Immigration Categories

Family | Skilled Worker | Business | Non-Immigrant categories | Processing Fees
According to the immigration Act, immigrants to Canada can apply under one of the following categories:
 1-  Family class cases: back to top

 This category allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor spouses and de facto spouses, their dependent children and their parents.
 2- Skilled workers: back to top

Canada values the skills and experiences that foreign professionals and workers bring with them. According to the new regulations implemented on June 28, 2002, the skilled workers are accepted for entry to Canada depending on the number of points they score out of 100 in the following categories: education, language proficiency, employment experience, age and adaptability. The pass mark has been set at 67 points as from September 18, 2003.

SKILLED WORKER SELECTION GRID

FACTOR

Maximum

EDUCATION

25

LANGUAGE  (Both English & French)

24

EXPERIENCE

21

AGE    (between 21-49, receives the maximum)

10

ARRANGED EMPLOYMENT

10

ADAPTABILITY

10

TOTAL

100

 

 3- Business immigrants: back to top

Investors

IThe Immigrant Investor Program seeks to attract experienced persons and capital to Canada. Investors must demonstrate business experience, a minimum net worth of CDN $800,000 and make an investment of CDN $400,000.

Entrepreneurs

The Entrepreneur Program seeks to attract experienced persons that will own and actively manage businesses in Canada that will contribute to the economy and create jobs. Entrepreneurs must demonstrate business experience, a minimum net worth of CDN $300,000 and are subject to conditions upon arrival in Canada.

  Self-employed 

Self-employed persons must have the intention and ability to create their own employment. They are expected to contribute to the cultural or athletic life of Canada. They may create their own employment by purchasing and managing a farm in Canada.


 4-Provincial Nominees: back to top
 

Most Canadian provinces have programs that encourage immigrants to settle in those provinces and benefit their economies. The province will consider application based on their immigration needs and the genuine intention of applicant to settle there. Provincial nominees are not assessed on the six selection factors of the Federal Skilled Workers Program and the processing time is considerably short.
 

Non-Immigrant categories  back to top

Canada welcomes genuine visitors, students and temporary workers. However, sometime applicants might have application refused because they were not able to properly demonstrate their real intentions at the short fast interview. IEA provides counseling for genuine applicants to pass their interview at ease. 

Processing Fees back to top

Fees Payable to the Government of Canada for processing your Application. Fees listed below should be paid by means of a demand draft/certified check in favor of "Receiver General of Canada" payable in Canada. Currency listed below are in Canadian $.

 

Processing Fees Schedule

Investor, Entrepreneur or Self-employed Persons Class applicants

Principal applicant

$1,050

A family member of the principal applicant who is 22 years of age or older, or is less than 22 years of age and is a spouse or common-law partner

$550

A family member of the principal applicant who is less than 22 years of age and is not a spouse or common-law partner

$150

Other classes of applicants

Principal applicant

$550

A family member of the principal applicant who is 22 years of age or older, or is less than 22 years of age and is a spouse or common-law partner

$550

A family member of the principal applicant who is less than 22 years of age and is not a spouse or common-law partner

$150

 
RIGHT OF PERMANENT
RESIDENCE FEE (RPRF)

For the acquisition of permanent resident status

$490

This fee is payable by principal applicants (with some exceptions) and accompanying spouses and common-law partners. It must be paid before the immigrant visa is issued overseas or before the applicant becomes a permanent resident in Canada.

The following applicants are not required to pay this fee:

  • dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor, a child to be adopted, or an orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild; and
  • protected persons, including Convention refugees.