In today’s guest post, Matthew Jones, from Global Visas talks about one of the most interesting topics in North America: How to move to Canada on a Canadian Visa.
Canada has granted 250,000 visas to immigrants every year for the last five years. There are five main types of Canadian visas, all with different requirements and uses. In this article, Global Visas provides a summary explanation of each visa type to help you with your move to Canada.
Please note this information is current as of September 2009 and immigration requirements are subject to change at any time.
Canadian business visas
There are three categories of Canadian business visas. These are the entrepreneur visa, the investor visa and a self-employed visa. The applications are judged on criteria such as age, education, work experience and finances.
For example to be eligible for an entrepreneur visa the applicant must be able to prove a net worth of $300,000 CDN. With an investor visa the applicant needs invest at least $400,000 CDN in a government or province approved program and they need to have amassed a total net worth of at least $800,000 CDN. The applicant needs to prove they have the intention and ability to start up, take over, or invest in a business – depending on the visa. For applicants who do not meet the threshold there are other options available.
Canadian family visas
Canadian family visas do not carry the demanding financial requirements of the business visas. Any permanent resident in Canada who is over 18 can sponsor a family member to move to Canada for 3-10 years. There is no points system for this type of Canada visa. It can be used for spouses, fiancés, parents and dependent children.
The family and business visas can lead towards permanent residency for applicants. Shorter term visas are summarized below.
Canadian work permits
This is a temporary visa available to people who have received a job offer in Canada. The employer is required to sponsor the employee and the company must have proven that the position cannot be filled by a Canadian worker.
Canadian tourist visas
Tourist visas allow the visa holder to visit Canada for up to six months. There are different categories of tourist visas, some of which forbid working for pay while travelling on the visa. There are also financial requirements for this visa to ensure applicants can support themselves for the time they are in Canada.
Canadian student visa
Student visa applicants need to apply for it as soon as the acceptance letter has been received from the educational institution. Usually a Canadian student visa allows the student to work part time while they carry out their course.
It can take over a year for a Canadian visa to be granted. Visit Global Visas to start your free visa assessment today.
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