Canada immigration | How Indians can apply to immigrate to Canada: Step-by-step guide
In 2024, around 127,000 Indians became permanent residents of Canada. (Photo: Unsplash)How Indians can apply to immigrate to Canada: Canada receives more than 120,000 Indian citizens as permanent residents each year. Many move under economic immigration programmes, including those for skilled workers. CanadaVisa and Cohen Immigration Law say Indians continue to apply in large numbers due to work opportunities in sectors such as information technology, health and engineering.
Canada’s immigration system offers several pathways for applicants outside the country. Most Indians qualify through federal programs or the Provincial Nominee Program.
Why Indians choose Canada
Canada is seen as a secure and stable country with public health services and a recognised education system. More than one million people of Indian origin now live in Canada, and the number is increasing as the federal government expands immigration targets. Each year, some 120,000 Indian citizens are admitted as permanent residents.
Step-by-step: How Indians can immigrate to Canada
What to do if you are eligible for the FSWP
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is the main route for overseas skilled workers with no prior work or study experience in Canada.
To qualify, applicants must meet minimum conditions:
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- At least one year of continuous paid work experience in the last 10 years in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 role.
- Language test results equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French.
- A Canadian qualification or a foreign credential assessed through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- Proof of settlement funds for the applicant and dependants.
Entering the Express Entry System
The FSWP operates through the federal Express Entry platform.
After confirming eligibility, applicants submit an online profile and receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability.
IRCC conducts draws about every two weeks and invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence. The processing target under Express Entry is six months.
CanadaVisa notes that the federal government aims to admit more than 110,000 new permanent residents through Express Entry each year.
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Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program allows provinces and territories to select skilled workers to meet local labour needs.
Applicants may:
- Apply directly to a province under a PNP stream, or
- Enter the Express Entry pool and wait for a province to issue a nomination
A nomination through an Express Entry-linked stream adds 600 CRS points and almost guarantees an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a later draw.