How to Immigrate to Canada from Ukraine

Starting a new life in a new country can be both scary and exciting. Most people choose to immigrate to Canada because of the quality of life. Being a forward-thinking, progressive nation we understand the value immigrants bring to our economy. Our government's pro-immigration stance as shown by the wide variety of immigration programs available tells you a lot about how we see the future of Canada. 

If you are wondering how to immigrate to Canada from Ukraine in 2022 and beyond, you may find an answer in this article. There are a lot of well-paid job opportunities for people who are willing to work hard, and there are well-instituted workplace rules and regulations ensuring hard workers are not overworked.

Canadians are fair, friendly, and don’t believe in a classist society. Everyone treats each other the way they themselves want to be treated, and rude or arrogant behaviour is not taken well. 

3 Ways to Move to Canada from Ukraine

Agri-Food Pilot

Canada urgently needs both food processing workers and other types of factory workers. If you work in manufacturing, which there is a good chance you might as a quarter of Ukrainians do, you won't find it difficult to find a similar job in Canada. There are two special immigration programs that help semi-skilled workers, such as factory workers, with full-time job offers in Canada become permanent residents. One is the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which we will also discuss shortly, the second is the Agri-food Pilot (AIP).

You will need one year of experience working in Canada in a food processing job to be eligible for the pilot. There are also a limited number of spaces available every year, so it is important to get your application in early. The other requirements for the program are:

• Score a minimum of 4 across all categories of a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test; reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• Have the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma. You will need to have an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) done to show that your high school diploma is the equivalent.
• Show proof that you can afford to move and settle yourself and your family in Canada, unless you are already living and working in Canada, then you won’t need to.

The program also makes provision for foreign farm labourers, livestock specialists and butchers who have full-time job offers in Canada.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is much broader in that any foreign worker with a full-time job offer in one the Atlantic provinces can apply to become a permanent resident of Canada. The four Atlantic provinces are Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. There are three programs you can choose from:

• Atlantic High Skilled Program - for foreigners who have a full-time job offer for at least one year in a management or professional position
• Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program - for foreigners who have a permanent full-time job offer in a position that requires a high school diploma and technical/on the job training
• Atlantic International Graduate Program - for foreigners who graduate with at least a 2-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province. You must also have a job offer for a period of at least one year.

The major benefit of finding a job in Atlantic Canada is that employers don’t need to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire foreign workers, which makes it a lot easier to get a job as an immigrant.

Express Entry System

There has never been a better time to apply for permanent residency in Canada through the Express Entry System. In the latest draw, 27,332 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residency. This signalled Canada’s intention to meet its immigration targets for 2022 and beyond. Express Entry is for skilled workers who want to live and work in Canada, or who already have work experience in Canada.

You can apply by simply creating a profile and providing your information which will be used to calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and enter you into one of the following pools:

• Skilled Worker Program - if you have work experience and a qualification as a manager or in a professional occupation, such as engineers, accountants and IT professionals, you may be eligible for this program. ;
• Skilled Trades Program - If you have at least 2 years of experience or a qualification as a skilled trades worker as well as a job offer or certification from a Canadian national or provincial body, you may be eligible for this program. Eligible occupations include but are not limited to mechanics, carpenters, welders and plumbers and pipefitters.
• Canada Experience Class - if you have at least one year of experience working in Canada under a TFWP, and work in an occupation eligible for one of the above categories, you will go into this pool which receives preference over the other two. This is because you have shown that you can already function in Canadian society.

What Will I Need to Immigrate to Canada?

To immigrate to Canada from Ukraine, there are a few things you will require that simply cannot be avoided. They vary from proof of qualifications to proof that you can effectively communicate in English or French. There are requirements you must meet, not matter which immigration program you apply for permanent residency through.

Police Clearance

You can only apply to live or work in Canada if you have never been convicted of a crime in the past. This includes offences for driving while under the influence. You will require a police clearance certificate to prove this. There are remedial measures you can take if your offence was not too serious in nature.

Temporary Foreign Work Permit

For nearly every program that requires Canadian work experience, you will need to get your work experience legitimately in Canada. You may only work in Canada under a temporary foreign work permit. Make sure you never accept a job without having all the proper permits in place.

Language Test

You cannot get permanent residency in Canada without meeting your chosen programs CLB requirement. Some programs require a lower score, such as the Agri-food Pilot and the AIP, and programs like Express Entry require a higher score. You can take a CLB test in English or French, just make sure it is an approved language test:

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System
• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français,

Medical Examination

Most immigration programs will also require you to undergo a medical examination by an approved physician to show you are in good health and will not be a burden on the Canadian health system. As you may be aware we have free public healthcare in Canada, which is available for all permanent residents and citizens.

Education Credential Assessment

Regardless of whether you have a high school diploma or a PhD, you will need to have your qualifications assessed by a designated organization. Most immigration programs have an education requirement, and only results provided by one of these organizations are accepted.

I Want to Move to Canada from Ukraine. What Now?

The immigration options we have outlined above are some of the most popular, but not the only ways of becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Depending on your skills, qualifications, age and work experience there is an ideal program for you, with a roadmap to how to immigrate to Canada from Ukraine. The first step is to test your eligibility for immigrating to Canada, and then to plan your route.