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Canada is one of the most popular countries among migrants from India. The country has a strong economy that offers various opportunities, a welcoming culture for Indians, good quality of life, and beautiful landscapes. Canada is also known as one of the friendliest nations for migration from India.

The education system in the country is known to have one of the most productive curricula globally. Each year thousands of people migrate to Canada to settle down, study and lead a prosperous life.

Once you have successfully moved to Canada, you can apply for your permanent residency and later citizenship becoming eligible. In this article, we will discuss how to settle in Canada from India.

What are the requirements to move to Canada from India?

If you are someone who wants to know “how to settle in Canada from India”, there are a few eligibility criteria that you should meet. Here are some requirements for moving to Canada from India that all prospective applicants need to keep in mind:

• Minimum age: If you want to move to Canada, you need to be a minimum of 18 years of age. Candidates who are younger than 18 years of age need to have a relative, parent, or host who can sponsor their move and education.
• Years of living in Canada: Candidates who are applying for Canadian citizenship need to have lived in the country for a minimum of three years. Applicants who are less than 18 years of age wouldn’t fulfill this requirement if they were not born in the country.
• Language proficiency: The official languages of the country are French and English. To apply for Canadian citizenship, applicants need to be fluent in at least one language.
• Background record: If an applicant holds a criminal history, a black mark in their home country, or associations with heavy violence, they are not eligible to reside in Canada.

What are the various immigration pathways in Canada?

Immigration pathways are categories for applications received by the IRCC. There are rules established by the Canadian government to process these applications. There are primarily four immigration pathways to Canada. These are:

• Family Class Members:  This pathway focuses on people who have relatives or family already living in Canada and who have agreed to sponsor your immigration. If you have a conjugal partner, common-law partner, dependent children, grandparents, parents, immediate relatives, spouse, or adoptive children living in Canada, you may be eligible to migrate from India to Canada under the family immigration policy.
• Economic Immigrants:  This pathway includes skilled workers who want to move permanently to Canada. Since 2015, the IRCC or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have offered the Express Entry pathway to process applications under economic categories and focus on skilled workers in any industry. The economic immigrant’s pathway gets further subdivided into skilled worker class, business class, and Canadian experience class.
• Humanitarian and Compassionate Applicants: These candidates are not generally eligible to reside in Canada, but they have a strong emotional reason behind their choice. These reasons could be improving their child’s future, familial responsibilities, and relations, among others. People who are looking to reside in Canada under this pathway need to have a strong reason that can overcome their ineligibility to apply for Canadian citizenship.
• Refugee class: This pathway focuses on immigrants who are not allowed to return to their original country because of safety concerns. These individuals may seek temporary accommodation or want to live permanently in Canada. Such applicants can get sponsored for their stay on humanitarian grounds.

What is Canada PR?

A Canadian permanent residency is granted to a person who has relocated to the country to pursue a job opportunity. You can get a Canadian PR once you have migrated to Canada and have become eligible to apply. A permanent residency signifies that the immigrant has been granted a permanent residence status. It is an important document that makes it easier for you to navigate various aspects of your life in Canada. Upon receiving permanent resident status, the person can be considered to become a Canadian citizen after fulfilling certain criteria.

What are the benefits of gaining Canadian PR?

After immigrating to Canada from India, you can apply for permanent Canadian residency. Here are the benefits of gaining Permanent Residence status in Canada.

• Obtain the right to work, study, and stay anywhere throughout Canada.
• Get access to world-renowned social services and healthcare infrastructure in Canada.
• Get liable to obtain protection guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, secured by Canadian law.
• The Canadian Permanent Resident card can help you leave and enter Canadian borders as per your wish.
• Getting a permanent resident status in Canada can be thought of as the first step to getting Canadian citizenship. Candidates are eligible to apply for citizenship in Canada after being permanent residents for a minimum of 3 to 5 years.

Things to keep in mind before moving to Canada from India

Before you start to wonder how to settle in Canada from India, you must ensure that you take care of a few things. Here are some things to keep in mind before moving to Canada from India:

• Make sure that you have your documents like CoPR and passport handy as they may be required throughout your journey as well as for identity proof.
• Ensure that you carry all your education degrees and diplomas if you plan to apply for a job in Canada. Many times prospective job candidates need to carry their academic credentials with them.
• If you are married, you need to ensure that you have a copy of your marriage certificate. Marriage certificates are typically required in other countries to establish your family unit.
• If you have kids, don’t forget to have a copy of their birth certificate as well as other relevant documents.
• If you are migrating to Canada for work, you need to carry documents for your employment history, as well as your offer letter.
• Ensure that you have a copy of your vaccination certificates with you. This will come in handy when you apply for health insurance for new immigrants in Canada.

How to apply for Canadian citizenship?

Here are some guidelines that you should follow once you are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship:

• Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria mentioned on the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) website.
• Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you need to fill out the form on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada website. You can also fill this form out by physically visiting the IRCC office.
• Read all the instructions properly and upload all the required documents. To apply for Canadian citizenship, you need to provide the following documents:
• Color copy of all the pages in your passport. 

• An original copy of your Online Physical Presence Calculation that provides your residency. 
• Copies of a minimum of two legal photo identity proofs such as foreign identity documents, health insurance cards, driver’s licenses, PR cards, or passports.
• Proof of your French or English language proficiency.
• Two passport-size photographs.
• Pay the application fees after you fill out the entire application. Currently, the application fee set by the Canadian government is 630 CAD for all applicants. This amount includes a processing fee of 530 CAD and a right of citizenship fee of 100 CAD. The application fee cannot be refunded. However, if you pay a larger sum by mistake, you will get your refund within a week. 
• Submit the form and start preparing for your Canadian citizenship test. The Canadian citizenship test is compulsory and you need to get a minimum of 15 answers correctly on this test out of 20 to pass. 

Conclusion

Canada is known to be one of the best countries for migration worldwide. The country promises a bright future for people at all stages of their lives, whether they are students looking forward to completing their education and settling in Canada or getting better career opportunities.

Canada has many different immigrant policies that focus on different kinds of candidates who want to study at the best universities and get many lucrative career opportunities. Canada is known for the incredible opportunities it provides its immigrants. For Indians, Canada is perhaps the most suitable choice. With the finest quality of life, a captivating climate, and world-renowned education, Canada is an excellent country for settling. Once you migrate to Canada, you can easily apply for permanent residence and consequently Canadian citizenship when you become eligible.