Canada Visa Eligibility Check

How do you know if you are eligible to work, study, live, or even visit Canada? And, what are the criteria for determining who is given a visa to Canada?

There are different kinds of visas for different purposes in Canada. And they are either a temporary resident status or a Permanent residence. The former requires you to return to your country once your visa expires and then you can apply to come back from your home country. But for a permanent resident visa, you have almost the same privileges as would a Canadian citizen. In this article, we will list the eligibility requirement to obtain a temporary visa as well as a permanent resident visa.

Many of the people who come to Canada are issued a temporary residence visa which can fall under the category of the student visa, temporary work visa, visitor or tourist visa, and so on. The requirements for each of these visa categories may slightly differ as well as the privileges. For a visitor visa, the applicant will not have the luxury of working in Canada and can only do so if they are able to switch their status and obtain a work permit. This situation is highly unlikely and can only be possible if the person returns back to his/her home country and then apply for a work visa.

Applying for a temporary work visa allows you to work for any employer in Canada. With a work permit, you can live anywhere and work temporarily in Canada, but you will be required to leave the country once your visa expires.

On a Student visa, the privileges include working while on a student visa, the opportunity to remain in Canada to work after graduation, and a pathway to becoming a permanent resident in Canada.

Temporary Residence Visa Requirements

Although there are different visa requirements for each category, the temporary residence visa general requirements include the following:

1. Persons on a temporary visa must prove that they would return to their home country once their visa expires. This would include providing proof of ties to your home country such as a lease, property deed, family relationship, and so on.
2. A letter of invitation from the family member or friend you are visiting and for a student visa you will need a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI). Then if you are applying for a work visa you should obtain a letter of employment for a recognized company or employer in Canada.
3. You will be required to provide proof that you are not a criminal. A court document or a police report is acceptable.
4. A passport and other proof of identity are usually requested
5. You also need to provide proof that you have no medical issues
6. Bank statements of not more than 4 months or other financial statements from either your friend or a family member are required as proof of funds
7. Applicants must be admissible to enter Canada
8. You are also required to pay both the application processing fees as well as the biometric fees and other related fees.

Permanent Residence Visa Requirements

Becoming a permanent resident in Canada comes with a lot of benefits, but it is only those who are qualified will have their application accepted. You are required to meet the cutoff CRS score to qualify for PR in Canada. Applying for a permanent resident visa in Canada requires you to meet certain requirements such as

1. Having full-time Canadian work experience of at least one year in the last 10 years;
2. The work experience must be in a managerial, skilled professional, or skilled trade role; Skill Type 0, Skill Level A, or Skill Level B in the  National Occupational Classification system (NOC).
3. Applicants must show proof of language proficiency in English and/or French language. A test result from recognized language test providers like The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), OR; The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), OR; The Test devaluation de francais (TEF) are accepted proves;
4. You are also required to acquire a basic educational qualification, at least a high school diploma;
5. Having a job offer in Canada or working a full-time job in the country is also required; you should also have a valid work permit;
6. Your background will also be evaluated by the immigration authorities. This is done to ensure that you have a good financial background and you are able to support yourself and your family’s living costs for at least the first year after you arrive in Canada.
7. Applicants applying for PR must be aged 18 years or above, but not over 49 years.