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How to Get a Canadian Visa from Saudi Arabia

June 14, 2021

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  • Theresa Bernardo

In an ideal life, the goal would be to live the highest quality of life that you possibly can, which is important because the quality of your life affects directly how you feel. While getting a Canadian visa may seem far fetched to the period we live in, being that it is 2021 and Covid-19 is among us, it is true that you can get one in as little as six months, with the opportunity of a job offer, you could even get one in a timeframe shorter than that.

While the pandemic may seem restrictive to everyone’s life right now, given the travel restrictions and safety precautions that are implemented, along with everything else that seemed to have changed, if you are curious and would like to learn more about how to immigrate to Canada, you can rest assured that you will be the type of person capable of getting a visa to live and work in Canada. You will also be able to bring along your family, which is a blessing to fend off any anxieties you may have that is preventing you from taking the necessary steps to move to Canada.

Whether you would like to offer yourself and your family a better future or are interested in starting a new business, getting a better job to advance your career, or simply just enjoy life in another incredible country, Canada is the place for you.


The Easiest Way to Immigrate to Canada

With over 100 immigration programs available to choose from, the chances are big that you may already have heard about the Express Entry system. Whether you have or not, this is one of the most popular immigration programs, especially because it lets you apply and qualify in as little as six to eight months months. The program is one of the fastest methods of becoming a permanent resident in Canada, and assists you with the opportunity to also, move to Canada with your family.

The Express Entry system has many programs to choose from, but the top three are:

  1. Skilled Federal Worker Program (FSWP)
  2. Federal Skilled Trades Worker Program (FSTP)
  3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)


How to Qualify for the Express Entry System

Introduced by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada’s Express Entry system has very high targets for foreigners to immigrate to Canada between 2021 and 2023. During these three years, the country plans to welcome over 1.2 million immigrants to Canada, with just over 320,000 through one of the Express Entry gateway programs.

The process involves meeting several requirements, including finding a program that you can qualify for, which starts with completing an online evaluation. This step follows by completing a language test in either English, French, or both. If you manage to do both, you will score more points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS score), which is a points-based system out of 1,200, designed for ranking purposes. Once you fill out your online application and complete the process, your application goes into the Express Entry Draw, where it gets compared to a new pool of applicants every two weeks based on how much you’ve scored. The score is based on your language skills, work experience, the presence of education, if you are married or have a common-law partner that can contribute to your CRS score, among a couple of factors.

Once you have completed your language test(s), you will undergo a biometrics screening, and then be required to find out which job National Occupation Classification (NOC) that you belong to. The next step involves creating an Express Entry profile. With the completion of this step, you can register on the Canadian Job Bank, yet this is optional.

After completing these steps, you will be entered into the Express Entry pool of applicants, and if you’ve scored high enough compared to other candidates, be selected to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). When you receive an ITA, your foot is in the door. All you have to do now is to accept the invitation to immigrate to Canada, and after two months, apply for permanent residency.

To get your visa once all of these steps are completed, you will need to pay an application and if applicable, your permanent residency fee, provide proof of funds in your bank account, police clearance, and health certificate. If you have a job offer, you must present it with the documents already requested from you. If you have a valid job offer from a Canadian company, you will need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and if not, job letters from each of your previous employers.

<>Apart from all of the listed requirements, if you manage to receive a job offer in a NOC 0, A, or B, from a Canadian employer, 50 points will be rewarded to you. With a job offer in a NOC 00 occupation, you could receive 200 points.
 
Documentation Required
ID and Passport
Language Tests
NOC code
Biometrics
Education Credential Assessment
Provincial Nomination (if you have one)
Job offer (if you have one)
Police clearance
Doctor’s certificate
 

The Importance of Your CRS Score

A man reaching his hand out with a passport

The higher you score on the CRS, the bigger your chances are of getting permanent residency in Canada. It consists of 1,200 points, 600 are core points and 600 additional points.

When you apply to immigrate to Canada, the last thing you want is to have to apply again because you didn’t meet all the requirements or score enough CRS points. Given the fact that a couple of points can determine whether or not you are deemed eligible to move to Canada, it is necessary to understand how you can improve your score before you submit your application for the first time. However, if you have already submitted your immigration application to Canada and have not received an ITA due to having a low score, then you can also improve it for the next round.

Core CRS points are measured by:

  • Skills and experience
  • Skills transferability (education and work experience)
  • Spouse or common-law partner factors (education and language skills)

Additional points are measured by:

  • A valid job offer
  • Canadian degrees, diplomas, or certificates
  • A nomination from a province or territory
  • A sibling living in Canada (citizen or permanent resident)
  • Strong French language skills

Four main categories to score CRS points:

  1. Human capital factors
  2. Skill transferability
  3. Spouse or common-law partner
  4. Additional factors
 
Section A - Core/ Human Capital
Criteria Maximum Points With Spouse Maximum Points Without Spouse
Age 100 110
Education 140 150
Language Skills (English/ French) 150 160
Canadian Work Experience 70 80
 
Section B - Spouse/ Common-Law Partner
Criteria Maximum Points
Education 10
Language Skills (English/ French) 20
Canadian Work Experience 10
 
Section B - Skills Transferability
Education Maximum Points
Language Skills (English/ French) + Education 50
Canadian Work Experience + Education 50
Foreign Work Experience Maximum Points
Language Skills (English/ French) + Foreign Work Experience 50
Foreign Work Experience + Canadian Work Experience 50
Certificate of Qualification (Trades) Maximum Points
Language Skills 50
 
Section D - Additional Points
Criteria Maximum Points
A sibling living in Canada 15
French Language Skills 30
Post-Secondary Education 30
Arranged Employment 200
Provincial Nomination 600
 

Get More CRS Points to Secure Your Application

There are many ways that you can improve your CRS score, which starts with reviewing the categories that you get points for. Once your online profile has been completed and submitted, you will receive a report about how many points you have.

By simply getting a provincial nomination, you can get 600 points extra or a Canadian job offer, which can be worth between 50 to 600 additional points. A job offer from a NOC level 00 can give you 200 points, while any other job level will give you 50 points. If you manage to get a job offer under the LMIA, you can receive 600 points.

Apart from getting a job offer or Provincial Nomination, you can increase your score through Core Human Capital Factors by improving your qualifications. You can also apply with a spouse or common-law partner. The more work experience you and your spouse have, the more points you will gain. Lastly, upping your language skills is another great way to increase your CRS score.
 


Assistance for Your Next Big Move

Arabic family
When you want to immigrate to a different country, it is difficult to know whether you have the right information to guide you with every step of the process required to do so successfully. This is especially the case if you’re living in a country as far from Canada as Saudi Arabia.

Since you need to go through an entire process to get a Canadian visa, the best thing you can do is refer to Canada's government website or consult a Canadian government-approved Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), to avoid making any mistakes on your immigration application.

While Canada may seem far now, to make your dream come true to get there fast is closer than you think.