Moving to Canada from Ireland

For many, the prospect of living in Canada is a lifelong dream, and it is easy to see why. Beautiful landscapes, cosmopolitan cities, high-paying jobs and an excellent quality of life are just some of the benefits which Canada offers.

Some may wish to emigrate to Canada to join with family members, or to return to the wonderful country which they experienced in their youth. Perhaps you have received a job offer or wish to operate a business in the country.

The route through which you can emigrate to Canada depends on your individual circumstances.

Typically, if you are classed as a ‘skilled person’, you will be able to apply for ‘Express Entry’ which is the most favourable immigration route for foreign nationals emigrating to Canada. The Express Entry will be the main focus of this article.

If you are classed as a ‘skilled worker’, you will be offered a quicker route to emigrate to Ireland – the Express Entry.

The Canadian government choose skilled workers based on their skills and ability to contribute to the Canadian economy.

There are three economic immigration programmes under the Express Entry route:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

The National Occupation Classification (NOC) is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labour market, categorised according to skill type and skill level.

The National Occupation Classification is a system which is used to categorise different types of jobs.

The main job groups are as follows:

• Skill Type (0): Management jobs such as restaurant managers, shore captains and mine managers
• Skill Level A: Professional jobs which usually call for a degree from a university such as doctors, dentists, architects, IT professionals
• Skill Level B: Technical jobs and skilled trades which usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice such as plumbers, chefs and electricians
• Skill Level C: Intermediate jobs which usually call for high school and/or job-specific training such as long-haul truck drivers, food and beverage servers and industrial butchers
• Skill Level D: Labour jobs which usually give on-job training such as cleaning staff, fruit pickers and oil-field workers

To prove that you are eligible for Express Entry, you will need to provide certain information.

Due to the fact that it may take some time to gather certain information, it is recommended that you begin the process of collating the information before you begin the official profile.

You may need to provide information from the following documents:

• Passport or travel document
• English/French language test results (if applicable)
• Educational credential assessment report
• Provincial nomination
• Written job offer from employer in Canada

As alluded to above, you will need to prove your level of English/French ability if you are not a native speaker of either language. The level which you need to pass depends on the Express Entry route through which you are applying. More details about this can be found in the FAQs.

The Express Entry profile is an online system where you give information about yourself.

Canadian immigration officials will consider the profile and if they deem you to be eligible for the Express Entry, you will be accepted into the pool of candidates.

You will be ranked in the Express Entry pool using the points-based system, and your score will be based on the information provided in your profile.

Invitations to make permanent residence applications are given to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool. When you receive your invitation, the first step is to complete the online application form.

It is important to note that you must submit a permanent residence application within 60 days of your invitation.

Once you have received the invitation, you will need to upload certain documents to your profile. The online system will provide a personalised document checklist once you’ve fully completed the application form.

Any documents which are not in English or French must be translated. Both the translation and a certified photocopy of the original document must be uploaded.

The next step in the application process is to pay the permanent residence application fee. Once you have completed the online application form and uploaded your documents, you will be notified of the fees you need to pay.

The fees for a permanent residence application are as follows (all in Canadian dollars)

• Application: $1,325
• Application without permanent residence fee: $825
• Include spouse/partner: $1,325
• Include spouse/partner without permanent residence: 825
• Dependent child: $225

Once you have submitted your application, Canadian immigration officials will assess it to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and that you have submitted all necessary documents.

You will be contacted through your online account explaining what the next steps in the process are. At this stage, you will need to provide your biometric information (fingerprints and photo) and you will be notified of where you need to go to provide this information.

You may be asked at this stage to provide additional documentation or to attend an interview if immigration officials deem it to be necessary.

In most circumstances, a decision will be reached on your application within six months. You will be kept updated throughout.

Yes, certain relatives can come to live, study and work in Canada with you if you are a permanent resident in Canada and are at least 18-years-old.

You must pay a fee if you wish to sponsor a relative, and there are a number of requirements which you must fulfil as the sponsor, including having the financial means to support yourself and your family member.

Ordinarily, you will be able to sponsor the following relatives:

• Spouse/partner
• Dependent child
• Parents of you
• Grandparents of you

As mentioned above, there are a number of other routes which can lead to permanent residency in Canada.

• Provincial nominees. This is an option if you have been nominated by a Canadian province or territory
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot. This is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who want to work and live in one of Canada’s four Atlantic Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or New Brunswick
• Start-up visa. This is for entrepreneurs who wish to start their own business in Canada. You must have a qualifying business, a letter of support from a designated organisation, meet the language requirements and have enough money to settle in Canada
• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. This is a community-drive program designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities. It is for skilled workers who wish to work and live in one of the participating communities
• Quebec-selected skilled workers. This is for those who hold a Quebec Selection Certificate from the Government of Quebec and wish to become permanent residents of Quebec
• The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot scheme enables those who qualify to become permanent residents in Canada
• Self-employed Persons Program. This scheme enables people to emigrate to Canada permanently as a self-employed person. To be eligible, the applicant must have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics and be willing to make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada
• Agri-Food Pilot. This scheme is a pathway to permanent residence for experienced, non-seasonal workers in specific industries and occupations. This scheme is running until May 2023

International Experience Canada is a special working holiday program for young people in a select group of countries.

Citizens of Ireland are eligible for the International Experience Canada program. You can participate in the program once, and it lasts for up to 24 months.

There are three different options within the working holiday program:

• Working Holiday. This is for those who do not have a job offer yet, want to work for more than one employer in Canada and want to work in more than one location
• Young Professionals. You can apply for this scheme if you have a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development and will work in the same location and for the same employer in Canada
• International Co-op Internship. This is for those who wish to get overseas work experience related to their field of study

To be eligible for the scheme, you must:

• Be an Irish citizen
• Have a valid Irish passport for the duration of your stay in Canada
• Between the ages of 18 and 35 (inclusive)
• Not be inadmissible to Canada
• Have a minimum of $2,500 Canadian dollars to help cover expenses in Canada
• Paid all application fees
• Have health insurance for the duration of your stay in Canada
• Have a round-trip ticket or can demonstrate that you have the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket at the end of your stay in Canada
• Not be accompanied by dependents