Immigration to Canada Belarus

Immigration to Canada Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a center in Minsk. It borders Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia. Belarus covers an area of 207,600 km2, with 9.3 million people. The major ethnic group is Belarusians, while minority groups include Russians, Poles, and Ukrainians. Official languages are Belarusian and Russian. The most common language spoken at home by 70% of the population is Russian, while Belarusian is spoken at home only by 23% of citizens. Minor ethnic groups also speak Polish, Ukrainian, and Eastern Yiddish.

Belarus is a developing country, ranking 53rd on the Human Development Index. It is a member of the United Nations, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Due to political oppression and social instability, residents of Belarus try to flee the country and apply for immigration to Canada. Now, above 21,000 people of Belarusian ancestry live in Canada, and this number continues to grow. They prefer to settle in Ontario and Quebec.

Study Immigration

The study is one of the best chances for further immigration to Canada from Belarus. Indeed, Canada has affordable education and a generous policy concerning international students. Citizens of Belarus who have completed at least a two-year study program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) can apply for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP). It allows them to work in Canada for up to three years.

International students who want to apply for immigration to Canada after the expiration of the PGWP can use the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The CEC requires to have at least one year of full-time work experience within the National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Type 0, A, or B and have a job offer. Moreover, residents of Belarus ought to meet the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5 for NOC B jobs and CLB Level 7 for NOC 0 and A jobs. For immigration to Canada under the PNP, international students must get a year of work experience and have a job offer under NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B.

Work Immigration

Citizens of Belarus can also apply for immigration to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP). Canadian employers who face labour shortages in their industry tend to hire foreigners under the TFWP. Hence, businesspeople must get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that confirms their need to hire residents of Belarus. In their turn, foreign workers ought to get an employer-specific work permit.

Nevertheless, Canadian employers do not need the LMIA when they offer a job to foreign residents under the IMP. It is worth mentioning that citizens of Belarus who can apply for an open work permit can be employed under the IMP.

The open work permit LMIA exemption categories are inland permanent residence applicants, spouses and common-law partners of foreign workers and international students, family members of foreign representatives and military personnel, occupation-restricted open work permits for caregivers, refugees, vulnerable workers, professional athletes, bridging open work permit applicants, secondary and post-secondary co-op programs participants, post-graduation work permits applicants, Canada World Youth Program applicants, and International Experience Canada: Working Holiday participants.

Once residents of Belarus have at least one year of work experience under the work programs, they can qualify for immigration to Canada under the PNP or CEC.

Family Sponsorship

One more option for immigration to Canada from Belarus is a family sponsorship program. The government of the country allows its citizens and permanent residents above 18 years old to sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, children, parents, and grandparents to settle in Canada.

To apply for the family sponsorship program, applicants ought to prepare the required documents, complete the forms, pay the application processing fees, and submit the application package to IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). To meet the eligibility requirements for immigration to Canada, citizens of Belarus must do a medical exam, obtain a police certificate, and give biometrics.

Express Entry Stream for Immigration to Canada

The other option for immigration to Canada from Belarus is the Express Entry. One of the streams is the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), which is designed for residents of Belarus who have work experience abroad. To apply for immigration to Canada under this program, foreigners must meet several requirements.

1. Citizens of Belarus ought to get at least a year of full-time work experience under the NOC Skill Level 0, A or B within the last ten years.
2. They should obtain higher education in Canada or abroad.
3. Applicants need to pass English or French Language Proficiency Test and meet at least CLB Level 7.

The program also requires getting at least 67 out of 100 points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). For immigration to Canada under the FSWP, officers in charge evaluate the level of education, age, language proficiency, work experience, job offer, and adaptability of each applicant from Belarus.

The second program for immigration to Canada from Belarus is the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) which has the following requirements.

1. Residents of Belarus must have at least two years of work experience under NOC Skill Type B within the last five years.
2. They need to get at least a one-year job offer from a Canadian employer or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory where they plan to work.
3. Applicants ought to pass the English or French Language Proficiency Test. They should meet at least CLB Level 5 for speaking and listening and CLB Level 4 for reading and writing.

Business Immigration

There are several pathways for immigration to Canada from Belarus for business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors. The Provincial Entrepreneur Immigration Program allows citizens of Belarus to settle in Canada, except for Quebec. To apply for the program, foreigners must meet the following admissibility requirements.

1. Applicants ought to have at least three years of work experience within the last five years.
2. They need to launch or buy a business in a chosen territory or province and create at least one full-time position for a local worker.
3. Depending on the preferred region to settle, residents of Belarus must have 600,000 to 1,500,000 CAD of personal funds and invest 200,000 to 1,000,000 CAD in their business.
4. Applicants should get post-secondary education and meet CLB Level 4 in English or French.

The next stream for immigration to Canada from Belarus is the Start-Up Immigration Program. Under this program, citizens of Belarus can start an innovative business in the country. To qualify for the Start-Up Immigration Program, applicants must provide a support letter from the designated investor, meet the CLB Level 5, and get 13,213 CAD of personal funds.

Residents of Belarus who have at least two years of self-employed work experience can apply for immigration to Canada under the Self-Employed Immigration Program. Foreigners ought to be 20-50 years old, get a post-secondary education, pass the IELTS test, and have 13,213 CAD of personal funds.

Those who want to become a part of the Belarusian diaspora in Quebec can apply for immigration to Canada under one of the Quebec Business Programs. The first option is the Quebec Self-Employed Program which has several requirements.

1. Citizens of Belarus need to have at least 100,000 CAD of personal funds.
2. Applicants must get two or more years of self-employed work experience in the trade they want to practice in the province.
3. Foreigners should deposit 50,000 CAD to settle in the Montreal Metropolitan Area or 25,000 CAD if they want to live outside of Montreal.

Residents of Belarus can also apply for immigration to Canada under the Entrepreneur Program. The program has two options. Under the first option, foreigners can launch a business in Quebec, while the second option allows them to acquire a running business.

Citizens of Belarus can also apply for immigration to Canada under the Investor Program. They must have at least two years of business experience within the last five years, invest 1,200,000 CAD in Quebec’s business for five years, and have 2,000,000 CAD of personal funds.

 

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