5 Easiest Provinces to Immigrate to in Canada

One of the foremost questions that many prospective immigrants to Canada want to know is how easy it is to immigrate to one of Canada’s provinces. As the tide of immigration to Canada continues to grow, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has instituted various provincial immigration visa streams that expedite the application process.

These provincial immigration visa streams make it easy to immigrate to Canada’s provinces or territories. The five provinces facilitating the easiest immigration will be highlighted.

Ready to discover which provinces will allow you to settle into Canada the easiest? Join us in going through the list of the top 5 easiest provinces to immigrate to in Canada!

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5 Easiest Provinces to Immigrate to in Canada

Quebec

Quebec is the largest province in Canada and offers excellent opportunities for immigrants. Located in the population-rich Southwestern Canada region, Quebec is the sole province in Canada where the majority of the population speaks French.

Consequently, French is the official language in the province, the medium of instruction in schools and the lingua franca for business, political and legal matters. Therefore, speaking French will vastly improve your ability to integrate into Quebecois society.

The province has a diverse economy boosted by specialized industries in sectors such as IT and biotechnology, especially in the province's premier cities of Montreal and Quebec City.

The immigration pathway that facilitates the easiest immigration to Canada is the Quebec Skilled Worker Immigration Program.

Quebec Skilled Worker Program

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) is a points-based Quebec Provincial Nominee Program (Quebec PNP) program that targets skilled workers who can contribute to Quebec's economy and provide a path to permanent residency. It assesses applicants based on various factors, such as:

• Education
• Work experience
• Language proficiency
• Age
• Adaptability

If your application is successful, you will receive a Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ), which allows you to apply for permanent residence in Canada. Other Quebec PNPs you can use to ease your immigration to the province include:

Québec Experience Program (PEQ)

For skilled workers with prior working experience in the province and international students who graduated from a Quebec designated learning institution (DLI).

Quebece Pilot Programs

Quebec has a host of pillot programs you can use to make your immigration to the province easier. They are:

• The Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Food Processing Workers
• The Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Orderlies
• The Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Workers in the Artificial Intelligence, Information Technologies, and Visual Effects Sectors

Ontario

Ontario (ON) is the wealthiest province in Canada. It has a substantial share of the country’s natural resources and its most mature and diversified industrial economy. The province also serves as a major force in national politics and sets the pace for the country's socio-economic development.

Toronto, situated in the Southeast of the province, is the most populous city in the province and the economic powerhouse of the nation.

As the locus of commerce and trade in the province and country, Toronto and its environs, the Greater Toronto Area, is the prime immigration destination for many immigrants to Canada. The visa pathways that enable the easiest immigration into the province include the:

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) enables eligible foreign nationals who want to settle in Ontario, Canada, the opportunity to apply for Canadian permanent residence through an expedited process.

If you’re a skilled worker with the requisite skills and expertise needed by Ontario’s labor market, use the ONIP to make your move to Canada’s most populous province easier.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a community-driven program that aims to attract skilled workers to rural and northern communities in Canada. It provides a pathway for immigrants to settle in these communities and contribute to their economic development.

Ontario is one of Canada’s most fertile regions. As a result, several of Ontario’s rural communities have agricultural labor shortages. Recognizing their need for agricultural labor, these communities participate in the RNIP. They are:

• North Bay, ON
• Sundry, ON
• Timmins, ON
• Thunder Bay, ON
• Sault Ste, ON

If you’re a prospective immigrant intending to settle in any one of the above-mentioned rural communities in Ontario, use the RNIP to make your immigration process much easier.

Ontario Tech Pilot

The Ontario Tech Pilot targets individuals with experience in the technology sector. It provides a streamlined pathway for immigrants with tech skills to settle in Ontario and work in the province's thriving tech industry.

If you have any technological expertise, knowledge, and skill and intend to settle in Ontario, the Ontario Tech Pilot is the best immigration pathway to ease your immigration process into the province and become a new member of its innovative tech community.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is known for its welcoming attitude towards newcomers. The Atlantic province has contributed significantly to Canada’s national life as one of the leading contributors to its agriculture.

The province is also blessed with some of the most beautiful marine environments in the country, with lush forests, rivers, lakes, and seashores. If you are a skilled worker and intend to settle in New Brunswick, you can easily immigrate to New Brunswick using one of the following immigration pathways:

New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Programs

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP) was designed to make the permanent residence application process easy for skilled workers who want to settle in New Brunswick.

To facilitate this expedited skilled immigration process, the NB PNP offers programs such as the NB Skilled Workers Stream and NB Critical Worker Pilot. For truckers and businessmen, the NB Transport Truck Driver Stream and NB Entrepreneurial Stream are available to be used for streamlined, easy immigration to the province.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a pathway for immigrants to live and work in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces which includes New Brunswick. Three programs are available, each catering to varying degrees of skilled work levels. The programs include:

• Atlantic High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
• Atlantic International Graduate Program

These programs provide immigrants with opportunities to work and settle in the Atlantic region, contributing to its economic growth.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia, a neighboring province to New Brunswick, is renowned for its stunning coastline and vibrant culture. As one of the leading maritime provinces in the country, the province's economy is tied closely to primary and secondary industries including:

• Fishing
• Shipbuilding
• Whaling
• Transatlantic shipping

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

As an Atlantic province, immigration to Nova Scotia is most easily facilitated through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) if you’re an eligible skilled worker.

Nova Scotia PNP

If you are not eligible to use the AIP to immigrate to Canada, Nova Scotia’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are available for use as easy immigration pathways to the province. The NB Skilled Worker Stream and NB Occupations in-demand Stream are designed to enable employers in the province to attract and retain eligible skilled workers through an expedited immigration process.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is Canada’s sixth-largest province by population and fifth-largest by area size. One of Canada’s prairie provinces, Saskatchewan’s inhabitants are blessed with breathtaking views of the rich plains that cover the province.

Economically, the province is heavily dependent on exporting its agricultural and mineral products. Prominent Saskatchewan primary exports include:

• Durum wheat
• Peas
• Lentils
• Oil
• Potash
• Uranium

To satisfy the labor needed to support these industries, Saskatchewan facilitates easy immigration pathways through the following programs.

Agri-food Pilot

The Agri-food Pilot is a pilot program that aims to attract individuals with experience in the agriculture and food processing sectors. It provides a pathway for immigrants to work in these sectors and contribute to Canada's agri-food industry.

If you have any agricultural working experience and intend to settle in Saskatchewan, use the Agri-food Pilot to expedite and ease your way into the province.

Find out more about the Agri-food Pilot.

Saskatchewan PNP

Saskatchewans’ Provincial Nominee Programs has various streams for eligible international skilled workers and business people that streamline and make immigration to the province easier. These immigration streams include the Saskatchewan International Skilled Worker Category and the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Category. If you’re eligible to apply, you will experience one of the easiest immigration processes to Canada.

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What Makes a Province "Easy" to Immigrate to in Canada

The following factors generally make a province "easy" to immigrate to and contribute to a smooth transition for newcomers to Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) play a significant role in making a province easy to immigrate to. These programs allow provinces to nominate individuals who have the skills and experience needed in their labor markets, expediting the immigration process to each of those provinces.

The PNP programs mentioned above for the five easiest provinces to immigrate to in Canada present a great example of how each province’s PNP fulfills its labor needs through programs and streams that make immigration to those provinces easier.

Canada's Provincial Labor Markets

The province’s labor market can significantly impact immigration. Provinces with strong and diverse economies tend to have more job opportunities, leading to a greater need for labor that the local workforce cannot provide. This, in turn, leads to the province lowering its requirements for immigrants.

A thriving labor market also gives immigrants a higher chance of finding employment and settling in the province. Getting a job in Canada can massively simplify your immigration process.

Learn more about Canada’s labor market and top 10 in-demand occupations.

Cost of Living in Each Canadian Province

The cost of living varies from province to province in Canada. Some provinces in Canada have a higher cost of living, while others offer a more affordable lifestyle. The cost of living in the provinces, according to figures obtained from numbeo.com and CREA, is as follows:

Capital Cities of the Easiest Provinces to Immigrate to in Canada	Estimated Monthly Cost of Living (for a Family of Four) (CAD)	Average Home Price (CAD)
Toronto	5,493.8	1,141,400
Quebec City	4,968.7	254,900
Fredericton	4,753.6	297,100
Halifax	4,963.8	484,700
Regina	4,394.8	323,200

Your ability to choose an easy province to immigrate to in Canada will be affected by your needs concerning the above factors. Make sure you draw up a budget for most of your living expenses.

Find out more about Canada’s cost of living.

The Canadian Province's Population

The province’s population can affect influence immigration in several ways. Provinces or territories with a smaller population may have a higher demand for skilled workers, making it easier for immigrants to find employment.

Additionally, provinces with diverse populations tend to be more welcoming and inclusive towards newcomers, which can facilitate easier immigration to that province.

Lifestyle Factors in Each Canadian Province

Lifestyle factors greatly impact immigration. The most prominent lifestyle factors impacting provincial immigration include:

• Climate
• Cultural diversity
• Recreational opportunities/leisure
• Relion/Places of Worship

If a province does not have or has few lifestyle factors that suit your needs, you may find it more difficult to immigrate to that province. Learn more about life in Canada’s provinces.

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FAQs

Which is the Most Popular Canadian Province for Immigrants?

Ontario is by far Canada’s most popular province for immigrants. Every year, Ontario receives approximately half of all new Canadian permanent residents, according to Canada Statistics Canada.

How Much Does it Cost to Move to Canada?

The cost of moving to Canada depends on various factors such as your mode of transportation, the size of your family, and the province you chose to settle in. Furthermore, immigration costs include:

• Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) fees
• Biometrics
• Police Certificates
• Medical Certificates

The Canadian government requires every new immigrant to meet the settlement fund requirements to ensure they can afford the cost of immigrating and settling in Canada. Those funds are as follows:

Number of Family Members	Funds Required (in CAD)
1	13,757
2	17,127
3	21,055
4	25,564
5	28,994
6	32,700
7	36,407
7< (per member)	3,706