Immigration to Canada- A guide for Expats

Living and working in Canada - What to expect

Naigara Falls in Canada
Naigara Falls in Canada – Image by Neil Morrell from Pixabay

Immigration to Canada is a popular choice for expats and tourists seeking a high quality of life. Located in North America, Canada borders the United States to the south and the Arctic to the north. With its diverse culture, strong economy, and natural beauty, it attracts immigrants worldwide looking for opportunities in living and working in Canada.

The population of Canada is approximately 39 million as of January 2025, with the country having the world’s highest immigration rates, as hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrive annually. According to IRCC reports, Canada had 4,71,550 immigrants in 2023. Canada plans to invite nearly 1.5 million new immigrants from 2024 and 2026. The government of Canada has made liberal government policies to meet the labor shortages by bringing in more immigrants.

The Following Factors Speak For An Immigration To Canada

  • Very good Entrepreneurship
  • Good for Adventure
  • Highly respected Citizenship
  • Good Cultural Influence
  • Open for Business
  • Good Economic Strength
  • Best Quality of Life
  • Very good for Education
  • Very good for Green Living
  • Very good to Raise Kids
  • Very good for Women
  • Fast Feeling at Home

Traveling Information

The immigration programs allow immigrants to immigrate with immediate family members and also extended family members through the sponsorship programs. For example, even if you do not get a job in Canada you still can apply for Canadian permanent residents under the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and other programs under which you are invited into Canada if you fulfil the criteria. The Express Entry program allows you to apply for enter Canada if you have experience adequate work and educational experience and also excel in language skills. Canada no doubt will be a good choice for immigration and we invite you to explore the various immigration options you have.

The Canadian government requires that immigrants must be vaccinated for some common plagues or contagious diseases. We suggest you get the detailed information before you plan your travels to Canada. If you to immigrate to Canada, traveling for work or study, the Canadian Government requires that an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) and Visa must to be procured to fly to, or transit through a Canadian airport. You can apply for the eTA online which costs $7 CAD.  There is eTA exemption for some specific category.  The exemption details and the vaccination required for specific disease are listed on the official website of Government of Canada. Please refer to canada.ca

By Flight: Flights from all major destinations in the world reach Canada.  The fastest are flights from different cities in USA that flies direct to Montreal, Vancouver in Canada. There is at least 1 airliner that runs from Greenland to Vancouver, Canada.

Direct flights operate from Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage in Alaska to Canada. It will take 6-10 hours from these locations. There are direct flights from France to Canada. Book safe and reliable flights from your destination to Canada on uemigrate.com

By Train: You can travel to Canada from the US by train. The popular trip is the Amtrak Maple Leaf from New York City to Toronto which runs via the Empire Corridor passing through the picturesque Hudson river valley & the Finger Lakes region.  From the west coast you can take a train from Seattle to Vancouver runs alongside Pacific Ocean.

By Road: You can drive from New York city to Toronto, Canada, which will take 8h 38 min. There are day and night bus services from Chambers Street, New York to Toronto. This is the cheapest route.  Greenland is only 20 miles away from Canada, still you cannot travel by road between the two countries.

You can travel by road from Anchorage, Alaska to Toronto, Canada in 78h 18 min (3.25 days). The road distance is 6643.4 km. 

How to Immigrate to Canada

Moving to Canada is not too hard because the Government is open to welcome new immigrants and has multiple immigration programs to offer which makes it easy for you to enter Canada. Like any other country, here also you have to fulfill some requirements for the program you want to apply for. The list is given below:

  • Get a visa first.
  • Find a suitable immigration program.
  • Next apply for the permit. Submit your application in person or apply it online.
  • Prepare everything you need for Canada.
  • Move to Canada.

For more information please visit: visaguide.world or canada.ca

People

Canada is a multicultural and multilingual society, home to people of various ethnic, religious, and national origins. The majority of the population consists of descendants of immigrants, with early settlers including the French and British. Over the past two centuries, waves of immigration have shaped the country, contributing to its diverse cultural landscape, which continues today. Canadians include Indigenous peoples, as well as those with French, English, and many other cultural backgrounds. Indigenous peoples—First Nations, Inuit, and Métis—have a deep historical and cultural connection to the land, long before European settlement.

Canadians are widely recognized for their politeness, friendliness, and inclusivity. The country places a strong emphasis on values such as equality, diversity, and respect for individuals, which is part of its identity as a peaceful, welcoming, and secure nation. However, like any country, individuals’ experiences may vary, but these are generally regarded as core values that shape Canada’s culture.

Job offers in Canada

In 2025, Canada remains one of the most attractive places for skilled workers, students, and professionals looking to build a brighter future. Canada has been attracting immigrants from around the world due to its welcoming policies, diverse culture, and booming economy. Industries such as technology, healthcare, and skilled trades are creating a surplus of jobs, making them prime targets for immigrants. While opportunities abound, competition can be stiff, particularly for roles requiring specialized expertise or local experience.

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Industries offering Job Opportunities for Immigrants

  • Technology and IT – Canada’s tech sector has exploded in recent years, with cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal becoming tech hubs. Roles such as software developers, data scientists, and cybersecurity analysts are in high demand.
  • Healthcare and Nursing – With a growing elderly population, Canada faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers. Registered nurses, personal support workers, and allied health professionals are needed across the country.
  • Education – Teachers, especially those specializing in STEM, special education, and early childhood education, are highly sought after.
  • Agriculture and Food Processing – Seasonal and permanent roles in agriculture are often filled by foreign workers, especially in rural areas. Food production companies also hire extensively to meet increasing demand.
  • Construction and Skilled Trades – From carpenters to electricians, Canada’s infrastructure projects demand skilled tradespeople. Immigrants with hands-on experience in these fields often find quick employment.

Requirements to work in Canada as an Immigrant

  • Temporary Work Permits: Issued for specific employers and job offers.
  • Open Work Permits: Allow holders to work for any employer.
  • Express Entry System: A points-based immigration system prioritizing skilled workers.
  • Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): Allow provinces to nominate candidates for PR (Permanent Residency) based on labor market needs.
  • International students transition into the workforce post-graduation, using programs like the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP).

Challenges faced by Immigrants in finding jobs in Canada

  • Recognition of Qualifications: Many foreign credentials require assessment or additional certification. Immigrants often need their foreign degrees and certificates assessed by organizations like World Education Services (WES) to determine equivalency in Canada. Certain professions, such as engineering, medicine, and law, require immigrants to complete licensing exams or further education to meet Canadian standards.
  • Language Barriers: Fluency in English or French is essential for most roles.
  • Local Experience: Employers often prefer candidates familiar with the Canadian workplace culture. Immigrants may need to start in junior or unrelated roles to gain Canadian experience, even if they are overqualified.
  • Networking and Professional Connections – Networking plays a vital role in the Canadian job market. Without professional contacts, they might miss out on hidden job opportunities, so access industry connections and join local communities to connect with people on platforms like Linkedln.

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Education system in Canada

In Canada, the education system is organized into elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Education is generally publicly funded, with each province and territory overseeing its own curriculum and policies. While primary and secondary education is typically free, post-secondary education, including colleges and universities, often comes with tuition fees. Formal education begins around the age of five or six with kindergarten. The primary language of instruction is English or French, depending on the region and the individual’s choice. Homeschooling is legal in Canada, with regulations varying by province, allowing parents to educate their children outside traditional schools. Canada hosts international schools and universities catering to foreign students, immigrants, and expats. Some notable institutions include the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia. Degrees from Canadian universities are widely accepted globally, contributing to the country’s reputation for offering high-quality education.

In 2024, Canada plans to allow about 360,000 new international university students because of a temporary limit on study permits. This is a 35% decrease from the previous year, aimed at controlling the rapid growth of international students and easing issues like housing shortages and pressure on healthcare services. 

As of September 2024, Canada’s unemployment rate stands at 6.5%, reflecting a slight decrease from previous months. This improvement was supported by the creation of nearly 47,000 new jobs. However, the labor market remains mixed, with regional disparities in employment conditions. For example, provinces like Alberta have a higher unemployment rate (7.5%) compared to others. The overall trend shows that while job creation is occurring, challenges remain, particularly in keeping up with the fast-growing population.

As Canada enters 2024-2025, its economy is expected to experience moderate growth amid ongoing global economic uncertainties and domestic challenges. The country is grappling with high inflation and elevated interest rates, which continue to affect consumer spending and borrowing costs. However, Canada’s economy remains resilient, bolstered by key sectors such as natural resources, manufacturing, and technology. The energy sector, particularly oil and natural gas, remains crucial to Canada’s exports, with a focus on expanding clean energy initiatives and diversifying into renewable resources. The labor market is projected to remain relatively strong, although rising costs of living may put pressure on household budgets. Canada’s fiscal policies are likely to focus on supporting innovation and green technology while managing debt levels. Additionally, the country’s economic ties to the United States through trade agreements like the USMCA will continue to be a cornerstone of its economic stability. Overall, Canada’s economy in 2024-2025 is expected to maintain steady, albeit slower, growth as it navigates both domestic and global challenges while preparing for a more sustainable future.

For more information on Economy in Canada, please visit: heritage.org

Owning a home is every person’s dream but also an important financial decision at the same time. Owning a home in a country like Canada can be an ultimate dream for you but now a day, it is becoming less feasible for Canadians as well as foreigners, so people are opting to rent. Ultimately, it depends on your lifestyle and financial situation.

Advantages of Buying:

It is a onetime investment.
It will be your own and can save money.
It is a source of pride and privacy.

Renting Advantages:

It gives freedom and flexibility.
It is hands off and hassle free.
It lets you diversify your investments.

For more information please visit: creditcanada.com

Upper half of Canada has only two seasons summer and winters. Summers are short and warm with cool nights. Winters are long and cold with heavy snowfall for the whole year, everything covered in snow. Mainly Canada has cold climate, with short and warm summers, and long with cold winters. Northern and central Canada has subarctic climate. In extreme south has humid continental climate, and some of it has a cold semi arid desert. The best time to visit this country is in late summer and in early Autumn.

Season of Spring in this country, starts from March and ends in May.
Summer, here starts from the month of May, ends in August.
Autumn starts from August, ends till September.
Winter starts on December and ends in February.

For more information please visit: weather-atlas.com

Currency of Canada

The currency is printed by the Central Bank of Belize and the paper currency is available in six denominations, which are $2, $5, $10, $20, $ Belize’s official currency is Belize Dollar (BZD). The sign for the US Dollar and Belize Dollar (BZ$) is same as they have the Spanish dollar as their common origin. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $ or specifically BZ$ to distinguished it from other currencies using the dollar sign. The Belize Dollar is divided into 100 cents. The official value of the Belizean currency is BZ$2 = US$1. 

The currency is printed by the Central Bank of Belize and are availabke as below:

  • The paper currency is available in six denominations: $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. 
  • The Belize Dollar in Coins are available in cents of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and $1.

Payment Modes

Canadians do payments by cash, cheque, debit/credit card, Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) or through online transaction depends on the situation and is a personal choice. Some top five online payment methods are MasterCard, Interac, Visa, American Express and PayPal. Interac is an alternative payment method which Canadian use to pay online through their trusted home banking application.

“My Payment” is another important and useful electronic service that helps you make payments directly to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) using your bank access card. You cannot use credit cards with “My Payment”. This service is available 21 hours a day and seven days a week.

For more information visit: canada.ca

English and French are the official and widely spoken language of Canada. Other than this, three more languages are mostly spoken in Canada are Cantonese (Chinese), Mandarin (Chinese) and Punjabi. Office work is done in both the languages English and French, so understanding and speaking the at least one of these language is must in this country, for education and work also. People here speak and understand both the language easily. English is the mother tongue of 56.0% & French is the mother tongue of the 21.4% of Canadians. Sign Language is also spoken at home near about by 25,000 people.

Canada is home to many indigenous languages. They have their own indigenous language, which is spoken by less than one percent of the population as their mother tongue.

For more information please visit: en.wikipedia.org

  1. Vehicles should be driven by the right side only.
    2. The seat belts are mandatory the drivers as well as passengers.
    3. Speed limits should not be less than 30km/h and should not exceed than 100km/h depending on your location, whether you are in town or are on the highways.
    4. Give way to pedestrian first on pedestrian crossing.
    5. Let others pass from the left side of the road.

For more information visit: canada.ca or tripsavvy.com

Cost of living varies from province to province and city to city. Even the cost of living of two cities in the same province may differ. According to a report, for 2021, Canada is one of the most expensive countries to live in the world. Toronto and Vancouver are the two top most expensive cities of Canada, likewise their provinces, Ontario and British Columbia, respectively. So apparently, if you are willing to stay in one of these cities, the expenses will be more than the rest of the country. The average cost of living expense including groceries, dining out, etc., is $1,150 per month and rent will cost $2,250 per month. Total you need approximately $3,400 for one person. It also depends upon the lifestyle and the area you choose to live. The prices of food, accommodation, bills, clothes and entertainment will cost you less than the rent. The monthly rent is the huge expense in Canada.

For example (Approx):

 

Vancouver

Toronto

Montreal

Ottawa

Monthly Travel Pass

$105

$156

$88.5

$122.3

Gasoline (L)

$1.59

$1.33

$1.39

$1.26

New Car (1.4 90 KW)

$27,000

$25,500

$25,000

$27,200

Cow milk (L)

$2.15

$3

$2.71

$2.5

Loaf of bread

$3.50

$2.90

$3.8

$2.95

Eggs (dozen)

$4.50

$3.53

$3.50

$3.45

For more info visit: canadafornewbies.com

Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Victoria are the main and big cities; hence the apartment rent is more expensive than other cities like Saskatoon and St. John’s. In Toronto, one bedroom apartment which is located outside the city centre will cost you $1,685. Room in a shared apartment will cost you around $500 – $600. Compared to this, if you want to rent an apartment in St. John’s, in the province Newfoundland and Labrador will cost you $714 approximately. If you want to rent a property in the middle of the city, then the price will go up and apartments for a family of four people then it will be quite expensive. Prices of accommodation may vary according to individual’s personal choices and depends to their lifestyle. Rent for downtown areas are higher, so sharing the apartment with someone will be affordable for a single person.

For more info please visit: canadafornewbies.com

Every resident in Canada should pay their income tax on worldwide income. Double taxation is not applicable and this relief is given through the Canadian International tax treaties, via foreign tax credits, as well as deductions for foreign taxes paid on income derived from non-Canadian sources. Non-resident persons also come under the Canadian income tax on income from employment in Canada or the income from running a business here in this country and capital gains from the disposition of taxable Canadian property. Residents here, who are staying only for a part of a year is taxable on worldwide income only for the period of there, were staying in here.

Personal tax credit, the dividend tax credit and miscellaneous tax credits are subtracted from tax to determine the federal tax liability. The Federal tax brackets and personal tax credit amounts are increased for 2022 by a factor of 1.024 (a 2.4% increase).

For more information please visit: taxsummaries.pwc.com & taxtips.ca

Healthcare is free of cost in Canada is not true, as many people may think. Canadians pay for their health insurance through taxes which means, it is funded by the State Government. Number of services whether it is from a hospital or a General Practitioner’s Office is covered by the government insurance, received by patients. The average Canadian family spends approximately C$2,000 on healthcare and C$4,000 on private insurance premiums. Most of the Canadians have some form of private health insurance provided by their employers.

Canada provides good healthcare services to the locals and expats.  Public healthcare sites only offer essential services to the people covered by the local health insurance plan. Unlike this, private health insurance plans are more expensive but provide acceptable and suitable services to the clients.

For more information on Health Insurance in Canada, visit: internationalinsurance.com

SEP Immigration: 
5000 Yonge St Suite #1901,
Toronto, ON M2N 7E9,
Canada
Ph: +1 647 864 4224                     

Consulate General of India:  
365 Bloor St E #700,
Toronto, ON M4W 3L4,
Canada
Ph: +1 416 960 0751

Consulate General of Chile:
2 Bloor St W #1801,
ON M4W 3E2,
Canada                      
Ph: +1 416 924 0106

Thunder Bay International Airport:
100 Princess St,
Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6S2,
Canada
Ph: +1 807 473 2600

Toronto Pearson International Airport: 
6301 Silver Dart Dr,
Mississauga, ON L5P 1B2
Canada
Ph:+1 416 247 7678                            

Ottawa International Airport:
1000 Airport Parkway Private,
Ottawa, ON K1V 9B4,
Canada
Ph: +1 613 248 2125    

St George (Subway Station):
139 St George St, Toronto,  
ON M5R 2L8,
Canada

Shepperd-Yonge (Subway Station):       
Toronto, ON M2N 5M9,
Canada

Moving to Canada

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Summary

Canada, the world’s second-largest country by land area, enchants with its awe-inspiring scenery, particularly during the Golden hour, featuring pristine fishing villages, coastal sea cliffs, and rolling green hills that create a picturesque landscape. Renowned for its high-tech infrastructure and boasting the best healthcare system, Canada is considered an ideal place to live. Despite its high expenses, the country offers residents a quality life tailored to their chosen lifestyle. Canada stands out as a happy and beautiful nation, attracting a diverse community of immigrants who often find good income opportunities. With a friendly and peace-loving populace, abundant job opportunities, and a robust education system, Canada remains an attractive destination for those considering immigration. The overall experience of living and working in Canada, coupled with its scenic beauty and quality of life, makes it a compelling choice for individuals seeking a new home.

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