Canadian Migration Rules

Applying for immigration to Canada can be done under a number of different categories.parliament of canada image by Scott Wormington from Fotolia.com

Canada's population growth has always been bolstered by immigration. Immigration into Canada is governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act passed in 2002. There are six main categories under which you can file to immigrate into Canada. Each has different requirements and qualifications. Applications are given points in various categories according to how closely they match these requirements. The highest-scoring applications are accepted and the rest are rejected.

Emigration out of Canada is not legally restricted, as long as you are not under legal suspicion and obey their out-of-country tax laws.

Skilled Workers and Professionals

Skilled workers' applications are evaluated on their English language proficiency, the amount of work experience they have in their field and whether they have a job in Canada waiting for them. If these criteria are met, the application will be judged by other general criteria: amount of education, age and adaptability, or how well you will adjust to Canadian living.

Foreign graduates from Canadian universities can apply to immigrate.student #2 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com

The Canadian Experience class of application is intended for those who have attended a Canadian university or worked in Canada on a non-permanent visa. You must either have graduated from a Canadian college and gained one year of work experience, or have two years of work experience in Canada. Foreign students attending a Canadian university are granted a one-year work visa when they graduate.

You can only apply for this type of immigration while you are still working at your Canadian job, or within one year of leaving it. Your work experience, French proficiency and amount of education are among the primary scored items.

Entrepreneurs and athletes' will be evaluated on their expertise.Athletics are close finishing after the run image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com

To apply as an entrepreneur, your net worth must exceed C$300,000 and you must have managed and at least partially owned a business for two years. Self employed persons are those with experience in athletics or cultural activities or farm management. You will also be assessed on your education, English or French language skills, education and adaptability. You must also pass criminal record checks and demonstrate you have enough money to support yourself once you've moved to Canada.

The provinces of Canada can sponsor applicants wishing to settle in that province. Sponsorship by a province is generally reserved for those who are expected to make meaningful contributions to industries or cultural areas that are important to that province. Naturally, these qualifications differ between provinces, but all provincial nominees must pass medical and security checks, as well as demonstrating they have enough money to support themselves.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their family member's applications. You must apply to become a sponsor before your family members apply for immigration. Spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children may be sponsored in this way. They must also pass medical and criminal screening, in addition to demonstrating financial support.

A person may apply for refugee status in Canada if returning to their home country would place them in danger of torture, death or cruel treatment or punishment, or if they would be at risk of serious persecution because of their race, religion, political views, nationality or membership in a particular social group such as women or people of particular sexual orientations. You cannot apply for refugee status if you have it in another country already, if you arrived in Canada through the United States border, if you have a criminal background or if you have withdrawn or failed to qualify for refugee status in the past.