An Entrepreneur Visa grants permanent residence and the right to take any job in the country. With this type of Canadian visa, entrepreneurs can apply for Canadian citizenship after three years of residence. The Canada visa is granted on a point-based system, which takes into account the educational qualifications, entrepreneurial experience and English language proficiency of applicants.

The scoring system for educational achievements is as follows:

•    25 points for a postgraduate degree with 17 years of full-time study.
•    22 points for a Bachelor’s degree with 15 years of full-time study.
•    22 points for a three-year diploma, vocational training and apprenticeship programme with 15 years of full-time study.
•    20 points for a Bachelor’s degree with 14 years of full-time study.
•    20 points for a two-year diploma, apprentice programme and vocational training with a minimum of 14 years of full-time study.

The Canada visa requires at least two years of business experience and net assets of C$300,000 or more. Candidates are expected to take over one-third of the assets of a business for at least one year, which should generate at least one job for a Canadian national, excluding any Canadian relatives of the visa applicant.

It is also a budding country in terms of the economic power it possesses and the value it can add to the life of anyone moving there. Canadian Immigration is currently screaming out for a whole host of highly skilled workers who are interested in securing permanent residency in Canada.

For many people, however, a short visit to see what the country has to offer is more than enough. One or two weeks holiday will be enough to provide a fascinating insight into the country, which may later develop into a desire to return on a more permanent basis.

If you are thinking of going to Canada for a break any time soon then there will obviously be paperwork to be completed and visas to obtain. Canadian Immigration has a whole list of countries whose residents must apply for a Temporary Residents Visa if they wish to pay the country a visit.

Fortunately, the United Kingdom is not on this list, but a British citizen looking to stay in Canada for longer than three weeks and possibly carry out some short-term work, will need to apply for a Working Holiday Visa. These can be processed in London and are valid for a period of one calendar year.

Like many countries, Canada has a migration bureau that administers a test for its immigrants. One thing that is different about Canada is that a non-Canadian will never be considered a resident. The best status a foreigner can have is “landed immigrant”.

Housing in Canada is plentiful. Housing is much cheaper than in the U.K., even in urban areas like Toronto and Ottawa. Many immigrants have stated that they’ve sold their homes in the U.K. and used only a small portion of the proceeds to buy an even better home. The country has socialised medicine and many other programmes similar to what you are used to in the U.K.

Work in Canada is also plentiful. Those with specialised skills are especially in demand and have a very good chance of getting a lucrative post. Good jobs plus a thriving economy create an average salary of about USD$35,000, which makes the economical living even more affordable.

Canada is also a Nirvana for sports fans and outdoor athletes. With teams like the Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Canadians and the Senators, residents never run out of events to attend. There is also every kind of outdoor sport imaginable.

The definition of “work” in Canada is essentially defined as any position for which the employee will receive remuneration, even if self-employed. There are exceptions where non-paying positions (e.g. interns) may require a work permit.

In order to work in Canada, you must have a solid job offer. One may not go to Canada and begin to search for work. Work permits are attached to a particular employer. If you should change jobs while in Canada, a new permit should be obtained. As a general rule, permits are valid for one year but can be validated for two to three years, depending on the circumstances.

In other words, a job offer must be on the table for someone to apply for a work permit. The work permit application requires details about the offer, including: employee responsibilities, salary, duration of job, location of job, and the title of the job position the applicant has applied for with the Canadian company.

Additional information may be required if the job offer falls into one of several specific categories.

Here is a list of the documents needed to apply for a Canada Work Permit: a valid passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and evidence of one’s academic and professional credentials. Processing time for the application can take up to 8 weeks.

Much like countries around the globe, Canada offers a variety of visas depending on what exactly it is that you want to do. If you want to simply visit first to get a grasp of what it is to live there, to job hunt, or meet with potential employers, you can simply head on over via your passport. But there are also several other options, including the skilled worker visa, the business visa, the family visa, or the simple work permit visa.

Canada is also one of the easiest places to migrate to, lacking the amount of red-tape that countries such as the U.S.A. require. The economy and industry within Canada is booming by comparison with the rest of the world, and they are eagerly looking for new blood to help move their country into 21st century.

So regardless of your personal position, if change is something that would do you and your family some good, then Canada very well might prove to be the place that you are looking for – the way out, the new hope.

Canada has been mocked for years as the red headed stepchild of North America. The country has been ridiculed for being a socialised European culture on American’s turf, but what most people don’t realize is that while the West has been squandering their resources and burying their citizens in debt and tarnished reputations, Canada has been quietly polishing her decks and raising sail. And while the Titanic-sized fiasco of Western poor management plagues the “great” nations of the past few decades and pulls them under the waves of financial crisis, Canada appears to be sailing on into the horizon with a strong wind at her back.

It’s not just about the scenery, or the amazingly fresh, clean air. Or the quiet, peaceful serenity of the Yukon, the heavily forested slopes of the mountains, or the idyllic lakes surrounded by lush evergreens and vibrant wildlife. Canada is stable. Her economy is rising. And people are flocking to her shores with hopes of becoming part of this quiet giant of a nation that is rising from the rubble like some beacon of hope shining brightly through the gloom that has overtaken most of the world in recent years.

A stable economy, plentiful jobs, amazing scenery, relatively untouched landscapes, and socialised healthcare – what more could you ask for?

For candidates who reach the federal skilled worker visa criteria, the increasing list of requests for permanent residency results in long processing and delays. Canada offers a quantity of alternative programmes to the federal skilled worker programme. There is migrating to Canada under the entrepreneur class, which offers permanent residency to those who demonstrate abilities of becoming financially successful in Canada through their business and entrepreneurial experience.

Immigrating to Canada under the federal investment class offers entry to applicants who are willing to invest 400,000 Canadian dollars. After becoming a full time occupant for approximately five years, the Canadian government gives back the money invested without any interest to the candidate.

In the temporary foreign worker programme, applications are made for permanent residency under Canada’s economic class including the federal skilled worker visa programme. With the demand for labour exceeding that of supply in certain trade’s and other occupations and many regions of Canada, some immigrants come in readily employable even before the permanent residence visas are issued.

The Academic Student Visa is one of the visas offered. This allows international students to benefit from the world class education system offered by Canada. For students who wish to study in Canada for more than six months, they are required to apply for a student visa. The student visa varies depending on the level of study, educational background and country of citizenship. Some of the requirements for the student visa are an acceptance letter from the university, college or recognised educational institution, a valid passport and enough funds for tuition fees and general upkeep. With this visa, students have an opportunity to work, and are entitled to apply for a scholarship to Canadian universities and colleges.

The Professional/Vocational Student Visa allows foreign students to take advantage of the Canadian world class education system. Also, the Academic Student Visa is required to have an acceptance letter from the university, college or institution offering professional or vocational training in Canada, a valid passport or travel document and proof of financial support while studying.

For foreigners who just wish to go to Canada and enjoy travelling, sightseeing and to visit friends and relatives, there is the Visitor Visa. This tourist visa enables foreigners to enjoy the great landscapes of Canada but it is only meant for foreigners who just want to visit, it does not allow people to work whilst there. In order to obtain a tourist visa one is required to have a temporary resident visa prior to your arrival to Canada. As a visitor, one is free to travel anywhere throughout Canada and visit family and friends.

To be categorised as a skilled worker one needs to have work experience, sufficient funds to sustain oneself in Canada and should have a score of 67 in the points assessment. One will also be assessed according to education, language, age, work experience, arranged employment and adaptability. Also good communication skills in English or French are needed. These six aspects are intended to specify which candidates are likely to become financially sound upon emigrating to Canada. Each Canada Federal Skilled Worker Visa is awarded the highest number of points and candidates must at least attain sixty seven points to qualify for a Canada Immigration Visa.

In education the skilled workers are given a maximum of twenty five points; in language skills candidates are given up to twenty four points; in experience candidates are given up to twenty one points; in age candidates are given up to ten points; in arranged employment candidates are given up to ten points and in adaptability candidates are given up to ten points. All of these total up to one hundred points. So applicants are supposed to attain above 67% of the whole assessment.

The Canadian Immigration Visa Officers have the right to accept or refuse an application. Even with the pass mark of 67 points, applicants must also prove that they have enough money to sustain themselves and their families after arriving in Canada. Also they must take a medical assessment and have security approvals as part of the Canadian immigration application procedure.

For one to be eligible for the Temporary Work Permit one must have a valid work visa to work in Canada and this can be acquired by having a job offer in Canada that is confirmed by Service Canada. Also, one must meet the requirements for temporary residence and the requirements for issuance of the Work Visa itself. With the work permit in hand, the migrant is allowed to live and work in Canada for a specified period of time, usually six months to two years.  Also the Work Visa may enable you to claim additional points for an application for permanent residence. Also one will have gained Canadian work experience which will also benefit one’s application for permanent residence.

The Partner Work Visa was created in an effort to retain the best and brightest students and foreign workers in Canada. It was created to allow spouses or partners to be employed during the Visa holder’s intended stay in Canada. It allows the accompanying partners and spouses to take advantage of the many employment opportunities present for foreign workers. To be eligible for the Partner Work visa, one’s spouse or partner must be in Canada and must have a valid work permit in an occupation or have a valid study permit from an eligible post-secondary institution. Once with the Partner Work visa in hand one is allowed to live and work in Canada for the validity period of their spouse or partner’s visa. One is allowed to work in any occupation and may change employment at any time. This visa is not renewable beyond the validity period of one’s spouse’s or partner’s visa in Canada. It is only renewable when one’s spouse or partner extends their study or work visa in Canada.