Canada welcomes Nigerians whilst U.S. denies immigration visas to them

Nigerian communities in the U.S. are shocked by the expanded travel ban imposed on them. Donald Trump, the president of the U.S., has declared immigration visa restrictions on six nations including Nigeria.  Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Eritrea are the six nations that will be forbidden from obtaining immigrant visas in certain categories. However, this travel proclamation excludes students, tourists, and refugees. The ban will come into effect beginning February 21.  The U.S. justifies the travel ban on account of security issues. Chad F. Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, says that “these tailored restrictions will make the U.S. safer and much secure”. The proclamation states that these banned six nations are either “unable or unwilling to improve their information-sharing” or they “presented serious terrorism-related risks”.

Is Canada turning into a haven for Nigerians?

Canada openly welcomes immigrants from all over the world. Its economic class immigration programs do not take into consideration an immigrant’s country of origin.  With time, the count of Nigerians is increasing every year in Canada. In 2019, there were a total of 12,595 permanent residents who settled their base from Nigeria to Canada.  And, after the U.S. has expanded its visa and travel bans, a large number of Nigerians are turning their eyes to Canada. Canada is the most welcoming country to these well-educated professionals from Nigeria. 

Canada’s Express Entry for Skilled Workers:

The Express Entry program, implemented in 2015 for skilled workers, is one of the easiest immigration programs. Canada is the only country that has a smooth and convenient immigration system like Express Entry.  Several educated Nigerians with appropriate work experience, apply for permanent residence to Express Entry through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Nigerians, with a good Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, can apply to the Express Entry system by creating their profiles. 

Provincial Nominee Programs- an alternative

Applicants who do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system, need not be disheartened. They have another alternative in the form of Provincial Nominee Programs. PNPs offer the easiest pathway to securing the Canadian permanent residence. Most of the provinces require the CRS score as low as 300. For example, in the latest draw, Alberta invited candidates to apply for permanent residence with a CRS score of 300 only. Nigerians are becoming a central figure in the Canadian’s migration framework. And, Canada has become the obvious choice for immigration to these educated and passionate Nigerians. The years to follow will witness an exponential increase in the community of Nigerians as permanent residents of Canada, owing to the U.S. travel ban. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs