Immigration guide: How to move to Canada from the UAE

Many residents of the UAE are contemplating immigration as there has been a rise in the number of immigration consultancies. The option of resettling abroad has grown to be a popular option for people in the UAE.

Canada is already famed as a country that welcomes the highest number of immigrants in the world. Also, Canada immigration is a prospective option, preferred over most of the popular immigration destinations for many reasons. The major reason for its popularity is the range of options it gives and the many pathways it offers for the same. Professionals and skilled workers who want to work in Canada will get the opportunity to build a career and life in the country with global exposure.

Are you willing to relocate from the UAE to Canada? Well, here’s your chance to get the step-by-step instructions on how to do it right.

Choose a visa type

When it comes to Canada PR, you will get as many as 13 options wherein there’s scope for those who want to move to Canada under the economic classes. By “economic classes”, the ability of a candidate to establish himself/herself economically in Canada is determined.

A skilled worker from the UAE can become a Canadian permanent resident by utilizing any of the following options:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
• Provincial Nominee Program
• Rural and Northern Pilot Immigration Program

To understand these programs and find out which program suits you best, it’s highly recommended that you consult an immigration agent with a history and reputation in the line of immigration services.

Now, let’s understand each of these programs in some detail.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

This program is managed via Express Entry, which is the online application system for skilled workers. If you meet certain criteria related to age, education, work experience, and language skills, you will be eligible to apply for a Canada PR visa through this program. Except for the Canadian province of Quebec, you can live and work anywhere in Canada if you arrive through this program in the country. Quebec has its own program to invite skilled foreign workers.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

This pilot program enables employers in Atlantic Canada to recruit skilled workers who are willing to immigrate to the province. The program also helps international graduates willing to live and work in Atlantic Canada after their graduation. This pilot is useful when employers have been unsuccessful in filling the jobs with local talents.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

There are 2 ways to apply for PR via PNP: via Express Entry or directly to a province. The PNP aims at enabling workers who have the work experience, education, and skills to arrive in a specific Canadian province and contribute to its economy. Each province in Canada has its own immigration streams catering to skilled/semi-skilled workers, business people, and students. The candidates chosen to migrate via a PNP to a province will fill the job requirements there.

Apply for ECA

ECA is a procedure that is meant to verify that your educational qualification like a diploma, degree, or certificate has validity and is equivalent to a Canadian qualification. It’s up to you to choose the right type of ECA to complete your immigration requirements.

The IRCC has designated the following bodies to get the ECA done for immigrants:

• International Credential Assessment Service Canada
• Comparative Education Service (University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies)
• International Qualifications Assessment Service
• World Education Services
• International Credential Evaluation Center

Take a Language Test

With a language test in English and French, your chances of finding employment opportunities and achieving social integration will be better. While it’s not essential to be bilingual to qualify for immigration, you will need to get a sufficient level of results in one of the few options for the English language tests available:

• CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program)
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

For testing the French language skills, you must take TEF (Test d'évaluation de français).

Calculate your points for eligibility

There are 2 calculation systems that you can go by to check your eligibility for an immigration program in Canada. They are:

• The eligibility for Express Entry programs which are calculated on the basis of a 67 points system. This means that if an applicant gets 67 points or more, that candidate will be eligible for Canada PR. The maximum score in this points system is 100.
• Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in which the scores are given out of 600 points. The higher the score, the better the chance to get selected from the pool of applicants. By keeping track of the minimum CRS scores required of candidates in recent draws will help you get an idea of the scores that could be needed in the next one.

The method of calculating points for eligibility in the FSWP is as follows:

• Language skills - 28 points max
• Academic qualification – 25 points max
• Work experience – 15 points max
• Age – 12 points max
• A job offered – 10 points max
• Adaptability – 10 points max

Complete your documentation

First, you will have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to kickstart your part of document submissions for immigration application. The EOI will be submitted along with the following documents:

• A passport/travel document
• Results of your language test
• ECA report
• The provincial nomination (if one is involved)
• A job offer from a Canadian employer in writing (in case this is applicable)

Submit the EOI

Now, you have to submit your EOI to the Express Entry pool. Once you reach the Express Entry pool, you can submit your PNP EOI too in case you satisfy the requirements of the province. Upon meeting the requirements, you will get an extra 600 CRS points after you are nominated to the province.

Kickstart your job hunt

Once you reach the Express Entry pool, you can start looking for a job in Canada. For this, you can use the job bank. You will be awarded points on the basis of the designation applied for.

Receive an invitation to apply for Canada PR

Every Express Entry draw has invites issued to a certain number of candidates. They are sent ITAs to apply for a Canadian permanent residence, which itself is based on how high their CRS score is. As a profile remains in the Express Entry pool for 2 years, candidates have ample chance to get invited. In the while that your profile is in the pool, you can even improve your CRS score by gaining more work experience or doing graduation.

Submit your Canada PR application

If you received an ITA, you have 60 days to file a complete application for PR in Canada along with all the documents required. Along with that, you will also need to pay the fees to be paid. Also, you will need to submit your biometric data. All these can be done at VFS offices in UAE.

The fees payable are as follows as of February 5, 2020:

• Application fee
  • Primary applicant and spouse – Dh2,875 ($1,040)
  • Dependent child – Dh414 ($150)
• Biometric fee
  • Fee per person – Dh235 ($85)
  • Max fee for a family of 2 or more people applying at the same place and time – Dh470 ($170)
• Fee for the Right of Permanent Residence – Dh1.354 ($490)

After filing the application, check the application’s status on your official IRCC account. The application will generally take around 12 months to complete.

Submit the passport for stamping

Upon approval obtained for your application for Canadian permanent residence, you must visit the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi. Here, you will get your Canada PR visa stamped on your passport.

This process could take a couple of weeks. After the visa is stamped on your passport, you will have to make your first landing in Canada within 6 months.

Making the first landing

If you take the professional assistance of an immigration consultant, you will be well-briefed on what you have to do after your initial landing in Canada. The expert instructions will cover aspects like setting up your residence, opening a bank account, and applying for health insurance besides looking for a job along with a home.

So, we have seen in some detail how to immigrate to Canada from the UAE. Make your plans and make the most of your chances for a journey to Canada.

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Note:

ECA – Educational Credential Assessment

PR – Permanent Residence