The Canadian government has introduced one of the most comprehensive immigration schemes in the world. With a growing economy, they require as many as 1 million immigrants from the Czech Republic and across the world to fill skilled positions.
Successful applicants need to meet the criteria as described below. Fill in the free online assessment form to determine eligibility.
Skilled workers from the Czech Republic make up a small proportion of immigrants to Canada, and the biggest communities can be found in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
With many friendly towns, cities, and communities and a variety of job openings available, there is plenty of scopes to settle with a family and enjoy life in Canada.
Canada has various programs for permanent residency applicants, split into the following groups.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Provincial Nominee Programs
- Quebec Skilled Worker Program
- Family Class Sponsorship
- Canadian Experience Class
- Investors and Entrepreneurs
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Applicants for permanent residence from the Czech Republic who have skills or a profession required in Canada can apply using the FSWP pathway and need to meet the following criteria:
- One year of continuous work experience in a skilled role that is classified under the Canadian National Occupation Classification (NOC) to level 0, A or B.
- Language skills in English or French to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 across speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- A recognized Canadian certificate, diploma or degree or a foreign qualification and the required Education Credential Assessment (ECA) Report.
The FSWP is one of the application pathways subject to the Express Entry process as described later.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PSP)
Applicants who wish to live and work in a specific province – other than Quebec – may apply through that province’s PSP. Those wishing to settle and work in Quebec must apply to the government of Quebec using the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.
The PSP is a fast-track route to permanent residence and usually takes less time to process than other pathways. The requirements for each province can differ. Immigrants from the Czech Republic should identify the province they wish to live and work in and apply for a Provincial Nomination Certificate from the province’s government. If accepted, such candidates gain priority for permanent residence.
Other categories include Family Class, whereby persons already resident in Canada can nominate Czech relatives for permanent residence, and Canadian Experience Class in which the applicant must have worked continuously in full-time employment in Canada or have a current job offer for more than a year in a recognized role.
Czech Republic nationals of high net worth, and entrepreneurs looking at starting a business in Canada, are encouraged to apply using the Investors and Entrepreneurs class pathway.
Express Entry
Express Entry is a fast-track process that applies to applicants from the Czech Republic and elsewhere using the Federal Skilled Worker or Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class entry system. The applicant is required to submit an online profile. This will include details of their age, marital status, work experience, education, and other details. A rank will be determined using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) with scores attained in the categories mentioned above and more.
Those who score highly on the CRS, which is a pass or fail assessment, will be put into the Express Entry Pool. From the pool, a draw is made regularly and those who are successful are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). At this stage, they can begin applying for permanent residence.
Canada makes no distinction between nationalities across the immigration program, and there are many opportunities for Czech Republic nationals and their families to take up permanent residence.