If you're planning on moving to Canada in 2024, you have a few alternatives for securing permanent residency. Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec immigration, and family sponsorship will all be covered in this article. More than a hundred different immigration schemes to Canada are available to prospective immigrants.

However, if you want to go to Canada during the epidemic, you should be aware of the country's travel restrictions. Record numbers of COVID-19 cases have been reported in Canada at the start of the new year. The federal government recently reinstated this need for pre-arrival PCR testing. From the 15th of January, all foreign visitors will be required to have a complete vaccination from a certified manufacturer.


The official information on travel restrictions in Canada is available on the Canadian government's website. Public health norms still allow students, employees, and permitted permanent residents to enter Canada, as long as they adhere to them.

1. Provincial Nominee Program

People who do not meet the requirements for Express Entry can use the PNP to supplement their application, while those who do qualify for Express Entry can use it to boost their score.

Every province and territory except Nunavut and Quebec has a PNP. These initiatives are tailored by the province and territory governments to their particular economic and demographic growth plans.

There are two application levels for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). If you obtain a nomination from a province or territory, you may then apply to the federal government using that nomination.

PNPs fall into two categories: enhanced PNPs, which pull applicants from the Express Entry pool, and base PNPs, which do not employ Express Entry.

You gain an additional 600 points on your Express Entry score if you obtain a provincial nomination from an improved PNP. This award increases your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency by putting you at the top of the pool.

Recruiting individuals that support regional economic and demographic growth objectives is the primary emphasis of base PNPs. Workers whose professional experience falls under NOC skill levels C and D are eligible for these visas.

2. Express Entry

The major immigration route to Canada is through Express Entry. Application managers are available for three economic-class immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. A Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) associated with Express Entry may potentially be an option if you meet the eligibility requirements for one of these programs. If you're not qualified for Express Entry, several PNPs are administered by the province's application system.

A points system is used for Express Entry. At least one year of competent job experience, a post-secondary degree, and being between the ages of 20 and 29 all contribute to a higher score. Other considerations, such as fluency in French or having a Canadian sibling or a genuine Canadian work offer, can help you improve your score.

There will be a waiting list for those who submit an Express Entry profile. IRCC holds bi-weekly lotteries to choose the top-scoring individuals from the Express Entry pool for invitations to apply for permanent resident status at the Canadian border. Candidates who were qualified for the Canadian Experience Class or had previously acquired a provincial nomination from a PNP were only welcomed to Canada in 2021.

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It is expected that the average processing period for an Express Entry application would be nine months in 2020. Processing at IRCC was hindered as a result of the outbreak. IRCC has a backlog of nearly 1.8 million immigration applications across all programs, according to the most recent numbers. There are now 140,000 applications awaiting consideration in the Express Entry backlog.

According to an internal briefing note, to meet its processing goal of six months or fewer, IRCC has to reduce the Express Entry backlog by "more than half." Immigration processing appears to have accelerated recently as the government works to reach its 401,000 new permanent residents by the 2021 objective.

You may apply for Canadian immigration to every province or territory except Quebec using Express Entry, which is why it gets its part.

3. Family sponsorship

Family sponsorship may be available to you if you have relatives in Canada. Parents, grandparents, and children under the age of 18 who are living at home with their spouse or common-law partner are all eligible for sponsorship in Canada. Canadians may be able to sponsor other members of their families in certain circumstances.

Both parties in the sponsorship process must meet certain requirements. Canadians may be required to show that they can support both of you financially. To be sponsored, a person must meet certain criminal and medical requirements. Both of you must show that your connection is sincere. You have to make clear that your marriage wasn't merely for the sake of immigration, as an example of this.

To be eligible for a certain program, you must meet a specific set of standards, which vary based on where you come from. The IRCC website has all of the most recent versions of the necessary application forms and checklists. Family sponsorship may be available to you if you have relatives in Canada. Parents, grandparents, and children under the age of 18 who are living at home with their spouse or common-law partner are all eligible for sponsorship in Canada. Canadians may be able to sponsor other members of their families in certain circumstances.

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Both parties in the sponsorship process must meet certain requirements. Canadians may be required to show that they can support both of you financially. To be sponsored, a person must meet certain criminal and medical requirements. Both of you must show that your connection is sincere. You have to make clear that your marriage wasn't merely for the sake of immigration, as an example of this.

To be eligible for a certain program, you must meet a specific set of standards, which vary based on where you come from. The IRCC website has all of the most recent versions of the necessary application forms and checklists.

4. Quebec immigration

A separate immigration scheme is Quebec, a large French-speaking population. Federal immigration policy cannot be applied to Quebec, even though the federal government still has the last word on who is granted permanent status.

You must get a Certificate of Selection for Quebec (CSQ) from the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration (Ministry of l'Immigration, de la Francisation, and Integration) (MIFI). To get the CSQ, one must apply for one of Quebec's immigration programs, such as:

Quebec's Regular Skilled Worker Program is available for French-speaking foreign employees in specialized industries.
French-speaking international students, recent Quebec university grads, and qualified employees love the Quebec Experience Program.
Quebec Permanent Immigration Pilot Programs for Food Processing Workers, Orderlies and Tech Workers in Specific Occupations.
Your CSQ is proof that Quebec has chosen you for immigration to the federal government. IRCC will then accept your application for permanent residency.