Immigration to Canada Nigeria

Immigration to Canada Nigeria

The most populated country in Africa, Nigeria, is the fourth-leading source of immigrants to Canada. Despite the rich oil stocks, the economy of the country develops slowly, and for many citizens of Nigeria, immigration to Canada is the only way to succeed in life. That is why more than 51,800 people of Nigerian origin live in Canada.

Study Immigration to Canada From Nigeria

Studying does not directly lead to immigration to Canada, but it increases your chances of success after graduation. Obtaining a certificate, diploma, or degree in Canadian schools counts in your favour since it weighs more than credentials from Nigeria. If you have graduated from an eligible program at the Designated Learning Institution, you can apply for a post-graduation work permit that allows you to stay and work in Canada to gain work experience. To obtain a work permit for up to three years, students from Nigeria have to complete at least a two-year program.

Canadian education and work experience of at least a year is the ideal formula for the study immigration to Canada from Nigeria. As a rule, graduates apply for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Citizens of Nigeria ought to have a job listed in NOC (National Occupational Classification) Skill Type 0, A or B to apply for CEC. If you are going to apply for PNP, you are required to get an offer for a position included in NOC Skill Type 0, A or B.

Work Immigration to Canada from Nigeria

Work immigration to Canada from Nigeria is one of the most effective ways for applicants to settle in the country. The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) is a program that allows Canadian employers to temporarily hire residents of Nigeria to fill shortages in Canada’s labour market. The main requirement of the TFWP is to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) demonstrating that the employer was unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position. Only after obtaining a positive LMIA, the employer can officially hire a citizen of Nigeria, enabling them, in turn, to apply for immigration to Canada under a PNP or CEC after at least a year of work experience in the country.

However, there is an option that allows employers to hire workers without requiring an LMIA. It is the International Mobility Program (IMP) which is launched to process LMIA-exempt work permit applications. The LMIA exemptions are broader competitive and reciprocal benefits for the country and its residents. When the citizens of Nigeria gain at least a year of work experience under IMP, they can apply for immigration to Canada under PNP or CEC.

If the residents of Nigeria want to work under the TFWP, they need to get an employer-specific work permit. If they want to work under IMP, they ought to have an employer-specific or open work permit. An employer-specific work permit allows foreigners to work according to the conditions on the permit. In certain situations, citizens who want to immigrate to Canada from Nigeria can be eligible to apply for an open work permit.

1. Spouses of temporary foreign workers and international students or common-law partners of temporary foreign workers and international students.
2. International graduates who apply for the post-graduation work permits.
3. Refugees and their family members, refugee claimants and their family members, protected persons and their family members.
4. Residents of Nigeria who have applied for permanent residency through the inland spousal sponsorship process.

Please visit the official web page of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) to find the full list of open work permit LMIA exemptions when considering immigration to Canada from Nigeria.

Family Sponsorship & Immigration to Canada from Nigeria

Family sponsorship program for immigration to Canada from Nigeria is available for the applicants whose family members are citizens or permanent residents of the country. Spouses, common-law and conjugal partners, dependent children, parents and grandparents can be sponsored to the country. If the residents of Canada do not have family members from the categories mentioned above, they can sponsor orphaned brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, and grandchildren for immigration to Canada from Nigeria.

Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program under Express Entry

One more way for immigration to Canada from Nigeria is Express Entry that manages the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs. The good news for the citizens of Nigeria is that FSWP does not require them to have work experience in the country for immigration to Canada. However, they ought to meet several requirements.

1. Citizens of Nigeria need to have at least a year of continuous, full-time, foreign work experience within the last ten years. The work experience ought to be classified under NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B.
2. The applicants must pass a recognized English or French language test and reach at least level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
3. Residents of Nigeria are required to have a Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent.
4. The applicants must have enough savings to support themselves, their spouses and children during the immigration to Canada from Nigeria.

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, residents of Nigeria must get at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the last five years. Moreover, an immigration officer considers work experience obtained after the applicant has been granted the certification to practice the trade in their home country. Relevant skilled trades are included in NOC Skill Type B. For immigration to Canada under FSTP, the citizens of Nigeria also must meet the other requirements.

1. Applicants ought to have a full-time job offer for a position lasting at least a year or a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.
2. Applicants have to pass a recognized English or French language test and reach a minimum of CLB level 4.

Business Immigration to Canada from Nigeria

Business immigration to Canada from Nigeria is also possible for the applicants with entrepreneurial and management experience. Each province and territory of Canada, except for Quebec, has Provincial Nominee Programs for Business. The main requirements for PNP are the following.

1. The residents of Nigeria must have at least three years of work experience as senior managers or business owners in the past five years.
2. They ought to pass the English (French) Language Proficiency test and meet CLB level 4.
3. The citizens of Nigeria must buy or open a business in a particular province and hire 1-2 full-time Canadian worker(s).
4. Depending on the province, the applicants must have 600,000-1,500,000 CAD of personal savings.
5. Depending on the province, the applicants must invest 200,000-1,000,000 CAD before the immigration to Canada from Nigeria.

The other option for immigration to Canada from Nigeria is Quebec Business Immigration Programs that include Investor, Entrepreneur, and Self-Employed Immigration streams.

If you want to settle in Quebec and apply for the Investor Program, you need to invest 1,200,000 CAD in Canada’s business for five years, have 2,000,000 CAD of personal savings, and have at least two years of work experience in the business sphere in the previous five years.

If you have the skills and experience to run a business, you can apply for immigration to Canada from Nigeria under the Quebec Entrepreneur Program. The first stream of the program is designed for citizens of Nigeria who want to start a business in the province. The second stream is launched for foreigners who aim to buy a working business in Quebec. To use this program for immigration to Canada from Nigeria, the applicants must have 900,000 CAD of personal savings.

The last Quebec stream for business is the Self-Employed Program. To apply for this program, citizens of Nigeria must have 100,000 CAD of personal savings, get at least two years of self-employed experience, and register a start-up deposit of 50,000 CAD if they plan to live in the Montreal Metropolitan Area or 25,000 CAD if they want to live outside of Montreal.

Residents of Nigeria can also apply for the Start-Up Immigration Program if they want to build a business in Canada. The requirements are the following: provide a letter from the investor, have the CLB 5 level of English or French, have settlement funds of no less than 13,213 CAD, and start innovative businesses in Canada.

The Self-Employed Immigration Program is one more option for business immigration to Canada from Nigeria. The key requirements of the programs are the following: the residents of Nigeria must be 20-50 years old, have settlement funds of no less than 13,213 CAD, get a diploma degree, have at least two years of work experience as a self-employed or at a world-class level in cultural or athletic activities, and pass IELTS test with a score of 5.5.

 

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