The last few years have seen many immigrants finding their way to Canada, and trust me, Nigerians are not left out. Their primary reason is to have employment opportunities and enjoy a better standard of living. If you have work experience in any demanding skills, you can immigrate to Canada with a job offer easily.
That means while having a job offer increases your chance of immigration, it is optional. Since Canada is a welcoming country with a diverse culture, immigrating without a job offer is not impossible. Here, I will show you how to immigrate from Nigeria to Canada without a job offer.
Let me give you a tip right away before I delve deeper into the topic. Basically, you can immigrate from Nigeria to Canada without a job offer if you go on a student visa or a visitor visa. Another way is to marry someone who lives in Canada on a student visa, a work visa, or a PR or Canadian citizen; they can sponsor you to move to Canada.
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How to Immigrate From Nigeria to Canada Without a Job offer?
As stated earlier, Canada offers a vast array of immigration pathways that lets you move to the country without a job offer. However, it would be best if you met the eligibility criteria to stand a chance of qualifying. Below are some of the major pathways to immigrate to Canada without a job offer:
Express Entry
When it comes to straightforward and easiest ways to immigrate to Canada without a job offer, Express Entry is on the top list. The federal systems Basks inaugurated the system in 2015.
The Express Entry program has three popular programs: Federal Skilled Trades, Federal Skilled Workers, and Canadian Experienced Class. They all use a point-based system by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to select the most qualified candidate.
To qualify for the Express Entry system, you must meet the following criteria:
- Have at least one year of skilled work experience
- Meet the language, age, and education conditions
- Have enough funds to support yourself and any dependant.
The IRCC ranks the individual based on these conditions through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to generate your score. The IRCC conducts an Express Entry Draw every two weeks to release a number. Those who exceed the score are sent an invitation to apply (ITA) for a Canadian permanent residency.
Upon receiving ITA, you have only 60 days to submit your supporting documents, which must be valid and up-to-date. Within six months, you can obtain your Canadian permanent residency. Even though you don’t need a job offer to qualify for the Express Entry program, having one increases your chances.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
The PNP is another significant way to immigrate to Canada without a job offer. The program is designed to allow the Canadian provinces and territories to nominate immigrants with the skilled experience needed to meet their economic needs. Eleven out of 13 provinces of Canada have different streams and eligibilities to meet these requirements.
You must submit an Express of Interest (EOI) to your preferred province or territory. If you meet their requirements, you will stand a chance of being nominated for a PR. Several PNP pathways do not require a job offer as long as you are skilled, have enough funds, and meet their age, language, education, and other requirements.
Some PNP pathways include the Alberta Express Entry Stream, the Prince Edwards Island Express Entry Stream, and the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream. The PNP behaves like the Express Entry program.
Study in Canada
The study route is the best way to immigrate from Nigeria to Canada without a job offer. The student visa does not require a job offer as long as you meet its requirements. After completing your studies in any Canadian higher institution, you can apply for post graduate work permit and later a permanent residency to keep staying in Canada. Interestingly, while studying, you can take up a part-time job in your field to enable you to qualify for the work experience needed to apply for a skilled job in Canada. Another thing is that your spouse or dependent can come to Canada while you are studying. So, there are a lot of benefits to moving to Canada on study visa route.
Visitor Visa
You can also move to Canada as a visitor, and when I say you can go there as a visitor, I mean you have to apply for a visitor visa. If you get it, then you can travel there, and once you’re in Canada, then you can look for an employer. Obviously, when you’re inside Canada it’s easier to find a job easily as compared to when you’re outside. One benefit of first going to Canada as a visitor is if you need a job, you can easily visit some foreign worker recruitment agencies in person that might find you a job, and there might be an employer who’s actually looking for an employee to sponsor. Does that sound good to you?
Family Sponsorship
If you have a family member who is a permanent resident in Canada, he or she can sponsor you to immigrate from Nigeria to Canada without an employment offer. The invitee does not need a job offer to move to Canada. However, it would be best if you met the conditions before you were allowed to immigrate to Canada.
Start-Up Visa program
This program is for entrepreneurs who want to start a business in Canada. If you are under this category, you don’t need a job offer anymore as long as you meet the criteria for selection. You must also have the support of an organization. The Start-Up Visa program is an excellent option for those with entrepreneurial skills and a specific financial ability to start a business in Canada.
What kinds of jobs are available in Canada?
Numerous job offers exist in Canada. All you need to do is to position yourself and meet the criteria to stand higher chances. Your academic qualifications and professional backgrounds are vital in pushing you to the top of the ladder. Depending on your skills and the roles you are interested in, healthcare, IT, sales, finance, development, cybersecurity, and administrative assistant are some of the top jobs in Canada.
How do I Find a Job in Canada?
Although you can immigrate to Canada without a job offer, having one in Canada ahead of your relocation makes life easier. The Canadian job market is competitive and requires only highly skilled individuals to qualify. Hence, researching for a job and applying will give you an edge over those without a job, except their aim of relocation is not specifically to work.
Here are the steps that can help you find a job in Canada:
Search for advertised job positions and recruiters online: You can begin to look for jobs in Canada from your country before immigrating. Use job sites, social media, and forums to identify open positions.
Network with professionals already working in Canada: This set of individuals can give you scope on how to apply for a job in relevant companies. There are some professional networking sites to help you.
Ensure to meet language conditions: Language proficiency is as vital as your skills to meet the job conditions you are applying for. Canada has two major languages, which are English and French. Both have their specific conditions to enable you to scale through.
Format your resume: Ensure your resume is appropriately formatted to meet the job requirements you are applying for. You can meet a professional resume writer to help you format it well while ensuring your relevant skills and academic achievements are fitted in.
Submit your job application documents: Once you have done the above, the next step is to submit your application documents to your prospective Canadian employer. If you meet their conditions, they may contact you for an interview.
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