Some Basic Things You Need to Know About Immigrating to Canada

Do you have any plan to emigrate to Canada? Whatever the reasons behind your desire for working and living in Canada, there are some things that you need to know in order to make the immigration process easier and learn how to deal with certain situations that may arise along the way. Below is a list of certain questions about immigration, plus their answer, as well as problems that you might encounter and their solutions.

Question: What is the right age if I want to emigrate to Canada?

Answer: There is no right age when immigrating to Canada, although age is one of the factors being considered during the immigration process. A points system is used to rate all the factors that are being looked into, and the biggest point for age is given to people from 21 to 49 years old. If you are not within this age range, you can still qualify but the points assigned for your age may be less. Remember, however, that age is just one of the many factors being considered here. Your status and educational background are examples of other factors being looked into during the immigration process.

Question: Is an employer a requirement when emigrating to Canada?

Answer: No. Canada has established immigration rules, and you can immigrate to Canada as long as you meet all the requirements specified in the said rules—even if you do not have an employer. You may want to check Canada’s immigration policies to know whether you are qualified for immigration or not.

Question: How long is the processing time when applying for permanent residency? I’ve heard of processing time as long as five years, but there are also who claim of processing time as fast as six months. Which is true?

Answer: If you will apply now and you qualify in Canada’s occupation list (this is a list of 29 work occupations being prioritized in Canada right now, and only those with experience in any of the occupations specified qualify to apply), the processing time takes about a year. The five years processing time that you’ve heard about involves those applications filed before February 2008—these are considered as backlog applications and processing can really take many years. Meanwhile, promises of application processing within six months are false claims, so beware. These are most likely fraudulent.

Question: If I apply for immigration to Canada, who are the people that I can include as my dependants?

Answer: You can include your spouse and any child below 22 years old, or a child who is older than 22 but who has been a full-time student since he/she was 22 years of age. A common law partner can also be included as dependant in your application.

Question: If I am a USA citizen and I immigrate to Canada, will my USA citizenship become void?

Answer: No. It’s possible for you to have dual citizenship since both countries permit such.

Question: If I live in a country different from the country where my family resides, is it still possible for us to immigrate as a family? How?

Answer: Yes, that is possible. There are just certain conditions to be followed, such as the need for you as a family to enter Canada together or for you to enter the country prior to your family—your dependants cannot enter Canada before you. Familiarize yourself with the different regulations concerning this case to make the process easier for you.

Question: If I apply for immigration to Canada with my family and our application is approved, Do I need to move to Canada? Is moving a requirement?

Answer: Not necessarily. Such is one of the special cases that involve certain procedures, but it’s possible to stay where you are even after your immigration is approved. Familiarize yourself with the conditions involved in processing special cases like this.

Question: I am working in another country and I have applied for immigration to Canada. If my application is approved, am I required to enter Canada from the country where I am working, or should I return to my home country and enter Canada from there?

Answer: It doesn’t really matter whether you enter Canada from your home country or from the country where you’re working. As long as you do so before your visa expires, you’ll have no problem.

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Disclaimer: The immigration article posted above does not substitute as a legal advice on immigration to Canada issues. If you need help about your current immigration status or situation, consult a qualified immigration lawyer or consultant in your country or email us if you need representation with one of our lawyers. Use due diligence in doing so.