Guide to Moving to Canada: Study and Work Opportunities, Immigration Pathways, and Daily Life

Your journey to Canada begins with understanding the available options and choosing those that suit your circumstances and ambitions. Whether you plan to study, work, or move with your family, this guide covers essential information about visas, scholarships, immigration, and life after arrival. ElWijha provides the information you need to prepare for your next step.

Requirements vary depending on your nationality, travel document, method of arrival, and purpose of travel. You may need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA), or qualify for an exemption.

Most visitors can stay for up to six months, but a border services officer may set a different period. A visa’s validity is not the same as the length of your authorized stay.

Choose your program and institution, then review its admission requirements, language requirements, fees, and deadlines. The official EduCanada platform can help you find programs and institutions.

For studies requiring a permit, you generally need acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) authorized to host international students, proof of financial support, and the documents required for your circumstances. You may also need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL).

Since January 1, 2026, students enrolled in degree-granting master’s or doctoral programs at public DLIs have been exempt from PAL/TAL requirements. In Quebec, you generally also need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), even if you are exempt from PAL/TAL requirements, unless a specific CAQ exemption applies.

International students generally pay tuition fees. Scholarships are available, but their eligibility requirements and coverage vary. Check EduCanada’s scholarship portal and your chosen institution’s website.

Prepare a budget covering tuition, living expenses, insurance, and travel. Financial support requirements vary depending on the application date and the number of family members. Quebec has separate rules. Check the official amounts and required documents before applying.

If you meet the requirements for off-campus work, you may work up to 24 hours per week during regular academic terms, and without an hourly limit during scheduled academic breaks if you meet the applicable conditions.

You cannot start working before your studies begin. Studying only English or French as a second language does not give you this right. You also need a Social Insurance Number (SIN), which does not, by itself, authorize you to work.

You may qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), but not all institutions and programs are eligible.

Requirements apply to your studies, language proficiency, and, in some cases, your field of study. Check the institution’s and program’s eligibility and the permit requirements before choosing your studies.

A job offer or visitor visa alone does not authorize you to work. You generally need an appropriate work permit unless an exemption applies.

Your permit may be tied to an employer who needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or qualifies for an exemption. Open work permits are available only in specific circumstances.

You can search for opportunities aimed at international candidates through Job Bank, the Canadian government’s platform for jobs and labour market information, while checking the applicable work permit requirements.

This depends on your goal and profession. Some immigration programs may require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to determine the Canadian equivalency of your foreign qualifications. However, it does not automatically grant you a licence to practise a regulated profession.

If your profession is regulated, check the requirements of the relevant regulatory body in the province where you intend to work.

The main pathways include:

• Express Entry: an electronic system that manages applications for three federal economic immigration programs for skilled workers.

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): requirements vary by province or territory. Quebec and Nunavut do not participate.

• Family sponsorship: subject to requirements concerning the relationship, sponsor, and sponsored person.

Eligibility depends on language proficiency, experience, qualifications, and the program’s other requirements. Studying or working temporarily in Canada, or entering the Express Entry candidate pool, does not guarantee permanent residence.

The language of instruction depends on the program and institution. Workplace language requirements vary by position. Immigration programs specify accepted tests and proficiency levels; Express Entry requires an approved language test.

French is important in Quebec and may also create opportunities elsewhere in Canada. If Quebec is your destination, check its immigration pathways and specific requirements.

An eligible Canadian citizen or permanent resident may be able to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children. Each family member of a temporary student or worker needs the appropriate legal status.

A spouse’s or partner’s right to work is not automatic. Some eligibility categories for spouses of students include master’s programs lasting 16 months or longer, doctoral programs, and certain other specified programs, subject to additional requirements.

The Super Visa allows eligible parents and grandparents to stay for up to five years per visit, but it does not grant permanent residence.

As of this article’s review date, the Parents and Grandparents Program was not accepting new applications or interest-to-sponsor forms, and no new invitations were being issued. Existing applications continued to be processed.

Starting a company does not, by itself, give you the right to live or work in Canada. Check the requirements of business immigration programs offered by the provinces or Quebec.

As of this article’s review date, the federal Start-up Visa program for entrepreneurs with innovative business projects and the Self-Employed Persons Program for people with relevant experience in cultural or athletic activities were paused for new applications.

Working remotely for an employer outside Canada may be possible with visitor status if you do not enter the Canadian labour market and comply with the conditions of your stay. It does not automatically grant permanent residence or the right to work for a Canadian employer.

Compare housing, transportation, and essential living costs based on the city and your family size before choosing your destination.

Healthcare coverage is not automatic for everyone arriving in Canada. Eligibility varies by province or territory and your legal status. International students may need private insurance. Check the coverage available to you before travelling.

The general rule for maintaining permanent residence is to meet a residency obligation of 730 days within five years, with certain circumstances allowing some time spent outside Canada to count.

Adults applying for citizenship generally need permanent resident status and at least 1,095 days of qualifying physical presence during the five years before signing the application, along with the applicable tax filing, language, citizenship test, and other requirements.

Asylum and protection pathways have separate legal requirements related to persecution or the need for protection. If this applies to you, check the requirements of the appropriate pathway with the Canadian authorities.