If you live in the United Arab Emirates and have the Canadian dream, the good news is that the dream can become a reality.
There are many pathways to immigrate from the UAE to Canada. Here we’re going to cover many of the best ways to immigrate from the UAE to Canada.
The Canadian immigration programs for Emiratis can be broadly categorized into three:
- Permanent residency program
- Temporary residency program
- Family Sponsorship program
We’ll take a look at each one in detail to see what is going to be the right solution for you. Let’s get started!
Permanent Residency Program
Most people immigrating to Canada pursue the permanent residency pathway. This will allow you to become permanent residents, and allowed to permanently live and work in the country. This is equivalent to a US green card.
There are various programs created by the Canadian government for immigrants seeking permanent residency. However, some of the most popular among Emiratis are:
1. Business Immigration
This program is designed for people who can invest or start businesses in Canada. If you are an investor or an entrepreneur in the UAE seeking to immigrate to Canada, Business Immigration is a pathway for you.
However, to be eligible for the business immigration programs, the following apply:
- You must have an existing business good enough to qualify you for the program
- You must have received a letter of support from a specified organization
- You must have enough money that can take care of your bills in Canada before you start getting returns from your business
- You must meet the language requirements
2. Economic Immigration
Economic immigration is for workers who can contribute to Canada’s economy with their skills and abilities.
The programs include:
Federal Skilled Worker – For skilled workers with foreign experience who want to become permanent residents in Canada.
Federal Skilled Trades – For trade workers with experience in specified trade occupations who want to become permanent residents in Canada.
Canadian Experience Class – For skilled workers who have Canadian work experience of at least one year and want to become permanent residents.
Provincial Nominee – For skilled workers who have education and work experience that is enough to contribute to the economy of a particular province.
Agri-food pilot program – For skilled workers who can take care of the labor needs of the Canadian Agri-food sector.
You must have heard that one of the best ways to immigrate to Canada is through Express Entry. That is a reference to these economic immigration programs for skilled workers.
If you are eligible for one of these programs, you can visit the online application page and submit your details to join the pool of candidates.
Candidates are ranked using a comprehensive ranking system. This is the origin of the CRS scores. Candidates with the highest CRS scores will receive ITA (Invitation To Apply for permanent residency).
The comprehensive ranking system looks at:
- Age
- Education
- Language proficiency
- Work experience
- Canadian connection
Thus, as an Emirati, you can boost your CRS score and have a higher chance of getting an ITA and immigrating to Canada by doing the following:
- Get a higher education
- Improve your proficiency in the two official languages of Canada (English and French)
- Have over a year of work experience
- Have a sibling already living in Canada, get a Canadian job offer, or get provincial nomination
Temporary Residency Program
The different temporary residency programs give Emiratis legal authority to move to Canada on a temporary basis.
Some of the most popular temporary residency immigration pathways are:
1. International Experience Canada (IEC)
This program allows young people from participating countries (including the UAE) to apply for a work permit in Canada to enable them to live and work in the country for a limited period of time.
Working temporarily in Canada gives you valuable Canadian work experience which makes you more suitable for the CEC (Canadian Experience Class) pathway to becoming a permanent resident.
That is, it is easier to transition from temporary residency to permanent residency.
2. Study Permits
This is the “study in Canada to stay in Canada” route. Study permits are issued to allow students to study in designated universities in Canada for a limited period of time.
Know that the study visas are only for the duration of the study program. However, a Canadian education will give you better opportunities when you do gain permanent residency.
Also, there are some programs that make you eligible for Post Graduation Work Permits (PGWP). This permit allows you to remain and work in Canada for a while after finishing your studies. This makes transitioning to permanent residency relatively smoother.
Family Sponsorship
One of the easiest ways if you’re living in the UAE to immigrate to Canada is for your relative in Canada to sponsor you down to the country.
This is possible via the family sponsorship Canada immigration program. However, the “sponsor” (the relative in Canada) must be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada and must be eighteen years and above. Sponsors must also undertake to provide financial assistance for the person they are sponsoring to Canada if need be.
Under the family sponsorship program, relatives that can be sponsored to Canada include:
- A spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner
- Dependent children
- Parents
- Grandparents
- Siblings (brothers or sisters), nephews, and nieces
- Another relative of any age (under specific conditions), and the spouse/ partner or dependent child of this relative
Final Thoughts
Canada has many great job opportunities, offers a high quality of life, and is a multicultural country that is tolerant of immigrants. So, it is a perfect country for Emiratis to immigrate to.
Thankfully, Canada has many immigration programs for people from the Emirates country. All you need to do now is choose which program is most suited to your needs and get the process started.
