Expertise   »   Immigration   »   Requirements

Immigrants must apply at a visa office outside Canada. If you are visiting Canada and decide you want to live here, you will still be required to apply for permanent residence from abroad.

If your application shows that you will probably settle successfully in Canada, you will be called to a personal interview. If your application is approved, the visa officer will give you information about working and living conditions in Canada and answer any questions you may have about the country.

You may include your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children. Your spouse/common-law partner and any child aged 18 or over must complete a separate application form. If you do not intend to have your family accompany you, they still need to undergo medical examinations and background checks.

You will need to pay a processing fee for yourself and each accompanying family member, which will not be refunded if your application is refused. Your application will not be considered until the processing fee is paid. You also need to pay a Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) for each adult in the family, which is refundable if you are not accepted. Payment of the RPRF can also be deferred, but it must be paid before a visa is issued.

All immigrants must meet health and security requirements. You will need to pass a medical examination and all adults must produce police certificates for the countries where they have lived. Once issued, your permanent residence visa is valid until the validity of the medical assessment expires, which is one year from the date of the medical examination. You should go to Canada before the visa expires, or you will have to reapply.

Helene Mathieu Legal Consultants assist clients in migrating to Canada as:

Skilled Workers

Skilled Workers provide skills needed by the Canadian labor market. They do not require sponsorship but should be able to meet the admissibility requirements and are assessed on a points system.

Occupations in demand

  • Financial Managers
  • Computer and Information Systems Managers
  • Managers in Health Care
  • Restaurant and Food Service Managers
  • Accommodation Service Managers
  • Construction Managers
  • Financial Auditors and Accountants
  • Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
  • Mining Engineers
  • Geological Engineers
  • Petroleum Engineers
  • Specialist Physicians
  • General Practitioners and Family Physicians
  • Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Head Nurses and Supervisors
  • Registered Nurses
  • Medical Radiation Technologists
  • Licensed Practical Nurses
  • University Professors
  • College and Other Vocational Instructors
  • Chefs
  • Cooks
  • Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
  • Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
  • Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
  • Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
  • Industrial Electricians
  • Plumbers
  • Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers
  • Welders and Related Machine Operators
  • Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
  • Crane Operators
  • Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction
  • Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying
  • Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
  • Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

Medical Examinations

You must pass a medical examination before coming to Canada, as well as your dependants, even if they are not coming with you. Instructions on how to take the medical examination will be provided after the submission of the application to the Visa Office.

Financial Requirements

The Government of Canada does not provide financial support to new skilled worker immigrants. You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants for at least six months after you arrive in Canada. You cannot borrow this money from another person. You must be able to use this money to support your family.

You will need to provide proof of your funds when you submit your application for immigration. The amount of money that you need to have to support your family is determined by the size of your family.

No. of
Family Members		 Required Funds
(in Canadian dollars)
1 $10.601
2 $13.198
3 $16.225
4 $19.700
5 $22.343
6 $25.199
7 or more $28,055


Business Immigrants

Designed to encourage and facilitate the admission of business immigrants, the Business Immigration Program seeks to attract experienced business people to Canada who will support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy.

Business immigrants are expected to make a CAD 400,000 investment or to own and manage businesses in Canada.

Family Class Immigrants

Family Class Immigrants are sponsored, and supported financially, by immediate family members who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They are not subject to the points test.

Immigrant Investors

Helene Mathieu Legal Consultants represent the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program of Desjardins, a leading financial institution and the largest established bank in Quebec, Canada. The Immigrant Investor Program provides qualified business people and their families with a simple way of immigrating to Canada, while at the same time contribution to the expansion of Canada’s vibrant economy.

The Desjardins Immigrant Investor Program’s requirements are easy to meet because it is designed to give investor applicants an important head start and does not require them to establish a business while in Canada. As a result, larger numbers of investors are successfully completing the immigration process, obtaining permanent residence and Canadian citizenship.