How to Move to Canada (2023)

“How can I move to Canada?” “What does it take to travel to Canada?”

“What do I need to have? What are the necessary documents?”

These are perennial questions. And they are far from unexpected, because moving to Canada itself is a perennial topic.

People are flocking to Canada. An average of 300,000 new people migrate to the Maple Leaf Country every year.

According to this chart below from Statista, you can see that the numbers have been pretty high – always approaching (and lately been passing) the 300,000 mark – since as far back as the year 2000.

Even with COVID-19 in the air, a total of 226,203 people immigrated to the country between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021. So you can see that even coronavirus and the accompanying restrictions are not really impediments on your way to the Great White North.

In this guide we’ll go through all the necessary steps you need to take, and provide you with all the vital information you need to travel to Canada in 2023.

But first…

Why the Urge to Travel to Canada? 

Why do people want to travel to Canada so much?

It might be a no-brainer for you but let’s go ahead and list out a few things.

Firstly, Canada’s health care system is ranked among the best of the best in the world, even better than that of America.

The country is also far safer than its North American neighbour, especially lacking the same history of gun violence.

Plus, it has incredible scenery with lots of stunning natural ranges and unique wildlife thanks to its location at the top of North America.

Canada is also home to some of the most amazing, modern and progressive cities in the world.

Just check out Calgary in Mercer’s cleanest cities in the world if you please.

On top of all that, Canada is extremely welcoming to newcomers from all over the world. It has had a very open immigration policy for decades. I mean, the country built the world’s first UFO landing spot. So even if you’re a little green man from another planet, you’re very much welcome.

And of course, the top reason most people move to Canada is the job opportunities available for them. Among all the top countries of the world, it’s one of the easiest for foreigners to get jobs.

Here are Worldfirst’s top five reasons to move to Canada:

Top Five Reasons to Move to Canada

• It’s huge (the only country bigger than Canada is Russia) and as they only have 36 million people, most of Canada is just scenery and nature.
• It’s safe. Canada’s crime rates are famously low.
• It’s very open and welcoming to new people. The Canadians have great manners anyway, but the government also spends millions of dollars helping new citizens to settle.
• It’s a great base from which you can visit places in the USA without actually having to live there.
• Its commitment to gender equality goes all the way to the top. When Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister he put together a cabinet with equal numbers of men and women. When asked why, he famously responded, “Because it’s 2015.”

What Does It Take to Travel to Canada?

We’ll take a look at the various possibilities for you. Whatever route you’ll eventually take will depend a lot on your available resources, your level of education, your desire, your eagerness to work hard et cetera. As a matter of fact, moving to Canada is far easier for some than others. But by reading this guide and identifying the potential opportunities available for you, you’ll be able to tailor your efforts accordingly.

1. Family Sponsorship

The easiest way for you to travel to Canada is if you’ve got family there. They can submit an application to the government of Canada allowing them to become your sponsor, but there are some strict criteria that have to be met.

Check out all you need to know about the family sponsorship route here.

2. Express Entry

Express Entry is a pretty cool way to get to Canada, although quite a few people complain that it is rigorous.

It is a Canadian immigration system designed to sort through available federal programmes and decide which ones you qualify for based on the answers you give in an online profile.

If you complete an Express Entry profile, you’ll have a chance to immigrate to Canada permanently under one of three programmes:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
• Canadian Experience Class.

We’ve made this post specially for Express Entry.

You can also get further info on the Canadian Government’s website.

3. Study Abroad in Canada

Studying in Canada – and by studying we mean university – is one of the most reliable ways to travel there.

Choose a designated learning institution (DLI) that will qualify you for a post-study work visa after you graduate.

According to this guide on university in Canada, you have to be careful of being too eager to apply to universities in big and popular cities where there is usually more competition. If you apply to smaller cities/provinces, you may get better value in the form of less competition for places, cheaper tuition and great funding opportunities, without losing any of the value of studying in Canada such as great learning conditions, global reputation and opportunities after study.

If you are unable to afford the fees for a study abroad programme in Canada, you should search the Internet for various available scholarships. It might take a while before you get one that would suit you, but persistence is key, of course.

4. Skilled Work

You can travel to Canada if you get a job offer from a Canadian company.

For any company in Canada to hire you, it has to prove that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available for the position.

That’s law. And it would normally have made things difficult, but luckily Canada has a history of having more jobs open than there are qualified workers to fill them. 

So, there are sectors with high numbers of job vacancies and not enough workers in Canada to fill them. That’s where you come in.

Recruiting you is one way for a Canadian employer to fill a vacant position in their company that it can’t find any citizen or permanent resident for.

Take a look at the image below:

The bars stand for the number of temporary work visas issued to foreigners by the Canadian government since 2015. You can see that the numbers have been rising since – except for 2020 when coronavirus caused a dip. Last year alone, over 400,000 visas were issued. Those are some serious numbers.

It gets better. According to CIC news, as of 4 April Canada has relaxed temporary foreign worker program rules in order to address increased labour shortages in the country. 

The difficulty or ease of getting a job in Canada from your country depends on the sector you’re in. Some skills are actually in demand and you could be fast-tracked – for instance, health workers or IT personnel. 

Also, in November 2021, the following sectors faced the highest number of vacancies according to Statistics Canada:

• Accommodation and Food Services – 130,070 vacancies
• Health Care and Social Assistance – 119,590 vacancies
• Retail Trade – 103,990 vacancies
• Manufacturing – 81,775 vacancies

Those numbers could, and as a matter of fact, are going up this year.

So, could you explain to us why you’re still waiting? Do further research, get a job, and travel.

You could start with this list of Canadian recruitment agencies – but as we said, you have to do deeper research.

Note that from this route what you’re eligible for is a temporary work visa. After getting your years of work experience in Canada, you could follow up by applying for Express Entry. That’s how you can get permanent residency.

5. Unskilled Work

If a job is labelled as unskilled work, it simply means that post-secondary education is not required.

People who get these jobs usually just get on-the-job training, although a least a year’s work experience in the field (not necessarily in Canada) is often required.

Positions that fall into this category include labourers and truck drivers in fields like agriculture, construction and even medicine – for instance, orderlies and caregivers fall under unskilled workers.

Numerous people flock to Canada yearly through this route. Find out more about the unskilled work route here. 

6. Start-Up Visa

The start-up visa route allows entrepreneurs to move to Canada and get permanent residency in as little as 12 months by starting a business in Canada.

If you have an innovative business idea, you can present it to one of Canada’s designated organisations. They will review your business to see if it has the potential for success. If they see that it does, they will invest in your business, allowing you to migrate to Canada and gain permanent residency within 12 to 16 months.

Have an idea? Get cracking’.

But hang on.

What About Coronavirus?

Since October 1, 2022, all travellers, regardless of their citizenship, are no longer obligated to

• Submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website
• Provide vaccination proof
• Undergo pre- or on-arrival testing
• Carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation, or
• Monitor and report any COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival in Canada.

However, individuals are advised to refrain from travelling if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

If travellers fall ill while on their trip and continue to exhibit symptoms upon arrival in Canada, they are required to inform a flight attendant, cruise staff or border services officer.

In such cases, a quarantine officer will assess whether further medical evaluation is necessary.

Five Places to Consider in Canada

Here are Worldfirst.com‘s top places to consider moving to in Canada:

• Toronto (Ontario): Safe, clean, and with great public transport, Canada’s largest city grows by about 100,000 people every year. New citizens are so warmly received it even has an annual Newcomer Day to welcome them. Toronto is noted for its cultural diversity and they say 140 languages are spoken here
• Along with Toronto, Vancouver (British Columbia) and Waterloo (Ontario) vie for the title of Canada’s Silicon Valley

• Ottawa (Ontario): Canada’s capital city consistently tops the ‘best Canadian cities to live in’ lists. Plentiful government and tech jobs make it a city of low unemployment and higher than average incomes. And you’re only 20 minutes from skiing, hiking and other outdoor pursuits
• Regina (Saskatchewan). Low unemployment, high incomes, blah blah blah but this is where the Mounties are trained. Cities don’t get more Canadian than this. It also has a huge 2,300-acre park and enjoys 2,300 hours of sunshine every year
• Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures (Quebec) was for a brief while a suburb of Quebec City but became a city in its own right again in 2006. Situated on the Saint Lawrence river, it’s noted for its high quality of life over a broad range of measures ranging from green open spaces to low taxation to healthcare. Also, see below for Quebec’s maverick immigration opportunities
• Oak Bay (British Columbia) lies on the southern tip of Vancouver Island next to Victoria, the capital of BC. With beautiful, rugged shorelines and beaches, two marinas and a penchant for arts and crafts, Oak Bay might be a little twee (or pricey) for some. But don’t dismiss Victoria as ‘the home of the newly wed and nearly dead’. For one thing, it’s reckoned to be the best Canadian city for cycling.

The Travel to Canada Checklist

Here are some things you should probably give a thought to if you want to travel to Canada.

How to Manage Your Money in Canada

When arriving in Canada, it is important to demonstrate to immigration authorities that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. To avoid penalties and confiscation of your funds, be sure to declare any amount over CAD 10,000 at Canadian customs.

As for good news, here’s some: opening a bank account in Canada is a straightforward process as long as you have the necessary documentation, such as a passport and valid work or temporary residence permit. The five major banks in Canada, namely Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, all offer accounts to newcomers. You may even be able to set up your account online before you arrive in Canada, with some banks like Scotiabank.

However, it is important for you to be aware of the account fees before signing up. Monthly fees are charged by Canadian banks, although these can be waived if you maintain a minimum balance, which is often around CAN $3,500. Transaction fees may also be applicable, and while withdrawing cash from your own bank’s ATM is free, you may be charged around CAN $1.50 per transaction at other banks’ ATMs.

Healthcare in Canada

Canada is renowned for its publicly funded healthcare system, which covers most basic healthcare needs. But it’s worth noting that some healthcare services such as medication, dental care and physiotherapy may not be included in the coverage. Public health insurance is only available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents and can be obtained through the province or territory.

While some provinces provide health insurance coverage to new permanent residents immediately upon arrival, others may have a waiting period of up to three months. Moreover, most provinces do not offer healthcare benefits to non-residents or temporary residents.

If you’re not eligible for a health insurance card but are concerned about your health, it’s advisable to get private health insurance to ensure coverage.

Transport in Canada

Transportation infrastructure in Canada’s cities is typically well-developed, and the country also boasts an extensive rail network that is primarily used for freight transport.

Given Canada’s immense size, air travel plays a crucial role in connecting major cities as well as smaller and more remote settlements. Cars and air travel have largely replaced rail as the primary modes of transportation.

How to Find a Place to Live in Canada

Renting an apartment in Canada is a relatively straightforward process. Most apartment listings can be found online, but it’s also worth checking sections of local newspapers or walking around neighbourhoods to try and spot “to rent” signs posted by landlords.

To secure a place, you may need to provide a letter from your employer verifying your annual income and bank statements as proof of your ability to pay rent for a few months.

Some landlords may also request references from your previous landlords. It’s important to be transparent about being a newcomer as some landlords may be hesitant to rent to non-locals. Finding hostel accommodation or renting a room in a house or apartment may be easier when you first arrive in Canada.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a government agency, provides information on buying and renting in Canada. It’s important to note that each province or territory has its own rental laws and regulations, so it’s worth researching those as well.

To determine which cities are affordable based on your income, try checking out this handy tool from the Globe and Mail.

Make friends When You Travel to Canada

Canadians are generally open and friendly, which makes it easy for newcomers to make friends. The same rules apply as they do anywhere else – seek out like-minded people through special interest groups, clubs, faith-based organizations, sports teams or any other group that interests you.

The key is to get out there and engage with others. You can also connect with people from your home country, not only to socialise but also to get tips on how to better settle into life in Canada.

How to Live Like a Local in Canada

Read our article on essential things to know about life in Canada. It will help you learn how to fit in perfectly in the Maple Leaf Country.