Canada values the skills and experiences that foreign professional and workers bring with them. Check to see if your skills and experience qualify you to come to Canada as a skilled worker. Skilled workers are people who may become permanent residents because they have the ability to become economically established in Canada . To be accepted as a Skilled Worker, applicants must:

• meet the minimum work experience requirements;
• prove that they have the funds required for settlement; and
• earn enough points in the six selection factors to meet the pass mark.
  

Canada has a strong economic culture. If you have experience running or investing in businesses, you may qualify to come to Canada as a business immigrant. Business immigrants are people who can invest in, or start businesses in Canada and are expected to support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy. The Business Immigration Programs seek to attract people experienced in business to Canada . Business immigrants are selected based on their ability to become economically established in Canada.

There are three classes of business immigrants:

Investors

The 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.

As an investor, you must make a prescribed investment of CDN $400,000. This investment is placed with the Receiver General of Canada . Participating provinces then use your investment to create jobs and help their economies grow. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will return your investment to you, without interest, in approximately five years after you become a permanent resident. You may also finance your investment. CIC has agreements with a number of financial institutions, all of which are members of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), to facilitate the financing of your investment.

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 . To qualify as an entrepreneur, you must have business experience. This means that you must have managed and controlled a percent of equity of a qualifying business. Entrepreneurs must have a legally obtained net worth of at least CDN $300,000. When you immigrate to Canada as an entrepreneur, you must have the intention and the ability to control a percentage of equity of a qualifying Canadian business. You must provide active and ongoing management of the qualifying Canadian business. Your business must create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You must meet these requirements within three years of becoming a permanent resident. Before your immigrant visa is issued, you are required to sign a statement that you intend and will be able to meet the conditions of permanent residence.

Self-employed persons

Most Canadian provinces have programs that encourage immigrants to settle in those provinces and benefit their economies. Most provinces in Canada have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to play a more direct role in selecting immigrants who wish to settle in that province. If you wish to immigrate to one of Canada ’s provinces as a Provincial Nominee, you must first apply to the province where you wish to settle. The province will consider your application based on their immigration needs and your genuine intention to settle there. Provincial Nominees must complete the provincial nomination process at first. After you have been nominated by a province, you have to make a separate application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residence. A CIC officer will assess your application based on Canadian immigration regulations. Provincial Nominees are not assessed on the six selection factors of the Federal Skilled Workers Program.

Family class immigration reunites families in Canadian homes. Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada , 18 years of age or older, may sponsor close relatives or family members who want to become permanent residents of Canada . Sponsors must promise to support the relative or family member and their accompanying family members for a period of three to 10 years to help them settle in Canada.

You can sponsor relatives or family members from abroad if they are:

• spouses, common-law or conjugal partners 16 years of age or older;
• parents and grandparents;
• dependent children, including adopted children;
• children under 18 years of age whom you intend to adopt;
• brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans; under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship; or

You may also sponsor a spouse or common-law partner from within Canada if they have been living with you in Canada . Sponsorship of a spouse or common-law partner includes their dependent children whether inside or outside of Canada.

If you want to sponsor any of the above listed relatives or family members, you may have to meet certain income requirements. If you have previously sponsored relatives or family members who have received social assistance, you may not be allowed to sponsor another person. Sponsorship is a considerable commitment so you should take this obligation seriously. If you live in any province in Canada except Quebec and wish to sponsor a relative or family member, you must sign an Undertaking with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. You must also sign a Sponsorship Agreement with your relative or family member that outlines your mutual commitments to each other. For Quebec residents, an undertaking will be signed with the province of Quebec . Your relative or family member must then apply for immigration.

Quebec is responsible for selecting immigrants who wish to settle in Quebec . The Québec government and the Government of Canada have an agreement that allows Québec to select immigrants who best meet its immigration needs. Under the Canada-Québec Accord on Immigration, Québec is able to establish its own immigration requirements and select immigrants who will adapt well to living in Québec.To come to Canada as a Québec Skilled Worker, you must first apply to the Québec government for a Certificat de selection du Québec. After you have been selected by Québec, you have to make a separate application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residence. A CIC officer will assess your application based on Canadian immigration regulations. Québec Skilled Workers are not assessed on the six selection factors of the Federal Skilled Workers Program.