Immigration to Canada Spain

Immigration to Canada Spain

Located on the Iberian Peninsula of southwestern Europe, Spain also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta, and several territories on the Moroccan coast of the Alboran Sea. The state also has access to the Strait of Gibraltar, Bay of Biscay, and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain borders France, Andorra, and Portugal.

The total area of the country is 505,990 km2, making it the biggest country in Southern Europe and the second-biggest country in the EU. Spain is also the sixth-most populated country in Europe, with a population of over 47.4 million people. Even though Spain is a multilingual country, the official language is only Spanish. Catalan, Galician, Basque, and Aranese are recognized as official languages in some autonomous areas of the country.

Spain is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with King Felipe VI as the head of the state. It is a developed and high-income country with the fourteenth-biggest economy by nominal GDP in the world. Spain is a member of the EU, the United Nations, NATO, the WTO, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Union for the Mediterranean, and other international organizations.

Despite the economic development of the country, many people of full or partial Spanish heritage prefer to reside in Canada. According to the recent census data, about 397,000 Canadians have Spanish ancestry. Hence, there are several effective streams for immigration to Canada from Spain.

Study Immigration

Canada is known for its first-rate education. The post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is even more famous since it allows international students to work in the country for up to three years and then apply for immigration to Canada from Spain. Hence, many residents of Spain choose to study in the country. To be eligible to apply for the PGWP, graduates must complete at least a two-year study program at the eligible educational institution.

For further immigration to Canada from Spain under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or PNP (Provincial Nomination Program), citizens of Spain ought to have no less than a year of work experience. To apply for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), students from Spain should get relevant work experience, have the required language proficiency, and fill a work position that is included in the Skill Type 0 (Zero), A, or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC). If foreigners want to apply for immigration to Canada from Spain under the PNP, they need to have relevant work experience and get an offer of employment under one of the mentioned above NOC types.

Work Immigration

Residents of Spain with in-demand jobs can use work programs for immigration to Canada. The most effective streams are the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP). Their popularity can be explained by the fact that foreigners with at least a year of work experience are eligible to apply for immigration to Canada under the PNP or CEC.

The TFWP is launched to help Canadian employers hire workers from Spain. To demonstrate they face labour shortages in their industry, businesspeople must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). However, employers do not need to have an LMIA to offer a job to the foreign residents under the IMP.

Citizens of Spain do not have a right to get employed without the proper authorization. Hence, they must obtain a work permit. To work under the TFWP, foreigners need to have an employer-specific work permit, while the IMP requires an open work permit. Only exemptions that have an open work permit can work under the IMP.

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

International Experience Program

One more way to explore the country and gain work experience for further immigration to Canada from Spain is the International Experience Program. The program has three streams that last for up to a year. Residents of Spain can participate in the program twice, in different streams each time. 

The Working Holiday program helps foreigners to explore the country and have a temporary job to pay for their trip. The Young Professionals stream is developed for the post-secondary graduates who complete the study program in their home country and want to gain professional work experience in Canada. Citizens of Spain who are enrolled in the post-secondary program in their home country can take part in the International Co-op/Internship stream. Students can complete a work placement or internship in Canada as part of their study program.

Residents of Spain who want to apply for the International Experience Program must fulfill the following requirements.

1. Applicants ought to be 18-35 years old.
2. They should have no less than 2,500 CAD for expenditures during the program.
3. Citizens of Spain need to get health insurance for the duration of the program.
4. Applicants ought to buy a round-trip ticket or prove that they will buy one when the program ends.
5. They cannot be accompanied by dependents.
6. Applicants need to pay the required processing fees.
7. Foreigners must have a signed offer of employment to apply for the Young Professionals or International Co-op/Internship program.

Family Sponsorship

Many citizens of Spain have immediate family members who are permanent residents or citizens of Canada. Hence, a family sponsorship program is another way for immigration to Canada from Spain. As a rule, 18 and more years old Canadians sponsor their spouses, conjugal partners, common-law partners, children, parents, and grandparents from Australia.

To apply for immigration to Canada from Spain under the family sponsorship program, foreigners ought to be admissible to the country, provide a police certificate, complete a medical exam, give the biometrics, and submit the required documents. The application submission process includes four main steps. Applicants must fill out the needed forms, collect all documents, pay the processing fees, and submit the application package.

Immigration to Canada under Express Entry

Residents of Spain can also apply for immigration to Canada under the Express Entry streams, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). The main advantage of the FSWP is that the program does not require inland work experience. However, for immigration to Canada under the FSWP, foreigners must meet several requirements.

1. They ought to have no less than a year of work experience in their home country within the last ten years. Work experience should be under the NOC Skill Type 0, A, or B.
2. Citizens of Spain need to take the English or French Language Proficiency Test. Their results should be equivalent to the Level 7 or higher of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
3. Applicants should submit their secondary or post-secondary educational credentials from Canadian or foreign schools.

Residents of Spain who are eligible for immigration to Canada under the FSWP also must get at least 67 points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS assesses the age, education, work experience, language proficiency, an offer of employment, and adaptability of each applicant.

Citizens of Spain with skilled trades occupations under NOC Skill Type B can apply for immigration to Canada under the FSTP. Thus, they must fulfill the following requirements.

1. Applicants need to have no less than two years of skilled trades work experience within the last five years.
2. For immigration to Canada from Spain under this program, foreigners must have at least a one-year job offer or a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial authority.
3. Residents of Spain should pass the English or French Language Proficiency Test.

Business Immigration

More and more citizens of Spain tend to start and buy a business in Canada. Some of them also apply for business immigration to Canada under the Provincial Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Thus, applicants need to meet several requirements.

1. They must have three years of work experience in the last five years. The work experience should be gained in the positions of the senior managers or business owners.
2. Residents of Spain ought to buy or open a business in Canada, except for Quebec, and create at least one full-time position for a local professional.
3. Applicants must have 600,000-1,500,000 CAD of personal assets and invest 200,000-1,000,000 CAD in a Canadian business.
4. They should have post-secondary education and meet the CLB Level 4.

The Self-Employed Program is one more way of immigration to Canada for citizens of Spain. To qualify for the program, they must be 20-50 years old, have at least two years of self-employed work experience, get a post-secondary degree, pass an IELTS, and have 13,213 CAD of personal funds.

Residents of Spain who are ready to launch a business in the country can qualify for immigration to Canada under the Start-Up Program. Hence, they need to prepare a business plan, get a support letter from the designated investor, meet CLB Level 5 in English, and have at least 13,213 CAD.

To settle in Quebec, foreigners should apply for immigration to Canada from Spain under the provincial immigration programs for businesspeople. The Investor Program encourages applicants to invest in a local business. The Self-Employed Program is aimed at citizens of Spain who have at least two years of work experience in the profession they want to practice in the province. For immigration to Canada under the Entrepreneur Program, foreigners must open or buy a business in Quebec.

 

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