You want to move to Canada, but you don’t have any work experience. You might be asking yourself, “Can I move to Canada without work experience?” or “Can I apply for PR without work experience?” Many people believe that without work experience, it’s impossible to immigrate to Canada. However, that’s not always true.
Numerous immigration and visa programs are available in Canada. Many do not demand employment experience from applicants in order to allow them to remain in Canada. If you fulfill the requirements, many of these programs give you the chance to become a permanent resident of Canada. If you have never worked before and want to move to Canada, these are some of the most popular routes:
Provincial Nominee Programs
Provincial initiatives are managed independently by each province or territory and are designed to meet their unique requirements. These initiatives were designed to give the provinces the flexibility to hire new immigrants as needed. A province nomination can raise an applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking method (CRS) score by 600 points for those using the Express Entry method.
There are multiple programs in each province, and the prerequisites for each program vary. Some might need a job offer, while some don’t. Alternatively, they might consider candidates who are multilingual in French and English, have ties to the province, have worked or studied there in the past, or have professional experience in a field that is in high demand. Here are some of the PNPs available
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program
For prospective immigrants without prior job experience, there is the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). If you meet the other qualifying conditions, such as educational credentials and language ability, you can apply for PR without work experience through the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Category.
Quebec Skilled Worker Program
One other PNP Canada that does not always require work experience is the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). It’s a points-based system; while work experience counts toward your total score, you can still be eligible without it if you have other strong points.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
For people lacking work experience, there are alternative immigration opportunities available through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). There are various streams available under the NSNP, and while some of them require work experience, others—such as the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream—do not require it if you hold a highly sought-after job.
The Post Graduate Work Permit Program
The Post Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWPP) offers recent graduates of Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) in Canada a work permit. This permits individuals to remain and work in Canada until they accrue enough work experience to obtain permanent residence or to extend their work visa. A post-secondary learning institution that has been granted permission by a federal, provincial, or local body to accept international students is known as a Canadian DLI.
Eligibility
In order for you to be granted a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), you must have met the following conditions:
You must have finished your professional, academic, or vocational training at a DLI in Canada; have attended classes full-time; possess an official letter and transcript from your DLI attesting to the completion of the prerequisites for your qualification;
You must have completed a minimum of eight months and a maximum of three years of study in Canada.
The validity period of your PGWP aligns with the duration of your qualification program. PGWP applicants need to submit their applications no later than 180 days after obtaining official transcripts or other written verification from their DLI attesting to their completion of their coursework. The Government of Canada website is the ideal place to apply for a PGWP once they have their guarantee. The website provides a comprehensive overview of each country’s criteria. The application requirements vary based on where you are using the application.
How Can This Give You A Permanent Residency?
You can live and work in Canada for a sufficient amount of time after receiving your PGWP to be eligible for the Canada Experience Class (CEC). This is one of the immigration streams offered by Canada’s Express Entry program. To obtain permanent residence, though, you must dwell in Canada for at least a year, according to the CEC.
International Experience Canada
The International Experience Canada (IEC) program is the second most common route for unemployed individuals to relocate to Canada. The Working Holiday category offered by International Experience Canada (IEC) does not require a job offer and permits candidates to work for any business, anywhere in Canada, for a set amount of time. The duration of a permit might range from six months to two years.
This program is intended for younger candidates, usually between the ages of 18 and 35, from particular countries with which Canada has agreements. Applicants may then be qualified to apply for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class after working in Canada for a full year. The Canadian Experience Class does not require a job offer, but it does require applicants to have worked in a qualified occupation for at least a year straight, full-time (or an equivalent amount in part-time) in Canada within the previous three years, paid employment.
The Working Holiday Visa
Should you want to travel and work in Canada, applying for a Canada Working Holiday Visa through International Experience Canada (IEC) is your best option for obtaining a visa. With the help of this visa scheme, young individuals visiting Canada can work while they’re there and earn money. It’s mostly for people searching for seasonal or contract work in Canada, such summer camp guides, fruit pickers, and ski instructors.
What Does It Allow?
With a working holiday visa, you can obtain a temporary open-work permit that lets you work for any Canadian company. As long as you have the money, it also lets you travel across Canada and change jobs whenever you like. But in order to obtain a Canada Working Holiday Visa, some conditions must be met.
Owing to the work permit’s openness and the lack of work experience requirement for a Canada Working Holiday Visa, there are numerous requirements that must be met. The fact that just 35 nations globally offer Working Holiday Visas is one of the most crucial requirements for a Canada Working Holiday Visa. Consequently, you are eligible to apply for a Canada Working Holiday Visa if you are a citizen of one of the nations in the list. Some of them include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, France, HongKong and several others.
You can however still be able to apply for a Canada Working Holiday Visa if your country isn’t on the list. But you have to apply through reputable agencies like Stepwest, SWAP Working Holidays, or GO International. You can only obtain a working holiday visa once in several countries. Others let you double dip, but only in separate streams. You will only be granted a Canada Working Holiday Visa if your nation permits it, even if you receive several Invitations To Apply (ITAs) for the IEC. So before you apply, make sure you understand the situation in your country.
Other necessary requirements you will need include:
- A valid passport
- Age ranging from 25-30
- Health insurance
- 2,500 CAD to cover your initial expenses
- Police clearance certificate
- No dependent
- Sufficient funds to cover your flight ticket.
Family Sponsorship
There is still an excellent option available if you do not want to travel to Canada to study and work there. Without prior work experience, foreign nationals with a family member, guardian, spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may immigrate to Canada through the Canada Family Sponsorship program. The primary goal of this program’s design was to maintain the unity of immigrant families. Only a few prerequisites are required for someone to be able to sponsor you.
The sponsor must be
- A permanent resident of Canada
- Over 18 years old
- Living in Canada
- Able to sponsor you financially
However, certain people are blocked from becoming sponsors if they:
Obtain social aid, with the exception of disabilities
sponsored another person within three years of obtaining permanent residence status in Canada.
Have previously missed payments on a performance bond or immigration loan; not paid child support or alimony, if applicable;
have obtained a criminal conviction
were less than five years ago when they were sponsored and granted permanent residency in Canada.
are in a reformatory, jail, or prison
Have filed for bankruptcy or have a removal order in place of some kind.
How Long Can Anyone Sponsor You?
Your age, your bond with the sponsor, and the province you live in all play a role in this. Make sure you are aware of the regulations of the province you intend to immigrate to when you come to Canada, as Quebec has slightly different laws from the rest of the country.
