Most Popular Ways to Immigrate to Canada from Pakistan
Canada is quickly becoming the top choice for many Pakistanis looking for better jobs, higher-quality schools, and an overall nicer life. With plans to take in 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023 and raise that number to 500,000 by 2025, there has never been a better moment for people from Pakistan to step inside the Maple Leaf door.
Pakistan usually sits in the top ten countries that send immigrants to Canada. Between 2016 and 2021, the count of new arrivals born there jumped from 202,260 to 234,110-roughly 32,000 extra people. Right now, more than 300,000 Pakistanis live in Canada, with strong hubs mainly in Ontario cities like Toronto, Mississauga, and Milton.
Canadians have built several clear paths to permanent residency so that different skills and life stories can fit in. Knowing which route matches your profile can help you avoid wasted time and boost your odds of approval. This guide walks you through the best options available to Pakistanis, including economic streams and study programs that can open the door to a new home, immigrate to canada.
Why Canada Is a Top Destination for Pakistani Immigrants, Immigrate to Canada
Canadas pull for Pakistani newcomers goes well beyond friendly visa rules. The nation combines steady jobs, excellent schools, and real cultural mix in a way that speaks to many Pakistani families, immigrate to canada.
Job seekers love Canadas sturdy economy, which stays strong in fields like tech, health care, engineering, and skilled trades. Because growth is steady, workers can climb the career ladder and build financial safety in ways that attract many Pakistani professionals. On top of that, Canadas proud multicultural policy lets newcomers keep their traditions while smoothly joining everyday Canadian life.
Schools play a huge role, too. Canadian colleges and universities rank high worldwide and offer plenty of research chances. For Pakistani students, studying here often opens the door to permanent residency because many programs are set up to keep graduates in the country.
Everyday quality of life seals the deal for families thinking long-term. Free health care, reliable social support, and calm politics mean parents can worry less about the future. Canadas focus on work-life balance and care for the planet matches the values that lots of Pakistani immigrants bring with them, immigrate to canada.
Express Entry: The Federal Skilled Worker Program, Immigrate to Canada
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is still the go-to route for many skilled Pakistani experts hoping to move to Canada. Part of the wider Express Entry system, the FSWP looks for workers who can boost the Canadian economy with their know-how, education, and real-world experience.
To get in, applicants from Pakistan need to hit a few key points. You must have at least one year of full-time, paid work in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 job within the last ten years. This category covers everything from management roles and university-level professions to technical jobs and skilled trades.
Language skills are another big piece of the puzzle. You have to show CLB 7 or higher in English or French, and that score must be the same across reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Most Pakistani candidates take the IELTS for English or the TEF test for French to prove their language level, immigrate to canada.
Schools and degrees also matter. Your education needs to match a Canadian standard or be backed by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized agency. For many in Pakistan, that means sending their university documents to a listed ECA body so Canada can see that the diploma is legit.
Under Canadas Express Entry, hopeful newcomers start by earning at least 67 points from six areas: education, language ability, work history, age, a job offer or a provincial nomination. Instead of a single score, they combine these to see if they qualify. They must also show enough money to settle and support their family until they find work.
After creating a profile, each candidate is ranked through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The first half of their score comes from core factors, while the second half rewards strong job offers or a direct invitation from a province. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) then holds periodic draws and sends invitations-to-apply (ITAs) to candidates at the top of the list, immigrate to canada.
Recently, targeted draws have focused on people who speak French or work in healthcare, tech, trades, transport, or agriculture. By entering such category-based pools, Pakistani professionals in those fields gain an extra shot at an ITA.
Another route is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which lets provinces nominate newcomers based on specific labor gaps. Every province and territory, except Nunavut and Quebec, has its own stream with rules shaped by local job markets and economic goals.
The Provincial Nominee Program, or PNP, lets Canadian provinces invite skilled workers from other countries based on how much those workers will help the local economy. Every province has its own streams that focus on certain jobs, levels of education, or even age groups. For applicants from Pakistan, that means there are several pathways to choose from, depending on what you have to offer and where you want to live, immigrate to canada.
In some cases, a provincial stream lines up with the Express Entry system. If you get a nomination through these pathways, you earn an extra 600 CRS points, making it almost certain you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Other streams work separately, so you can apply directly to the province without using the Express Entry pool at all, immigrate to canada.
Pakistani newcomers often look at Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream, British Columbia’s Skills Immigration programs, Alberta’s Express Entry Stream, and Saskatchewan’s International Skilled Worker category. Each of these options has its own checklist that includes work experience, education level, language tests, and ties to the province, so nothing can be taken for granted.
Before you start the application, spend some time digging into what each province is really looking for right now. Some areas give extra points to people who already have a job offer, while others steer nominations toward specific careers or educational credentials in high demand. Knowing these details can make a big difference in how quickly, and smoothly, your nomination arrives, immigrate to canada.
Study Route: Education Leading to Permanent Residence
More Pakistani students are now using the study route to gain Canadian permanent residency, and the numbers keep rising each year. In 2022 alone, Canada welcomed a record 551,405 international learners from 184 countries; Pakistanis made up a large share of that booming group.
The journey starts when a student secures a spot at a Designated Learning Institution, or DLI, in Canada. With over 1,500 DLIs spread across every province and offering many programs, applicants from Pakistan have a rich pool of schools and courses to choose from. Once an acceptance letter arrives, the next step is applying for a study permit, which grants the right to live and study in Canada.
Canadians see many upsides to a home-grown education, and so do new arrivals from Pakistan. While in class, students can work part-time, earning Canadian dollars and picking up job skills that boost any future immigration file. A welcoming, multicultural campus makes settling in easier, while the high standard of teaching opens doors at home and abroad later on, immigrate to canada.
After crossing the graduation stage, international students often qualify for the Post-Graduation Work Permit, or PGWP. This permit lets them stay and work in Canada for up to three years, depending on how long they studied. That local work experience then counts for points in most Economic-Class immigration streams, moving graduates one step closer to permanent resident status, immigrate to canada.
Many students in Pakistan pick majors that are trending, like nursing, coding, engineering, or hands-on trades. These fields usually come with their own immigration routes and solid hiring chances, so graduates boost both job security and the chance to move abroad, immigrate to canada.
One popular channel is the Canadian Experience Class, part of the Express Entry system. It looks for people who studied and worked in Canada. Because Pakistani grads with local diplomas and job records often rack up high points, this option frequently leads to permanent residency.
Permits: Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program
*Work permits let newcomers build Canadian experience while they move closer to staying for good. In Canada, most work permits fall under two big umbrellas: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).
For the TFWP, employers must first get a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA. This document proves that hiring a newcomer will neither hurt nor replace local jobs. To show that, the company has to post the opening widely and explain why no qualified Canadian was available, immigrate to canada.
The International Mobility Program lets some workers skip the usual Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and it covers paths like intra-company moves, trade agreement hires, and programs that swap jobs between countries. A few Pakistani professionals might fit these streams if their work matches one of the listed treaties or the special-job category.
For most Canadian work permits, applicants still need an offer from a local employer. Pak-istani candidates should aim at fields with staffing gaps, including health care, tech, skilled trades, and agriculture. Trying to connect directly with companies, signing up with recruiting firms, or tapping into industry groups may uncover open roles, immigrate to canada.
Open work permits tie no one applicant to a single boss; they show up in cases such as a skilled worker’s spouse or a study-permit holders partner. This freedom makes them handy for Pakistani families piecing together a longer immigration plan.
Work acquired on a permit in Canada boosts the odds of being picked for permanent residence later. Countless temporary workers from Pakistan have moved to status streams like Express Entry or provincial programs after logging local experience.
Family Sponsorship: Reuniting with Loved Ones
Family sponsorship offers a clear, caring route for Pakistani nationals whose close relatives are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Through this program, eligible sponsors can welcome a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or other approved family member to Canada, immigrate to canada.
Canadians putting in a sponsorship request must pass several checks. They need to live in Canada, have enough money to support the newcomer, and not have serious criminal or immigration troubles in their past. Every sponsor also signs a promise to care for the person or people they are bringing in for a set number of years.
Sponsoring a spouse remains the most popular path for many Pakistani families. Couples must show their relationship is real and share a stack of papers to prove it. Wait times change from year to year, but unlike economic streams, the newcomer does not have to earn points.
Canadians hoping to bring in a mother, father, or grandparent face a different game because the Parent and Grandparent Program, or PGP, now runs a lottery. Those interested must fill out an interest-to-sponsor form when the government opens the door, usually for a short window each year.
Certain other family members can be sponsored in Canada but only in special situations, like when the main sponsor has no immediate relatives left to bring in, or when the child, brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild under eighteen fits the legal orphan definition.
Resources and Application Preparation
A winning immigration application to Canada starts with solid preparation and the right information. The first stop for every applicant should be the official Government of Canada website at canada.ca, which lays out each program, the forms you need, and every rule you must follow. Pakistani applicants in particular should stick to these official pages to get the facts straight and dodge misleading tips.
When the path looks complicated, or when your just not sure if you qualify, professional help can make a big difference. Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and licensed immigration lawyers know the ins-and-outs and can speak for you if needed. Always double-check their credentials first and pick only those who are fully licensed.
Collecting documents is another huge step in the process that cant be rushed. To stay on schedule, Pakistani applicants should start early and gather educational diplomas, work reference letters, language test results, police clearances, and medical exam reports as soon as possible. Keep in mind that many papers also need translation and notarization, so give yourself extra time for those tasks.
Financial planning is a big piece of any immigration journey. Every application comes with a list of costs: processing fees, biometrics, medical exams, and maybe even a consultant’s bill. On top of that, applicants must show they have enough money to settle in Canada, and that amount changes based on family size and the program they pick.
Language skills are often the make-or-break factor for a successful application. Pakistani applicants should spend real time lifting their English or French before booking the official test dates. Stronger scores can turn a good profile into a great one in point-based streams like Express Entry, immigrate to canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Canadian immigration process take for Pakistani applicants?
Processing times vary a lot depending on the path you choose. `Express Entry` applications usually finish within about six months after the invitation to apply arrives. Applications through a `Provincial Nominee Program` can stretch from twelve months to eighteen or even longer, depending on the province and stream. `Study permit` cases typically wrap up in four to twelve weeks, while `work permits` might take anything from a few weeks to several months. `Family sponsorship` timelines differ widely; for instance, spousal sponsorship often lands somewhere between twelve and twenty-four months on average.
What Language Skills Do Pakistani Immigrants Need?
What you need to speak and understand really depends on the visa you pick. Most people going through Express Entry want a Canadian Language Benchmark, or CLB, of at least 7, which shows a solid IELTS score of around 6 in every part. Push that score higher, though, and your chances rise even more. Many Provincial Nominee Programs, or PNP streams, are easier on the language part and ask for just CLB 4 or 5.
Some paths listen to only English, others let you use French, and the best options often give points for knowing both.
Can Pakistani Immigrants Keep Two Passports?
Officially, Pakistan’s law isn’t friendly to dual citizenship, yet a few groups are treated differently. When a Pakistani-born person becomes a Canadian citizen, the rules usually say they must give up their Pakistani status. In practice, how strictly this is watched can vary, and many people still hold both passports without any trouble. Before deciding, it makes sense to read up on what each country expects and what risks, if any, you might run, immigrate to canada.
What Are the Settlement Funds Requirements?
Settlement funds needed for immigration change from one program to another and also depend on your family size. For most routes under the Express Entry system, a single applicant must show around CAD 13,310, whereas a family of four needs close to CAD 25,564. These figures are reviewed every year and act as the minimum money you should have on hand when you arrive. To meet the rule, the money must be liquid-not tied up in property-and you should back it up with recent bank statements and a letter from your bank.
Do Pakistani Professionals in Certain Fields Get Extra Points?
Yes, skilled workers from Pakistan who train or work in healthcare, IT, engineering, and the skilled trades often enjoy a small edge because Canada needs more hands in those areas. Recent category-based Express Entry draws have already searched for health aides and STEM graduates by name. Many Provincial Nominee Program streams also place these jobs at the top of their lists, and several regions run active recruitment drives around them. Plus, some careers fall under mutual recognition pacts that speed up the way your credentials are exchanged and accepted.
Your Path to Canadian Success Starts Today
Canadians pride themselves on being open-hearted, and that welcoming spirit also shows up in the country’s immigration system. For many Pakistani nationals, one of the most stable and friendly places to start afresh is Canada, whether you dream of a brighter career, an advanced degree, or simply reuniting with family. Express Entry, study permits, and spousal sponsorship are only a few of the structured routes that could turn those dreams into a reality.
Still, reaching that goal asks for clear planning, honest prep work, and a dose of patience. Before you fill out forms or book an IELTS test, take time to review your skills, education, and life situation so you can pick the pathway that fits best. From extra English lessons to certified transcripts, gathering the right documents early saves headaches later, immigrate to canada.
Moving thousands of miles from Karachi to Calgary does sound daunting, yet every year thousands of Pakistani newcomers prove it can be done. They land jobs, open restaurants, join community groups, and add their own unique flavor to Canada’s growing mosaic—all while building stronger futures for their families back home. With solid research and a willing heart, you too can add your story to that success.
Begin the climb today: tap into the authorized Canadian web pages, check which program suits you, and start collecting the papers and skills that will carry you toward your new life.