Best Ways to Immigrate to Canada from India in 2021
As Trump continues to restrict the number of employment-based immigrant visas, many Indian nationals are choosing to trade their jobs in the U.S. for the chance to immigrate permanently to Canada.
There are many options to immigrate to Canada from India. In fact, Indian nationals have the highest success rate when applying for Canadian immigration compared to any other country. In this post, we break down the best ways to immigrate to Canada from India today!
India has long been a top source country of Canadian immigrants. The number of Indians who became permanent residents in Canada increased from 39,340 in 2016 to 85,585 in 2019.
While an Indian skilled worker could potentially wait decades before obtaining permanent residence in the US, Canada’s immigration system allows skilled workers to apply directly for permanent residence if they qualify for a program. If granted permanent residency, a person is given the right to live and work anywhere in Canada, plus access to Canadian universal healthcare and social services.
Here are four of the easiest ways for Indian nationals to obtain Canadian permanent residence:
Express Entry – Federal Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream is for those with at least one-year of skilled work experience. It is highly competitive, using the complex Comprehensive Ranking System to give all applicants a points-based score. Only the most competitive applicants will be selected for immigration.
In 2019, 47% of all invitations through Express Entry were issued to Indian nationals, mostly under the Federal Skilled Worker stream.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Each of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories operates its own immigration programs, called Provincial Nominee Programs, or PNPs. As the provinces have different populations and economies, their immigration programs are unique and built to fit their economic and demographic needs.
PNPs are a popular option because they can be the fastest pathway to Canadian permanent residence.
Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW)
The province of Quebec runs its own skilled worker immigration program. The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSW) is an immigration program operated by the province of Quebec for candidates who have skilled work experience and will be able to make lasting contributions to Quebec’s economy as members of the workforce.
Similar to Express Entry, candidates are ranked using a points system and then certain candidates are invited to apply.
Work Permits / Intra-Company Transfers
Certain Indian nationals may be eligible for a Canadian work permit. Often, a job offer will be required to obtain a work permit. However, one significant exception to this is for intra-company transfers.
If your employer is part of a multinational corporation with offices in Canada, you may be eligible to be transferred to an office in Canada, without too much paperwork!