Immigration Programs for Nigerians to move to Canada

The count of Nigerian Immigrants coming to Canada has almost tripled in the last few years.  Last year, nearly 12,595 Nigerians secured the status of Canadian permanent residents. And around 11,985 students from Nigeria pursued their studies in Canada. Considering that only 4,090 people came to Canada in 2015 for their education, one can say that these numbers have increased significantly in 2019. Also, as per Statistics Canada, a total of 42,430 Nigerians were living in Canada in 2016.  Canada is an immigrant-friendly country. It offers more than 100 economic-class immigration pathways for Nigerians. An individual can choose an immigration program as per his or her goals and preferences.  In this blog, we will give you an overview of the most popular immigration programs for the Nigerians that can help them to get Canadian Permanent Residence. 

Express Entry: Best Canadian Immigration Program

Most of the people from Nigeria have immigrated to Canada through the Express Entry Immigration System. In fact, Nigeria is the number two source country from where express entry candidates have successfully secured citizenship.  Express Entry is the most simple immigration pathway for permanent residence applicants. It was introduced in 2015 with an aim to streamline immigration applications.  There are three economic-class immigration programs that fall under the Express Entry: Federal Skilled Trades, Skilled Worker, and Canadian Experience Class. Eligible candidates would require an Express Entry profile and they do not need to pay any fee for creating the profile. Based on the express entry profile, you will be given a Comprehensive Ranking System score. And this score will decide whether you will receive an ITA for Canada PR or not.  Immigrating to Canada is a simple process with the Express Entry System for immigrants from Nigeria. You can apply through the Federal Skilled Worker program of the express entry and come to Canada as a skilled worker. Also, having a job offer is not a quintessential requirement in order to be eligible for FSW. However, if one has a job offer, he gets additional points. Canada is regularly conducting Express Entry draws. The last two draws were all-program and largest express entry draws.  Further, the IRCC is giving enough time to candidates to submit their immigration applications in times of the pandemic.  Canada processes permanent residence applications for candidates within six months. If the express entry profile of a candidate is in the pool for over one year, he or she can re-submit it and enter the pool again. 

Provincial Nominee Program: Best Alternative

If candidates from Nigeria are not eligible for Express Entry, they can still immigrate to Canada with the help of Provincial Nominee Programs. Candidates who want to settle in a particular province or territory can apply for a provincial nomination through the PNP of that province.  PNP allows the different provinces across Canada to select immigrants as per their labor market needs.  Nigerian candidates who want to live and work in Canada can apply to different provincial programs as per their respective requirements.  Almost all Canadian provinces and territories have one express entry linked stream. Candidates who secure provincial nomination through these express entry linked streams get 600 extra points. This helps them to obtain an ITA whenever the express entry draw is held. 

Study in Canada & get PR

Studying in Canada is another option for Nigerian candidates to get Canada PR. They can study at a post-secondary institution and get Canadian experience which will further help them while applying for permanent residence applications.  Nigeria comes among the top ten countries from where international students come to Canada for better education. If a person studies in Canada, he or she becomes eligible to apply for PR through the CEC (Canadian Experience Class). And those Nigerians who study in Quebec can apply to the special Quebec Experience Program.  Nigerian international students in Canada can also be eligible to get a Post-Graduation Work Permit through which they can stay and work in Canada.  Nigerians have numerous opportunities and immigration pathways to immigrate to Canada. In the wake of the U.S. travel ban on Nigerians, most of them are turning towards Canada now and the country is welcoming them whole-heartedly as they make a huge contribution to economic activities. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs