How to Immigrate From Singapore to Canada

Do you want to immigrate to Canada from Singapore but do not know where to start? Our handy How to Immigrate from Singapore to Canada guide can help make your visa application process easier.

Whether you want to immigrate to Canada for study purposes, work, holiday, or family reasons, we will help you find a solution that fits your unique needs.

For Experienced/Skilled Workers

Canada is one of the few countries with continuous population growth due to attracting as many skilled and talented individuals to Canada as possible.

With the understanding that skilled individuals are an investment that offers the possibility of rich returns in the form of entrepreneurship expertise that creates jobs, specialized skills in niche industries, and innovative ideas that build new technologies and offer solutions to long-term problems

If you’re a Singaporean with the skills to contribute to Canada’s dynamic economy, then you can do so by using the following immigration visa programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

FSWP was created to cater to prospective immigrants with the qualifications, skills, or work experiences that can be capitalized productively to bolster Canada’s economy. Applicants must meet the minimum program requirements, which include work experience in:

• Managerial jobs (TEER Level 0),
• Professional jobs (skill level A),
• Canada skilled trades,
• Technical jobs (skill level B)

Applicants must also meet the pass mark of 67 points)

To be eligible to apply for this program, you need to meet the requirements for:

• Age
• Education
• Work experience
• Having a valid job offer
• Language proficiency in English and/or French
• Adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

FSTP is managed by the Express Entry immigration system. The FSTP addresses the trade worker shortages in Canada by allowing foreign workers with work experience in eligible trade occupations to immigrate to Canada.

To be eligible to apply for this program, you need:

• A full-time job offer from a Canadian employer for the minimum duration of a year or a certificate of qualification from one of Canada’s territorial, provincial or federal governing institutions,
• A language proficiency score in French or English as assessed by the CLB or NCLC score obtained ( writing and reading at level 4 and listening and speaking at level 5),
• Two years of full-time work experience in the last five years,
• The ability to meet the job requirements of your chosen skilled trade, and
• Enough settlement funds to provide for yourself and your family.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a part of three skilled worker immigration programs under the administration of the Federal Express Entry system. It was designed for permanent residence applicants whose work experience was obtained in Canada through a temporary work permit.

Temporary foreign workers are settled in Canadian society with existing networks of support they can use to transition into becoming permanent Canadian residents. The CEC provides them with the path toward achieving this goal.

To be Eligible to Apply for This program, you Need the Following:

Criteria	Requirement
Work experience	You must have one year of skilled Canadian work experience in a full-time position.
Education	There is no education requirement for this program.
Language skill	You must have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs or CLB of 5 for TEER 2 and 3 jobs
Admissibility	You must be legally allowed to enter Canada.

How to Apply

To apply for the permanent residency programs, you need to follow these three general steps:

Step 1: Determine Your Eligibility

You determine if you can apply by meeting the minimum requirements for Express Entry and evaluating which programs you’re qualified to apply to. You will receive instructions on what you must do next if you meet the requirements.

Step 2: Create an Express Entry Profile

Creating an Express Entry profile requires you to undergo an eligibility assessment where you answer questions regarding your age, work experience, qualifications, language ability, and other factors. The submission of required documents may be necessary.

Step 3: Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

Meeting or exceeding the required CRS score for an Express Entry will grant you the receipt of an ITA. ITAs grant you the opportunity to apply for permanent residency status.

For Students

Canada’s education system is renowned for its innovations in teaching that allow it to impart a lot of interesting, informative, and practicable ideas to its student population. The free government provision of education to permanent residents and citizens of Canada ensures that almost the entire population benefits from this quality education.

If you’re a Singaporean student and wish to become a beneficiary and integrated into the Canadian Education system, you can use the following student-targeted Canadian visa immigration programs and streams to immigrate to Canada.

Study Permits

Study permits allow international students to enroll at Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) in Canada. Foreign nationals that desire to live and work in Canada require a study permit to study in Canada or conduct any other activities under the administration of the Canadian education system

To obtain a study permit, you must:

• Be enrolled at a DLI
• Prove you have enough money to fund you fees, living expenses, and return transportation to your country of origin for yourself and your family.
• Abide by the law and possess no criminal record
• Demonstrate that you’re in good health by getting medical clearance from a Canadian government-recognized physician
• Provide proof to Canada’s immigration officers that you will leave the country upon the expiration of your study permit

How to Apply

The following is a breakdown of the steps involved when applying for a Canadian study permit.

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

You must ensure that you meet the criteria of your chosen DLI.

Step 2: Secure an Acceptance Letter

You must secure a letter of acceptance from a DLI

Step 3: Gather your Documents

You need to gather all requisite your documents: passport, proof of finances, proof of acceptance and any other documents required

Step 4: Pay the Application Fees

You must pay the study permit fee of CAD 150. After that, you can submit your application

For Those With Family in Canada

Canada’s long and storied history with immigration has given it one of the most diverse populations in the world. A lot of newcomers to the country do so through relatives already residing in Canada.

IRCC, to help immigrants with family members abroad made it easier to allow them to bring their foreign families to Canada through sponsorship programs that provide a pathway to permanent residency status. The following provides a list of the family sponsorships Singaporeans with resident relatives in Canada can use to be sponsored to immigrate to the country.

• The Spouse/Partner Sponsorship Program
• The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program
• The Dependent Child Sponsorship Program
• The Adoption Sponsorship Program
• The Adopted Child Sponsorship Program
• The Other Relative Sponsorship Program
• The Canada Super Visa

To be a Singaporean sponsor, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen
• You must be over 18
• You must live in Canada
• You need to have an income equal to or higher than the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for three continuous years before the submission of your application.
• You need to provide an undertaking that is valid with IRCC

How to Apply

The sponsorship application process involves the following steps:

1. You must apply to Sponsor or
2. Apply For sponsorship
3. Pay your Application Fees
4. Submit Additional Information
5. You must Submit Your Application Online

For Unskilled Workers

Canada’s labor markets are becoming increasingly strained beneath the weight of industrial and commercial expansion that is reinforced by the unceasing capital and trade flowing into the countries lucrative human and natural resources.

The Canadian government has neglected vast swaths of essential and reiterative work requiring very little to no skills have been neglected as the people continue to direct working-age Canadians to the more lucrative specialized industries like the IT industry.

If you are an unskilled Singaporean, this presents the perfect opportunity for you to immigrate to Canada, as IRCC has been granted the right and permission to allow Canadian business sectors that have labor shortages in critical, unskilled work to hire eligible foreign nationals and provide a pathway to obtain permanent residency. To move to Canada as an unskilled worker, you must obtain a Canada work permit.

Work Permits

A Canadian work permit allows foreign workers to work in Canada. The permit depicts the holder's name, the start and end date of the permit, passport information, the name of the employer, and the type of work the holder is allowed to perform.

The holder can work in Canada for a specific period as stipulated on the work permit. This period ranges from a few days to several years depending on the type of work permit.

A work permit does not grant you the legal right to stay in Canada permanently.

There are two types of work permits, the open work permit, and the employer-specific work permit.

Open Work Permit

An open work permit is provided by IRCC to foreigners who want to work for any employer for a given duration of time. There are mainly two types: Unrestricted and Restricted Permits. The main distinguishing factor between the two is Unrestricted Permits allow you to work in any occupation and location, and Restricted Permits do not.

Employer-Specific Work Permit

If you’re a foreign national with a job offer from a Canadian employer you’ll be issued an employer-specific work permit. This work permit is closely linked to the employer and the job offered..

Applying for an employer-specific work permit requires the employer to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

How to Apply

To apply for a Canadian work permit, you need to follow these 3 quick and easy steps which include:

Step 1: Choose a Visa That Works For you:

One of the main key factors when applying for the visa is choosing between the open work visa or the employer-specific work visa.

Step 2: Check Your Eligibility to Move to Canada:

The requirements that you as a foreign national will need to meet, depending on your country of origin

Step 3: Submit the Application:

You can submit your application with the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and it can be done online. Work visa fee: CAD 155.

Singaporeans in Canada

Singapore, much like Canada, is a former colony of the British Empire. This ties the two nations together in aspects of their socio-cultural history such as law, government organization and administration, and language (English).

Both countries are in the Commonwealth, associations of nations that were once a part of the British Empire. These nations generally have a close relationship with each other when it comes to trade and immigration in comparison to other countries.

Singaporeans have been moving to Canada in more consistent numbers since the 1970s. The rate of Singaporean immigration to Canada increased in vast numbers during the end of the Cold War when the transition toward globalization became much more feasible.

Most Singaporeans in Canada are engaged in professional work; the other significant contingent is students. Singaporeans mostly reside in Canada’s urban areas, forming a close-knit community based on their shared Singaporean lineage and heritage.

Notable Canadian Singaporeans include

Yuen Pau Woo: He is a Canadian politician and academic who serves as a senator from British Columbia (BC) since 2016.

Chloe Ing: Singaporean-Canadian figure skater. Her accolades include being the 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion, the 2017 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist, and a four-time senior national champion.

What Canada Offers Singaporeans

Singapore, classified as one of Asia’s “Economic Tigers”, is one of the greatest sovereign socio-economic stories in the world. Developing from an impoverished, largely aquacultural city-state into one of the world's most economically competitive, dynamic, and tech-savvy economies, it is often held up as the gold standard of how a country can lift its citizens out of the mire of poverty.

The unintended consequence of having such a competitive and dynamic economy is that the competition for jobs is rigorous, and the cost of living is high and stress-filled. Canada offers much the same standard of living but without many of the drawbacks associated with it. This is principally due to tax-funded free government services provided in key areas of life satisfaction such as:

• Quality, efficient healthcare provision
• Affordable housing
• Free, universal quality education
• Employment benefits and incentives

Start an Exciting life as a Canadian Singaporean Now!

Begin your new life as a Singaporean in Canada today. The process of applying to move to Canada can be rigorous and challenging. Use the help of one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants(RCICs) today to guide and facilitate the process for you and ensure that you don’t commit any mistakes that might hinder the expedited processing of your application or lower your chances of success.

FAQs

What is the Best Place to Move to in Canada as a Singaporean?

The best place to move to in Canada as a Singaporean is Toronto which offers the greatest chance of professional employment and development for Singaporeans.

What is the Least Interesting Province to Move to in Canada as a Singaporean?

Singapore is a tropical, densely populated country, so a province like Nanuvut, the coldest and least populated, would be the least suitable province for a Singaporean to immigrate to.

Which Canadian City has the Largest Singaporean Community?

Toronto, Canada’s largest city by most metrics, including population, is the city with the largest settled community of Singaporeans in Canada.