How to Immigrate to Canada from Nigeria in 2022
How to Immigrate to Canada from Nigeria – Canada is currently seeing an influx of immigrants in recent years and a large number of these immigrants are from Nigeria as they are looking for greener pastures in the land that is rich with milk and honey. Nigeria is the fourth-leading source of immigrants to Canada presently and they are not slowing down as the numbers keep increasing. It is no surprise why Nigerians are moving to Canada.
Have you ever wondered why Nigerians are choosing Canada as their top destination to immigrate to and also why you should take it as your destination too? Well, Canada offers you a lot of opportunities to change your life for the better and if you are working in Canada, you get to enjoy a wonderful work environment.
In addition to this, immigrating to Canada is quite easier than some other countries and this is because the Canadian government has created over 100 immigration programs though which immigrants can come to Canada to work, live, visit or study. Some of these programs also offer you an opportunity to get permanent residency in Canada.
The Canadian government has extended its immigration target to welcome over a million immigrants into the country within the next three years and this is in a bid to fill up labour shortages in the country and contribute to the growth and development of the country.
So you see that as a Nigerian, you have an opportunity to be among the immigrants that will be moving to Canada and also, Canadians love Nigerians as they see them as hard-working people.
As a Nigerian, if you are looking for a country with better standard of living, security, better work opportunities, favourable minimum wage and so on, then the Great North is just the place for you.
Here is a list of what we will be discussing in this article.
Table of content
- 5 easy ways for Nigerians to immigrate to Canada in 2021
- The Express Entry System
- The Provincial Nomination Program
- The Post Graduate Work Permit Program
- The Temporary Foreign Workers Program
- The Atlantic Province Immigration Pilot
Without further ado, let’s proceed…
How To Immigrate To Canada From Nigeria
Like we said earlier that there are over 100 immigration programs through which you can immigrate to Canada and we cannot talk about all the immigration programs and so we have taken our time to look at the 5 easy immigration programs for you to immigrate to Canada as a Nigerian so as to make your immigration process easy and faster.
Let’s look at these immigration programs.
5 easy ways for Nigerians to immigrate to Canada
- The Express Entry System
This program was initiated in 2015 by the Canadian government to help speed up immigration to Canada and since then, it is seen to be one of the most popular, fastest and easiest immigration program through which you can immigrate to Canada even from Nigeria. The program has a processing time that is as short as six months and one interesting thing about the program is that you can actually get permanent residence through the program.
This is an online program where applicants are required to create an online profile with some information according to the requirements of the program. These requirements are age, work experience, education, language proficiency etc. and through this information, applicants will be placed in a pool where a draw is done and given a score after they must have completed their online profile within 60 days.
The draw is done twice in a month and the scores of the applicants are matched against a cut-off score in a ranking system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and applicants that meet or exceed the CRS cut-off score will be selected to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
Another interesting thing about this program is that you don’t need a job offer from an employer in Canada to qualify for this program and so you don’t have to go through the stress and worry of looking for a job before moving to Canada but having a job offer will increase your chances of successfully immigrating to Canada.
There are three federal streams which are managed under this program and you can go through any of them depending on the one you are eligible for as each of them have their requirements. They are:
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
Each of these programs has its requirements that make you eligible for them.
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
This is another popular and easy program that allows you to live and work in a province in Canada and that is if you have a job offer from an employer in a province in Canada and you meet the requirements of that particular province you want to live and work in.
This program is designed by the Canadian government but carried out by the provincial government of each province in Canada; this means that there are over 11 PNPs available for you if you want to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria. The provincial governments are in partnership with the Canadian government through the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to help foreign workers find work and settle in Canada.
Each of the provinces under this program sets its own requirements to meet its economic needs and fill up labour shortages in the province. Through this program, an employer in a province can hire foreign workers to come fill up job positions. So if you have the right skill and experience in any of the occupations in-demand in a particular province, you will stand a chance of being nominated by a province to get permanent residence in Canada.
You should know that the province doesn’t give you permanent residency, but a nomination from a province will increase your chances of being selected and getting a permanent residency in Canada. A nomination from a province gives you about 600 points to add to your score from the Express Entry System meaning you would be one step closer to getting an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada.
You can either apply through the Express Entry Linked PNP or you can show a direct interest in any province you want to live and work. There are various streams under the PNPs which you can go through to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria.
- The Post-Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWPP)
This program allows international students who have graduated from a designated learning institution in or outside Canada to work in Canada. For you to go through the program as a Nigerian, you will need a work permit which will allow you work for any employer in Canada while you study in Canada.
The work permit you will need is an open work permit which allows you to work for any employer in Canada and as a post-graduate student, the duration of your work will depend on the duration of your study program in Canada.
Though this program is not a direct way of getting permanent residency in Canada but it will give you an advantage when applying for Canadian permanent residence as you have gain Canadian work experience while studying in Canada.
So if you are going through the PGWPP, you must meet the requirements below:
- You should not be younger than 18 years
- You must have graduated from a public or private post-secondary school in any Canadian province (college, university or technical school)
- You must have completed a study program at a Designated Institution
- You must have studied in Canada as a full-time student for at least 8 months
- You must have a valid study permit when you are applying for the work permit
- You must send the application for your work permit within 90 days of your graduation
With the PGWP, you can get to apply for permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) as you have a work experience of at least one year in Canada especially if your study program was for 3 years that is why it is advised that you go for a lengthy study program of about 3 years so as to gather Canadian work experience.
- The Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP)
This program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign skilled workers on a temporary basis to come fill up labour shortages in the country. Since Canada is not relenting in its development agenda, it is has designed this program to allow Canadian employers to hire immigrants from different parts of the world to come work in Canada.
Many employers favour this program as they get to hire professional with skills, training, work experience and expertise to come work and contribute to the growth and development of their organization and the country at large.
For you to be eligible under this program your skill must be in-demand in the country and there are three streams through which you can go through under this program and they are:
- Agricultural Stream
- Global Talent Stream
- Caregivers
For the agricultural worker stream, you will have to be a skilled agricultural worker and since agriculture is one of the major sectors in the country, you can easily immigrate to Canada as a temporary foreign skilled worker.
For the Global Talent Stream, you must have a skill that is listed in the list of occupation in demand under the Global Talent Stream (GTS) list for you to have a shot at getting a work visa to work in Canada. Some of the occupations are graphics designing, software developing etc.
For the caregivers, you will have to be able to take care of old people, children and also people living with sicknesses and disabilities that need medical care.
- The Atlantic Province Immigration Pilot
The program is designed for the Atlantic Provinces in Canada and you can actually immigrate to Canada from Nigeria through this program. The program is tied to provinces like:
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
A designated employer in the Atlantic Provinces mentioned above will have to offer you employment for you to be eligible for this pilot program. Mind you, you must know check the list of designated employers in these provinces to find out if the employer that offers you employment is on the list.
Final Note
From all we have said so far, you must have seen that immigrating to Canada from Nigeria would be a wonderful decision and also that Canada holds a lot of opportunities and wonderful benefits for you.
We have also made it easier for you as we have highlighted some of the best immigration programs for you as a Nigerian and how you can go through these programs to help you immigrate to Canada.
So do well to see the immigration program you are eligible for and how you can start your application as the best time to start your application is now.