Canada aims to welcome over 465,000 immigrants this year. By 2025, the target will be 500,000 immigrants. Well, here’s how one can immigrate to Canada from Nigeria. Last year, Nigeria was Canada’s fourth top immigration source nation, welcoming 22,085 immigrants. Well, this made up over 5.5% of Canada’s total number of permanent residents. Moreover, there are around 100,000 Canadians of Nigerian descent who call Canada their home.
Canada is the leading destination for Nigerians as it offers vast economic opportunities, an internationally recognized education system, political stability, & highly developed healthcare system.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker Program might be the best for you if you are overseas. The program allows applicants with work experience & no Canadian employment offer or connection to Canada to apply for permanent residence.
In order to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria, FSWP is one of the best programs. It is managed by Express Entry, which manages the other two immigration programs as well, i.e., CEC (Canadian Experience Class) & FSTP (Federal Skilled Trades Program).
The FSWP targets foreign skilled workers with foreign work experience, education, language skills, & other human capital, which will help them become established in Canada. In order to be eligible for the program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- One year of continuous full-time/ equivalent paid work experience in the last ten years in a skilled experience classified under NOC TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3.
- Validated language ability equivalent to CLB 7 in English/ French across all abilities.
- A Canadian educational credential/ foreign credential & ECA report.
- A minimum of 67 points on IRCC’s six immigration selection factors.
- Sufficient money for you & your family to settle in Canada.
Once you confirm your program eligibility, you might upload your Express Entry profile onto IRCC’s official website. Further, you will be given a CRS score depending on human capital factors such as education, age, work experience, language capabilities, etc.
Moreover, IRCC has recently launched new category-based draws for Express Entry applicants. Applicants within this program are selected if they have strong French language proficiency or work experience in the below-mentioned professions:
- STEM occupations
- Trades
- Healthcare
- Transport
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food
The Provincial Nominee Program
The PNP is another popular alternative for people intending to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria. Every territory/ province, except for Quebec & Nunavut, creates their own immigration pathways via the PNP & implements them according to its demographic & labor market requirements.
Through PNP, territories as well as provinces will nominate skilled workers to immigrate to their jurisdictions. Moreover, Nigerian applicants can apply for Canada immigration directly via the Provincial Nominee Program, provided they meet the required eligibility criteria.
Furthermore, an applicant can also enter the Express Entry pool & be invited to apply for immigration by the province that will select applicants from the federal pool. The applicant will receive extra CRS points if nominated via Express Entry, which virtually guarantees an ITA for PR in the upcoming Express Entry draw.
Work Permit Alternatives
Another option to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria is to get a Canadian work permit. Canadian work permits are divided into two programs: TFWP & IMP. The primary difference between the two is that an LMIA is required for the TFWP, while it is not for the IMP. The main aim of the LMIA is for an employer to demonstrate that hiring a foreign worker will have a positive/ neutral effect on the job market.
In most cases, a Canadian employer’s employment offer is needed before a foreign national can apply for a work permit. However, there are certain situations that IRCC enables for an open work permit, which are not employer-specific & allow the holder to work almost anywhere in Canada.
Study Permit
Canada welcomed a record number of foreign students in 2022, reaching 551,405 students from 184 nations. In 2023, around 16,000 foreign students from Nigeria came to study in Canada.
There are around 15,00 DLIs in Canada. Once you apply to your school of choice & get accepted, you can apply for a study permit.
The main benefit of a Canadian study permit is that it can provide an opportunity to work while you study & offers a permanent resident pathway upon graduation. Many federal & provincial programs value applicants who have Canadian work experience & education.