What’s Involved In Moving To Canada From Ireland?

The world’s your oyster, so why not make your dream of living in Canada a reality?

The good news is it doesn’t have to be too difficult if you’re moving there from Ireland. Canada offers many different options for people who want to relocate there and one of them is bound to suit your particular situation.

Below we’ll answer some questions to get your started.

Are You Mentally Prepared For The Move?

Before any move it’s important to prepare yourself mentally, because moving is stressful.

This is even more important when moving to another country. To help with the process, learn as much as possible about Canada, so you have a realistic expectation.

For Irish citizens there are benefits such as Catholicism being a prominent religion and there being many Canadian Irish communities to become part of. You will have to prepare for some extreme weather conditions though.

Do You Need A Visa?

For Canada, Irish citizens won’t need a visa for the first six months.

So, if you simply want a short term stay or want to try out living in the country, it’s fairly effortless.

For any time after your first six months—whether you’re just visiting or you’re working—you’ll need a visa in place.

Options For Moving To Canada From Ireland

For anyone from Ireland there are many different immigration programs to consider:

Study visa: Once you’ve completed a course you could obtain a Post Graduate Work Permit
Family sponsorship program: Get sponsored by family
Provincial nomination program: Each of 13 provinces may nominate you motivated by you being able to help them boost their growth
Federal skilled worker program: Based on age, education, experience and other factors you may be seen as a skilled worker
Working holiday program: An option if you’re between 18 and 35 of age
Young professionals program: Boost your career path after completing post-graduate studies; you need an offer of employment
International Co-op program: A student-based stream to gain experience in your field of study
Express Entry program: A program open to anyone that’s part of managerial, trade and professional roles, where your profile could be chosen if it’s more impressive than other candidates; you don’t need a job offer in place to enter this program

For immigration there are also six main categories, each with its own requirements to be included in that group:

Federal skilled worker
Canadian experience class
Provincial nominee program
Quebec skilled worker
Family sponsorship
Business immigrant

Logistics for Your New Life in Canada

Plan your future carefully by researching where you want to stay. Housing is expensive in many Canadian areas, but there are more affordable places to consider. Be prepared that you may be expected to communicate in French in some places. A major benefit will be the free healthcare system.

Can You Become A Canadian Citizen?

You will be considered for Canadian citizenship if you’ve been in Canada as a permanent resident for at least 3 years in total over the last 5 years. To obtain citizenship you’ll be expected to complete a citizen test and prove you’ve mastered the relevant languages, namely French and English. There are also some expectations regarding tax filing and you shouldn’t have a police record.

Final Thoughts And Tips

So, how long will this process take you? For many people it will be a roughly 12 months from starting to apply to setting your feet on Canadian soil. But it could also be a much shorter process, all depending on the particulars of your current situation. So, get started and a year from now you’ll have made your dream come true.