Moving to Canada from India through PNPs

If your aim is to move to Canada from India, you can do so through Provincial Nominee Programs. PNPs are immigration programs that are province-driven and permit territories and provinces to offer Canada PR Nominations to eligible candidates. Applicants are required to possess the education, experience, and skills required by the local labor market and the ability to contribute to the local economy.

The application process for PNPs

Prior to filing an application for any PNP, you must first conduct research on provinces and territories in Canada and select a destination for settling. You must ensure to select the correct PNP corresponding to your profile and fulfill the required eligibility requirements.

After selecting the PNP, you can either apply offline through the paper application or online through the PNP’s portal. In order to qualify for nomination for PR, you must secure the required points. For example, for Saskatchewan PNP the allocation of points is under the SINP points calculator.

After you receive the nomination from a province, you can submit the Canada PR Visa application to Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada. You must pay the fees for the application and wait for receiving the COPR - Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

Popular PNP streams for Indians

Selecting the correct PNP stream is not an easy task. Each province and territory has numerous immigration streams under their PNPs with highly variable eligibility criteria. Some PNP pathways mandate a level of skilled work experience, language proficiency, and education. A few of the provinces have specific streams for overseas entrepreneurs or overseas residents who have earlier studied or worked in Canada.

Here are a few popular streams under various PNPs if you do not possess a job offer, education, or work experience in Canada:

Work Permit pathway for Immigration

Some immigration aspirants choose to work provisionally in Canada on a Work Permit than directly applying for PR Visa. You can obtain extra CRS points in Express Entry by opting for this option and gaining work experience in Canada. Alternatively, you may also qualify for the Canadian Experience Class Program that eases your application for PR Visa.

Canada Work Permits categories

Canada has two categories of Work Permits:

Work Permit Employer-specific:

You can obtain the employer-specific Canada Work Permit only if you possess an authentic job offer from an employer in Canada. The Work Visa mentions your employment conditions. It includes the employer for whom you can work; the location of the job and the type of work you can do.

Work Permit Open:

You can be employed by any qualified employer in Canada with this Work Visa. A job offer is not needed to submit an application for this Work Permit. But Open Work Visa is approved only under particular circumstances. It includes

• Overseas students who have completed an eligible program of study in Canada
• Specific Permanent Residency applicants
• Partners or spouses of overseas skilled workers and overseas students in Canada

Applying for Canadian jobs from India

Before hiring overseas workers, in the majority of cases, employers in Canada are required to obtain the LMIA - Labor Market Impact Assessment. They have to demonstrate that they were unable to hire workers locally. After the employer obtains an affirmative LMIA, they can offer the job to an overseas worker who in turn can apply for a Canada Work Permit employer-specific.

Job portals are the first avenues to seek employment opportunities in Canada. Several employers place ads for vacant positions on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster.

Nevertheless, Canada has a vast hidden job market unlike India and around 65% to 80% of the open positions are not posted publicly. These are filled via the networks of recruiters. Networking is a fundamental part of the work culture in Canada. It is vital that you begin to build a good network with professionals in Canada if you wish to get a job.

You can seek to link with professionals in your sector on LinkedIn and check if they would be open to assisting you with understanding the job market in Canada. They may be even open to referring you for job vacancies after you nurture these professional relationships. Ensure to have a remarkable resume in Canadian style once you are prepared to actively apply for Canadian jobs.

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