Why immigrate to Canada from Kuwait?

Why immigrate to Canada from Kuwait?

Living in sunny Kuwait, with its booming economy and an impressive employment rate, why would you even consider moving, and not just anywhere — to a remote, cold place somewhere across the ocean? Well, even though it is true that you will have to consider warmer clothing for the winter, Canada has much to offer to compensate for the occasional chill you will catch there.

If you look at the map, the first thing you will notice is how immensely large Canada is, reaching from ocean to ocean and as far north as is geographically possible. However, most of this land is not populated and has, in fact, been never touched by man. Most Canadians have settled along the US border, but the exploration and development of the northern regions is much encouraged, which is reflected in lower taxes and higher wages that attract people to move to colder parts of the country. And all that nature? Thousands and thousands of breathtaking views, pristine forests and lakes, unconquered mountains… Simply beautiful!

You certainly already know about some undeniable advantages Canada offers its residents: its growing economic prosperity, cultural diversity, unmatched tolerance and much more. Canada is, indeed, the land of opportunities. Unlike most other, immigration-wary, countries, Canada is known for building bridges, not obstacles, and creating functional immigration pathways for those who are willing to become part of this proud community and have something to bring to the table.

That means Canada has created extremely favourable conditions for those immigrating to work or start a business. Unlike immigrants in Kuwait, who have to pay for most healthcare, social and other services that are free for Kuwaiti citizens, expats in Canada enjoy the same rights and quality services as Canadian citizens. The economic climate and legal protection are perfect for starting a new business or expanding your existing operation to North America, which brings us to yet another point in favour of moving to Canada — its geographical proximity to the USA. Whether you want to enter the North American market while benefiting from lower production costs in Canada, or have easy access to the entirety of both American continents for travel, settling in Canada will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

Statistically, most Kuwaiti expatriates in Canada originally came to work or study. In 2019, Canada was named the third best country in the world for education, coming right after the UK and the USA. This is according to a study conducted by US News & World Report together with Y&R’s BAV and Wharton, with rankings based on 75 different metrics. The same research gave Canada first place for quality of life in the world.

Not surprisingly, immigrating to Canada is a common choice for bettering the quality of life, gaining exciting new career opportunities and, in some cases, starting or expanding your business in North America. All of these purposes can be successfully achieved through specially created immigration pathways for students, skilled workers and businessmen.

The Canadian healthcare system is another strong point in favour of moving to Canada. Every Canadian province has its own healthcare system providing access to free medical services of the highest quality for all Canadians. According to WHO, the average life expectancy in Canada is among the highest in the world at 80 years for men and 84 years for women.

Here, you’ll find an overview of the best, hassle-free immigration tracks from Kuwait to Canada.

Immigrate to start a Business

Start-Up Visa will be the first step towards Canadian permanent residence for Kuwaiti entrepreneurs willing to establish innovation-intensive companies in Canada, implement innovative ideas, and create jobs for Canadians.

To be eligible for the Start-Up Visa Program, entrepreneurs must be accepted into the program offered by a corresponding Canadian business incubator.

An applicant should submit exhaustive information about their proposed Canadian business venture. The application package must contain a business plan and all other relevant information.

The business that applies for the Canadian Start-Up Visa Program must demonstrate financial and marketing ability to contribute to Canada’s economic development, as well as substantiate market/consumer interest in their products or services.

You will also need to score at least 5 points for each language skill: reading, writing, listening and speaking, according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for either English or French.

Our Start-Up Visa Program Services

• Evaluation of the proposed Canadian business venture or business idea;
• Preparation/review of a business plan;
• Assistance in compiling the application package to a business incubator; coaching and formal support for all issues;
• Assistance with selection of a business incubator;
• Preparation for an interview with the selection committee of a business incubator.

Immigrate as a Skilled Professional

Express Entry is the most common way to immigrate to Canada, well-suited for skilled professionals. The system is fairly simple: to qualify you need to score the required number of points, based on multiple factors including education, work experience, language skills, a valid job offer, etc.

Once you get the number of points required by the IRCC, your profile will participate in bi-weekly draws. At this point, you can just wait or try to improve your score by updating your profile.

If your profile is selected by the IRCC, you will get an Invitation to Apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Express Entry offers three main streams:

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program
• The Federal Skilled Trades Program
• The Canadian Experience Class

What’s the difference and how do they work?

• The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

This is the best program for skilled workers in categories that are in high demand in Canada. To see if this program suits you, consider the following:

• Find out if you’re eligible by checking your NOC (National Occupational Classification). NOC is a special system that categorizes all occupations in Canada and assigns them a code and a skill level. Your occupation should have NOC skill level A or B, or skill type 0.
• Take an approved test in English and/or French (IELTS General, CELPIP General for English, TEF for French), and score at least CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level 7 in all four basic abilities: speaking, reading, writing, and listening.
• Have your education credentials assessed by an approved Educational Credential Assessment agency.
• Keep in mind that the IRCC will also consider other factors, such as your age, working experience, etc.

More details on FSWP here: Federal Skilled Worker Program.

1. The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

This stream is for you if you are experienced in a trade, such as technical, industrial, electrical workers, chefs, etc. You’ll need to speak either English or French as well.

However, this program has lower language requirements: English (CLB level 5 for speaking and listening, CLB level 4 for reading and writing) or French (NCLC level 5 for speaking and listening, NCLC level 4 for reading and writing).

You’ll also need:

• At least 2 years of full-time work experience (or its part-time equivalent) in a skilled trade within the period of 5 years before you apply;
• An offer of full-time employment for the period of at least one year OR a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade that was issued by a Canadian province, federal or territorial authority.

More details on FSTP here: Federal Skilled Trades Program.

• The Canadian Experience Class

The last Express Entry stream is designed for workers with at least one year of Canadian work experience obtained in the last three years.

Language requirements vary depending on your NOC.

If you are not eligible to apply under FSWP or FSTP, there’s always a chance you will be able to immigrate under this Class. Why? Because you can come to Canada with a work permit and get the experience required for this program.

Not sure how to apply for a work permit? Fund out here: https://canadianimmigrationexperts.ca/work-permit-canada/

If you are still not sure whether you can obtain a work permit, it might be a good idea to travel to Canada as a student (https://canadianimmigrationexperts.ca/study-permit-canada/), and remain on a postgraduate work-permit after you finish your studies.

All in all, there is a multitude of opportunities to consider within the Canadian Experience Class stream, including an interesting Owner/Operator program for those who run their own business in Canada (more here https://canadianimmigrationexperts.ca/owner-operator-lmia-based-work-permit/)

What is more, it is worth looking into Quebec Skilled Workers Program (QSWP) and a whole range of Provincial Nominee Programs (https://canadianimmigrationexperts.ca/provincial-nominee-program/), allowing different provinces and territories to select individuals, who are interested in settling in a particular province/territory and who are capable of contributing to its economic development.

How We Can Help

Since 1995, Jane Katkova & Associates – Canadian Immigration, Global Mobility Experts has been providing immigration services to numerous clients. We started a program called Express Entry Assist, which is intended to offer our clients easy and smooth entry to Express Entry. We will help you figure out all requirements for Express Entry, set up your profile and fill out the applications.

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell which program is best in your particular case. This is when consultation with Jane Katkova will be of assistance. We can help tailor a special roadmap to immigration that will work for you, and help you with every step of the process if you chose to do your immigration with us.