latest information.
Am I eligible to apply for Permanent Residency in Canada if I am already on a Temporary Residence Program?
Many times, the Canada PR process for Indian people starts with entering the country as a temporary worker. If you are not eligible to apply for Canada PR in India, you may choose this route to enter the country.
The time you spend in Canada counts towards your PR application. Popular temporary resident programs for skilled workers include:
- Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP),
- International Mobility Program, and
- International Experience Canada Program.
Caregivers have separate streams and can apply for work permits under the TFWP. Temporary residents can later transition to permanent residents of Canada and mention their Canadian work experience to gain more immigration points.
