Moving to Canada from your country: routes and rules

What changes when you move to Canada from a different country

Five things change when you apply from a different country: whether you need a visa or travel visa-exempt, which IRCC visa office handles your file, how your police certificates are issued, where you can sit a language test, and how your credentials are recognised. The programs themselves are universal, and the requirements and step-by-step process are set out on our how to immigrate to Canada page.

• Visa-exempt vs visa-required. Some nationalities travel visa-exempt on an eTA, others need a temporary resident visa to enter Canada at all.
• Visa office and processing times. Your country of residence affects which IRCC office handles your file and how long it takes.
• Police certificates. Each country you have lived in has its own way of issuing the certificates IRCC requires, and some take weeks to arrive.
• Language testing. Test availability (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, TCF) and booking lead times vary by country.
• Credential recognition. Educational Credential Assessments and regulated-profession licensing differ by where you studied and trained.

The main routes, costs and timelines

The routes below are open whatever country you move from. Each has its own full guide; the country table above shows which ones people from your country use first.

Express Entry

Express Entry is the federal system for skilled workers. You build an online profile, are ranked by your Comprehensive Ranking System score, and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence. No job offer is needed. Read the full Express Entry guide.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Provinces nominate workers their labour markets need, and an enhanced nomination adds 600 CRS points to an Express Entry profile. Every province except Quebec runs its own streams, and so do two territories, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. See how Provincial Nominee Programs work.

Work permits

A Canadian job offer, an intra-company transfer or an International Experience Canada Working Holiday can bring you to Canada on a temporary permit. Many newcomers build Canadian experience this way, then move to permanent residence. Compare the Canadian work permit options.

Study permits

A study permit at a designated learning institution lets you study in Canada, and graduates may qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit that builds experience for the Canadian Experience Class. You must show funds for tuition and living costs. Read our Canadian study permit guide.

Spousal and family sponsorship

If your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you for permanent residence, normally with no minimum income requirement. You can apply from inside or outside Canada. Read our spousal sponsorship guide.

Regional programs

Targeted routes such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot lead to permanent residence for workers with a job offer in a participating region or community. They suit you if you will commit to a particular place. See the Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

Costs and timelines

Budget for IRCC fees, third-party costs such as a language test, credential assessment, police certificates and medical exam, and, for most Express Entry applicants, settlement funds that you show but keep. IRCC estimates 7 months for a Federal Skilled Worker application (IRCC, 9 October 2026). Itemise yours with the cost to immigrate to Canada calculator.

Moving back to Canada

Moving back to Canada needs no immigration application for a Canadian citizen, who must travel on a Canadian passport. Former permanent residents may still hold PR status, because PR status does not expire on its own; it is kept by spending at least 730 days in Canada in every five-year period (IRCC, checked 13 October 2026).

• Returning permanent residents: If you were away so long that you missed the 730 days, get advice before you travel, because a border officer can examine whether you met the residency obligation.
• Belongings: A former resident returning after a year or more abroad can bring goods duty- and tax-free if they owned, possessed and used them abroad for at least 6 months (a condition waived after 5 years abroad).
• Value limit: For former residents, any single item worth more than CAN$10,000, including a car, pays duty and taxes on the amount over CAN$10,000.

International moving to Canada: shipping your belongings

International moving to Canada is duty- and tax-free for household goods a new resident already owned, possessed and used before arriving, provided every item, including goods shipped to follow, is on the list you hand the border officer at your first point of entry (Canada Border Services Agency, checked 13 October 2026). The officer records it on Form BSF186, and anything left off that original list loses the exemption when the container arrives.