Canada Is Welcoming Nigerians Whole-heartedly

As per the estimates, the count of Nigerian Immigrants to Canada has tripled in the last few years. In 2019, the total number of Nigerians that became Canadian Permanent Residents were more than 12,000. In addition to this, Nigeria stood on number four in a list of top source countries of immigrants to Canada. 

Majority of Nigerians Immigrated through the Express Entry

The Express Entry system of Canada is the main immigration pathway for economic class immigrants. It manages immigration to Canada through the three economy class programs – Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Federal Skilled Trades.  For Nigerians as well, Express Entry turned out to be the primary immigration system. Around 65 percent of Nigerian Immigrants arrived in Canada and secured permanent residence last year through the federal Express Entry.  Also Read: How to Move to Canada through Express Entry Program? In fact, last year, Nigeria was third among the list of leading source countries of those immigrants who were invited to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry. 

Why the Nigerian Immigration is going up?

There are several that led to the rise in Nigerian Immigrants to Canada. Nigeria is an oil-rich country and due to the decline in oil prices globally since 2014, the economy of Nigeria has weakened and it has a growth rate of only 2 percent annually. Consequently, a large number of talented and professional Nigerians have immigrated to countries like Canada for better economic opportunities.  Canada is a welcoming country to newcomers and it offers several opportunities to talented workers in a large number of sectors such as health care, oil, and gas, ICT, among others. Also Read: How to get Canadian PR? Step by step guide. Also, the official language of Nigeria is English which gives a great advantage to Nigerians in the Comprehensive Ranking System score compared with other nationalities. And, language proficiency is one of the major factors in the CRS score of the Express Entry.  Further, with the recent ban imposed on Nigerian Immigration to U.S. for permanent residency, Canada has become the topmost destination for Nigerians to pursue economic opportunities in their fields.

Will Canada increase the intake of Nigerians post-coronavirus?

It is expected that the Nigerian Immigration to Canada will continue to rise in the coming years, once the COVID-19 is controlled and the normal routine is re-established in the world.  Once again the oil-prices have been stagnated all over the world. This will create economic turndown in the countries that have abundant oil supply. And eventually, professionals will start looking abroad for better opportunities.  Canada’s target for Immigration Levels Plan will open up more economic class immigration for Nigerian Immigrants. And the recent U.S. announcement to include Nigeria in the travel ban will cause Nigerians to consider Canada for Immigration. Keeping these factors in mind, it can be expected that Nigerian Immigration is going to rise rapidly in Canada in the years to come.  Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs