The Canadian government is currently seeking up to 1 million skilled immigrants from Singapore and across the world. For many years, Asian immigrants have been the most populous in Canada, with the province of British Columbia now having a population of more than 400,000 Asian skilled workers and their families.
Singapore and Asian immigrants may settle in and around the popular and welcoming city of Vancouver, the largest in the province, where they will find excellent amenities and a comfortable standard of living.
With a growing economy and positions that need to be filled, Canada encourages applicants with relevant skills or professions to apply for permanent residence via one of the following classes of immigration pathways.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Provincial Nominee Programs
- Quebec Skilled Worker Program
- Family Class Sponsorship
- Canadian Experience Class
- Investors and Entrepreneurs
In the first instance, an interested Singaporean candidate should fill in the free online self-assessment form to determine eligibility. Following is more detail about some of the application programs.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Singaporean applicants for permanent residence with relevant skills can apply using the FSWP pathway and need to meet the following criteria:
- Have at least 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 Singapore 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 Singaporean 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.
Singapore 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 Singapore 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).
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) and may now begin the application process.