General Requirements

Prospective immigrants who want to settle in Canada must meet the criteria set by the Canadian immigration authorities. In order to qualify for a visa you have to fit into one of the following categories: family class, skilled worker, business person or temporary worker. Meeting the criteria is the first step towards obtaining a visa for Canada. Meeting the health and character requirements is equally important. The Canadian immigration authorities require you and the family members in your application to undergo a medical examination by a designated medical practitioner. Before the visa can be issued, all applicants over the age of 18 must obtain a police clearance report for every country in which they have lived for more than six months.

Family Visa

Persons with close relatives in Canada can apply for a family class visa. You can be sponsored if you are the spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner (person with a genuine and stable relationship with a partner in Canada, but not cohabitating), dependent child or (grand)parent of a permanent resident of Canada or a Canadian citizen.

Your sponsor must be at least 18 years of age and reside in Canada. An exemption is made for Canadian citizens, who may also sponsor their spouse, partner and dependent children if they are living outside Canada.

Sponsorship means that the sponsor must be able to provide living accommodation, and help the relative and family members to settle in Canada. If necessary, the sponsor also must provide the relatives with financial support for a period of 3-10 years. The sponsorship must be approved before you can submit your immigration application.

Persons who wish to sponsor their (grand)parents must meet the Low Income Cut Off (LICO) threshold. This amounts to about CA$ 25,500 gross income per year for two persons (sponsor + sponsored person); for each additional person in either family, the minimum necessary income increases by about CA$ 5,500.

Skilled Worker Visa

Applicants in this category need at least one year of work experience in a profession or trade on the occupation list. You also need to have completed at least an advanced vocational education, or have obtained a Bachelor's or Master's degree and must be able to show proof.

In some cases your qualifications need to be recognized by a professional association or institute in Canada.

In the skilled worker category, knowledge of either English or French is a must.

Additional points may be allocated for family living in Canada, the educational qualifications of your partner and a job offer. Applicants in this category must pass the points test. Finally, a single person must be able to take a minimum of CA$ 10,000 to Canada. A family with two children would need to take approximately CA$ 19,000. This is the minimum amount deemed necessary to support your family during the first few months in Canada.

Students

More than 130,000 students go to study in Canada every year and even more go to Canada to learn English or French. Foreign students take a rich culture to their classrooms.

To be eligible to study in Canada

You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada. You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your: tuition fees,living expenses for yourself and any family members who go with you to Canada and return transportation for yourself and any family members who go with you to Canada.

You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.

You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.

You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.

Temporary Workers

Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers.A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessaryThe requirements and processing times depend on the sort of work you will do when you go to Canada.The requirements and processing times depend on the sort of work you will do when you go to Canada.

Visitors

Canada welcomes you as a tourist, student or temporary worker. Every year, more than 5 million people visit Canada to enjoy the many opportunities our country has to offer.Depending on where you live, and the reason for your visit, you will need to meet certain entry requirements. In some cases, if you plan to stay in Canada for a certain period of time, you will need a Temporary Resident Visa.

If you plan to visit Canada, you must:

• Have a valid travel document, such as a passport ,be in good health.
• Satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin .
• Satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and
• Have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.

You may also need:

• A Temporary Resident Visa, depending on your citizenship.
• A medical examination and a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada.

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