Further Options for Emigration to Canada
1. Family-based Immigration
While the points provided by relative in Canada in a Skilled Worker application do not place any obligation on the Canadian resident relative, the following situations do place an onus on that relative.
Sponsorship
Certain family members in Canada can sponsor you. The Canadian relative must be at least 18 years of age and you must be related to them as one of the following:
- father
- mother
- grandfather
- grandmother
- dependent son or daughter (generally under 22, or still in school and financially dependent on the parents)
- spouse, or common-law partner or conjugal partner
- brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild who is orphaned, under 19 and unmarried
- adoptive child (meeting certain conditions) (this is now expanded to include guardianships in some cases).
Where a Canadian resident has no relatives in Canada whatsoever, he or she could sponsor you, if you are a more distant relative, even if you are not on the above list.
The Canadian resident will also have to meet certain income requirements. The sponsor must show an income based on the total family size, which includes his or her family members in Canada and you and your accompanying dependants. As always this information can change, and should be checked with a Canadian Visa Post at the time you wish to apply, as well as at an inland Canada Immigration office, where your relative will need to make a preliminary application.
The required income starts at $18,371 for one person, and additional amounts must be added for each additional person to reach the total income required for a sponsorship. So a Canadian family of four sponsoring a mother would need to show income for five people $38,646, at this time. The information above is just a guideline.
2. Business Immigration
There are three categories of business immigration:
Investor
An investor is a business person with a net worth of at least $800,000 and who will invest in Canada in a prescribed investment of $400,000. The investment is passive, and is to be repaid, generally without much hope of interest, after five years. In some cases, and most commonly in an application through the Quebec system, a lump sum (generally in the region of $120,000 to $130,000) can be paid at the outset, without any return, (essentially financing the invesment) but sometimes this is actually more cost-effective.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is someone with business experience who intends to be active in a business in Canada, and will have to employ, within 3 years of arrival, at least one Canadian citizen or permanent resident, essentially start or contribute to a business, and be actively involved in management. You will have to show business experience, and you will need $300,000 net worth to succeed.
Self-employed
A self-employed person is still a business person, but need not employ others. The difference between a self-employed candidate and an entrepreneur is that the self-employed person must show ability to run a business which has some cultural or athletic aspect; for instance a musician, an artist, or some other culturally contributing person.
3. Provincial Immigration Programmes
Under Canadian law, provinces have some rights concerning immigration, and some provinces have entered into agreements with the federal government concerning selection of immigrants.
Quebec
The most notable of the programmes is Quebec's. This is particularly appealing for French-speaking applicants, and the province of Quebec has its own selection criteria. Many investors have also found that the investments available in Quebec provide favourable conditions, and the Quebec investor programme has certainly been one of the more popular programmes.
Others
Other provinces have negotiated or are negotiating similar arrangements which will be in place soon. Check each province's website for further information.
