Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world’s second largest country by total area. Canada’s common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world.
The land that is now Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years’ War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom.
Canada is a federal state that is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual nation with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. One of the world’s highly developed countries, Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade – particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. It is a member of the G7, G8, G20, NATO, OECD, WTO, Commonwealth, Francophonie, OAS, APEC, and UN. With the eighth-highest Human Development Index globally, it has one of the highest standards of living in the world.
One in three Canadians calls Ontario home. Diverse cultural backgrounds make up this vibrant province, a magnet for industry, the arts and innovation. From its varied landscape, to thousands of lakes, to fantastic tourism spots, Ontario is a study in contrasts with much to offer.
Ontario is Canada’s second largest province, covering more than one million square kilometers (415,000 square miles) – an area larger than France and Spain combined. More than 12 million people live in Ontario. If you look at a map of Ontario you will notice that the province is bounded by Quebec on the east, Manitoba on the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay on the north, and the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes on the south.
The Canadian capital city of Ottawa is located in Ontario. The capital of this province is the city of Toronto being the largest city in Canada. Ontario is home to the world-famous ice wine and one of the world’s most spectacular natural sights: the Niagara Falls.
Ontario has its own provincial nominee program different from any other provinces. If you wish to immigrate to this province, work or study you can apply in the following categories:
- Foreign workers
- International students
- Investors
Located in northeastern North America. It covers 1.667.441 km an area equal to Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany (Northern Europe).
St. Lawrence River, one of the largest rivers in the world, flows more than 1000 kilometers before spilling in to the Atlantic Ocean. It is drinking water source for Quebec and it is one of the world’s most important navigable water ways.
There are almost 750.000 lakes and 130.000 rivers and streams that make up 10 percent of total surface area of Quebec. More than 75 percent of the electricity consumed by Quebec is generated by hydroelectric stations across Quebec.
Forest is covering almost half the province. Quebec has more than 7.5 million inhabitants. The number of male & female is almost equal. The life expecting is 78 years for men and 83 years for women.
The French began to colonize Quebec in the early 16th century, settling on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The French soon faced aboriginal nations that had been well established in Quebec for thousands of years. Very early on relationships develops between them. Today, Quebec has 82.000 aboriginal populations of which almost 72000 are first nation and 10.000 are inviting. They represent approximately 1 percent of Quebec population.
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada’s 10 provinces. Washington State, Idaho and Montana border B.C. to the south, Alberta to the east, the Northwest and Yukon territories to the north, and Alaska to the northwest.
B.C.’s total land and freshwater area is 95 million hectares, larger than France and Germany combined. Only 30 countries are larger. British Columbia occupies about 10 per cent of Canada’s land surface. British Columbia has nearly 1,000 provincial parks and protected areas, attracting about 24 million visits every year.
British Columbia is Canada’s third-largest generator of hydro electricity, providing some of the lowest power costs in North America. The province is also Canada’s second-largest natural gas producer, and the oil and gas industry continues to see tremendous growth, particularly in northeastern B.C.
Lastly, B.C. is home to the biggest sporting event in the world – the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympics Games.
If you wish to immigrate to this province, work or study you can apply in the following categories:
- Temporary foreign workers
- International foreign students
- Professionals and skilled workers
- Family class
- Business and Investors
- Refugees
British Colombia has a great investor/business program, which allows expedited application processing therefore it takes less time for investors to get to B.C. You can apply in this category with as little as $200,000.00 to over $500,000.00 as an investor in this province.
The sun shines throughout our cold winters and warm summers, illuminating the mountains in the west, and the plains in the north, centre and south. The Rocky Mountains are perhaps Alberta’s most recognizable geographic feature. Their rugged and spectacular scenery attract visitors from all over the world. Much of Alberta’s oil and gas are found beneath the foothills that lie along the base of the Rockies.
The rest of the province is housed on a great plain, or prairie, which Alberta shares with Saskatchewan on the east, and with the state of Montana to the south. Alberta is famous for its chinook winds, which sweep into southern Alberta several times each winter. This dry, warm wind can rapidly lift the province out of a deep freeze. During one chinook, which reached Pincher Creek on January 1962, temperatures soared from -19°C to +22°C in one hour.
Alberta has an approximate population of 3.6 million with most of people residing in provincial capital city of Edmonton and the business center of the province, the city of Calgary.
If you are interested in this province, the following categories are available:
- Temporary foreign workers
- International youth exchange program
- AINP (Alberta Provincial Nominee Program)
- Federal application
ANIP is a very effective immigration program for different types of applicants who wish to work and in live in Canada.
Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territories of Nunavut and Northwest Territories to the north, and the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. It also has a saltwater coastline on Hudson Bay at Churchill.
Major Manitoba lakes include Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, and Lake Winnipeg; the last of these is the tenth-largest fresh-water lake in the world and the largest located entirely within southern Canada. Some traditional Native land use areas of the east side of Lake Winnipeg are proposed United Nations World Heritage Site.
Manitoba’s economy relies heavily on tourism, energy, agriculture, oil, minerals, mining, and forestry. Agriculture is vital to Manitoba’s economy and is found mostly in the southern half of the province.
Manitoba’s immigration program is well defined and has the most comprehensive, easy to understand provincial nominee programs in Canada. There are several types of Provincial Nominee Program in Manitoba:
- General stream
- Family stream
- International students
- Employer direct
- Strategic initiation
- Dependants
- Business immigration
Saskatchewan became a province of Canada on September 1, 1905. Located between Alberta to the west and Manitoba to the east, its boundaries extend from the US border along the 49th parallel to the border with the Northwest Territories along the 60th parallel.
Saskatchewan covers 6.5% of Canada, an area of 651,036 square kilometers. Four eco-zones span the province: prairie, boreal plains, boreal shield, and taiga shield. The climate is continental, characterized by large seasonal temperature ranges and low precipitation.
In 2008, Saskatchewan’s GDP per capita increased by 3.7% (ranked 1st among the provinces) Saskatchewan’s productivity (real GDP per employed person) increased by 2.2% and was the highest among the provinces. Saskatchewan also led the nation in personal income (at 12.4%) and disposable income (at 13.7%) growth in 2008.
Saskatchewan has a Provincial Nominee Program, which allows applicants to apply to immigrate to Canada as well as having the option of federal application. The following categories are available to those who wish to go to Saskatchewan:
- Skilled workers
- Entrepreneur Program
- Family members
- Farm owners/operators
- Health professionals
- Long haul truck drivers
- Students
Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territories of Nunavut and Northwest Territories to the north, and the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. It also has a saltwater coastline on Hudson Bay at Churchill.
Major Manitoba lakes include Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, and Lake Winnipeg; the last of these is the tenth-largest fresh-water lake in the world and the largest located entirely within southern Canada. Some traditional Native land use areas of the east side of Lake Winnipeg are proposed United Nations World Heritage Site.
Manitoba’s economy relies heavily on tourism, energy, agriculture, oil, minerals, mining, and forestry. Agriculture is vital to Manitoba’s economy and is found mostly in the southern half of the province.
Manitoba’s immigration program is well defined and has the most comprehensive, easy to understand provincial nominee programs in Canada. There are several types of Provincial Nominee Program in Manitoba:
- General stream
- Family stream
- International students
- Employer direct
- Strategic initiation
- Dependants
- Business immigration
Nova Scotia is located on Canada’s southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of 55,284 square kilometers (21,300 sq mi). Its population of 940,397 as of 2009 makes it the fourth-least-populous province of the country, though second most densely populated.
Nova Scotia’s economy is traditionally largely resource-based, but has diversified since the middle of the 20th century. Industries such as fishing, mining, forestry and agriculture remain very important and have been joined by tourism, technology, film, music, and finance.
The province’s mainland is the Nova Scotia peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, including numerous bays and estuaries. Nowhere in Nova Scotia is more than 67 km (42 mi) from the ocean.
Cape Breton Island, a large island to the northeast of the Nova Scotia mainland, is also part of the province, as is Sable Island, a small island notorious for its shipwrecks, approximately 175 km (110 mi) from the province’s southern coast. Nova Scotia is Canada’s second-smallest province in area (after Prince Edward Island). Nova Scotia is also Canada’s most-southern-centered province even though it does not have the most-southern location in Canada, which is in Ontario.
Nova Scotia has its owns provincial nominee program and the applicants can apply in different following categories:
- Skilled worker stream
- Family business worker stream
- Non-dependant child of Nova Scotia Nominees
- International graduate stream
Prince Edward Island is the smallest of the Canadian provinces both in size and population. While it is densely populated, it is not overcrowded. The Province is also called ‘PEI’, or simply ‘The Island’. The capital city is Charlottetown.
The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population (excluding the territories). According to the 2009 estimates, Prince Edward Island has 122,000 residents. The island was named for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767 – 1820), the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.
Prince Edward Island has a unique form of Provincial Nominee Program and has 4 categories of immigration program:
- Immigration Partner category
- Immigration Entrepreneur Category
- Immigration Connection Category
- Skilled Worker Category
This class is designed for applicants who have recent Canadian work experience or were international students who graduated in Canada and are now working in Canada.
If you are an international student who graduated in Canada and have at least one-year full time or equivalent work experience in Canada you can apply in this class. If you have worked for 2 years as a temporary foreign worker in Canada under NOC skill type O, A or B, you can apply for Permanent Residency for yourself and your family members.
These types of applications will be assessed a 2 requirements basis only:
- French or English language ability
- Work experience
For foreign students, the 3rd important factor taken into consideration will be the education of the applicant.