9 Ways on How You Can Immigrate to Canada with your Philippine Passport

Canada, the Great White North, is one of the countries open for immigrants, even Filipinos. Each one of us might know someone who already migrated and lived in Canada. You can go there too! Here’s a guide on how to immigrate to Canada with your Philippine Passport.

This is a bit of an overview of the options you can use to go to Canada. Each has different instructions that we’ll soon write up online. Whether through work, sponsorship, study, or business – you can move to Canada.

1. Express Entry

You can check this link to verify your eligibility. This is for skilled workers, these are the three programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program –
  You must have paid work for at least one year within the last 10 years

These are the types of occupation:

• • Skill 0 jobs – Managements Jobs
  • Skill Level A jobs – Those that need university degrees
  • Skill Level B Jobs – Technical jobs and skill trades that need diploma or training

• Federal Skilled Trades Program –
  At least 2 years of full-time work experience within the last 5 years

These are the groups:

• • Industrial, electrical, and construction trades (M 72)
  • Maintenance and equipment operation trades (M 73)
  • Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production (M 82)
  • Processing, manufacturing and utility supervisors and central control operators (M 82)
  • Chefs and cooks (m 632)
  • Butchers and bakers (m 632)

• Canadian Experience Class
  • Self-employed with the same skills as the Federal Skilled Program
  • Have 1 year of skilled experience in Canada in the last 3 years (full-time or part-time) legally

How to Apply for EE

STEP 1: Check your eligibility, you may use the link above. Ready your requirements.

STEP 2: Have an online profile – through Express Entry. This will mostly be a points-based system; depends on your profile. The higher your score, the higher the chance that you’ll get noticed.

STEP 3:  Wait for an invitation for permanent residence.

STEP 4:  Gather your documents for residency.

2. Provincial Nominee Program

The PNP programs are based on the needs and requirements of the province or territory. While the EE program is by the federal government, this is operated by each region. You can do it through the express entry process or paper-based process.

The following provinces offer PN Programs.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

You can read more about it in this article: How to Move to Canada: Provincial Nominee Program.

3. Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers

Those are for those who want to live and work in Quebec. You’ll need to apply to the Quebec Government until you are accepted as an immigrant. You can then apply for permanent residence. It may take more than one year to process your application and costs CAD 1,325.

How to apply:

• You may need to download this package and print the forms
• Pay the fees related to your application
• You must mail your application to Quebec (there’s an instruction in your guide)
• Wait for further instructions

4. Caregivers

If you have experience or training as a caregiver in the Philippines. There are three programs for caregivers. With this, you can be a permanent resident of Canada or work temporarily.

• Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
• Live-In Caregiver
• Temporary work for caregivers – for a work permit

How to apply:

• If you don’t have work experience, you may be able to either Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot
• Submit a work permit application as well as a Permanent Residence application
• Pass the requirements
• If you get accepted, you can work temporarily in Canada as a caregiver
• After working in Canada for 2 years, you can get a decision for permanent residence

5. Immigration Pilot

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

These are for employers who have not found qualified candidates locally. They can hire people from overseas or those temporarily living in Canada. If you meet their requirements, you may get permanent resident status in Canada. These are for New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

There are three programs:

• Atlantic High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
• Atlantic International Graduate Program

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program

These are for participating communities (cities or towns) all over Canada. They will look for candidates that fit the needs of the community and will recommend them for permanent residence.  You can choose these places:

• Claresholm, Alberta
• Vernon, British Columbia
• West Kootenay, British Columbia
• North Bay, Ontario
• Sudbury, Ontario
• Timmins, Ontario
• Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
• Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Altona or Rhineland, Manitoba
• Brandon, Manitoba
• Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Agri-Food Pilot

This is primarily for the food sector of Canada; this program runs until May 2023. These will include industries like meat and animal production and greenhouse production. Here are the occupations under this pilot with their annual limit:

• Retail or Industrial butchers (1470)
• Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (50)
• Food processing laborers (730)
• Harvesting laborers (300)
• General workers (200)

6. Family Sponsorship

If you have a relative that lives in Canada as a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident, then you can go to live there too. If they have enough funds and are eligible, then they can sponsor the following:

• Spouse
• Common-law partner
• Conjugal Partner
• Dependent children
• Adopted child
• Own parents (by blood or adoption)
• Own Grandparents (by blood or adoption)
• Dependent Brothers or Sisters (may be half-siblings)
• Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild
• Other relative if you have none above (e.g. aunt/uncle, cousin)

How to apply:

• The family member in Canada will apply to sponsor you while you apply for permanent residence at the same time
• You can get application packages online and gather the requirements
• Pay the fees
• You’ll need to mail your application
• Wait for further instructions as well as the decision

7. Self Employed

For those with experience in athletics or cultural activities and is willing to contribute to the community in Canada, this is the option for you. It might take almost 2 years of processing from the time you submit your application and biometrics and a fee of CAD 2075.

8. Start-Up Visa

If you are an entrepreneur who wants to build a business in Canada to create jobs for locals and is competitive on a global scale; this one is for you. You can also bring your family with you. It will costs about CAD 2075 with a time of 12 – 16 months processing.

9. Student

Though being a student is only temporary. If you apply for a student visa then a Post Graduate Work Permit, you’ll be staying in Canada, too. Hopefully, your status can also be converted to a Permanent Resident.

Here’s a guide – Study in Canada: How to Apply for a Study Permit in the Philippines

How to Immigrate to Canada

• Choose which option will serve you best, each has different requirements
• Collect the requirements you will need, you may check online for their application packages
• The following may be asked before or after your application: Biometrics, NBI Clearance, Medical Exam, IELTS results
• Pay the visa fees
• Submit your application online or the visa application office in the Philippines or through mail or courier to the proper department in Canada
• After your application, you will be assessed
• You will be contacted by the IRCC if you need more documents or go for an interview
• If you are approved, you may be given an instruction to pass your passport to the VAC for stamping
• You will have mostly a permanent residence visa and can go to Canada!
• Congratulations!

To immigrate to Canada with your Philippine Passport is not impossible. With proper documents, time, and effort, you’ll be a Permanent Resident there too. You’ll just have to prepare money (since the fees are quite expensive) and be patient since processing time might take more than 3 or 6 months, even a year or two for some. Good luck with your application!

About the Writer

Hey, I’m Lyza! I once was a person who just imagined going to places “one day” but decided to pursue my dreams. My first travel abroad was in Japan, solo, last 2018, and fell in love with the journey since. I’m aiming to visit 10 countries before turning 30 and 2 new places in the Philippines every year. Besides traveling, I love organizing trips, photography, reading, and making new friends. Follow my adventures through my Instagram.

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