A Canadian visa or permit allows you to enter Canada to work, study, visit, immigrate or start a business in the country. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ghanaians, apply for Canadian visas each year to pursue a better career, better education, and a better quality of life in the Far North. The good news is that Canada will welcome over one million immigrants between 2020 and 2022 through a variety of immigration and visa categories. If you meet the eligibility criteria for one of these programs or visas, you can call Canada your new country.
Canada has one of the fastest skilled worker immigration systems in the world. It is known as Express Entry and processes requests in as little as 6 months. This means you could have a permanent resident visa in less than a year! Additionally, workers in transportation, healthcare construction, hospitality, and mining are in demand across Canada, and even more so due to job losses caused by COVID-19.
In this blog, we take a closer look at how to apply for a Canadian visa in Ghana, as well as the most popular immigration and visa programs available.
Why You Should Apply for a Canadian Visa from Ghana
1. Job Opportunities
Ghana’s economy has failed to create enough jobs for its people, especially young people. About 825,000 Ghanaians have struggled to find work since 2019. Canada, on the other hand, has the opposite problem. There are more than enough jobs and businesses, but there are not enough people to fill the vacancies due to its retired population and remote and uninhabited areas. Additionally, there are currently hundreds of in-demand jobs in retail, restaurants, hotels, construction, and manufacturing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that now more than ever, Canada will depend on immigration and temporary workers from abroad to help strengthen its economy.
2. Enjoy Equality in a Multicultural Nation
In Canada, you have the right to go out and marry the person you love. LGBTQ + rights are celebrated across the country. You never have to worry about discrimination or homophobia because you can express yourself freely in Canada. Canada hosts the largest pride festival in Toronto each year, where thousands of LGBTQ + members take to the streets in colorful outfits alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Don’t be surprised if you find traditional Ghanaian dishes, such as Waakye and Tuo Zaafi, served in Canadian restaurants. Canada is proud to be one of the most multicultural nations in the world and is home to a large and thriving Ghanaian expatriate community.
3. Get Excellent Healthcare at No Charge
If you move to Canada from Ghana, you will receive all medically necessary medical care free of charge. This includes surgery, childbirth, doctor’s visits, and much more! Canada has one of the best public health systems in the world with the best medical staff. The health of your family will always come first in Canada.
3 Steps to Apply for a Canadian Visa from Ghana
Step 1. Discover Which Canadian Visa or Program You Qualify For
First of all, before you can apply for a Canadian visa for Ghana, you need to know what type of visa you are eligible for. This is a very important step and forms the very basis of your trip to Canada. Not everyone qualifies for all types of visas and applicants are often rejected. There are currently over 70 visa and immigration programs available, each with its own unique eligibility criteria (age, language proficiency, work experience, education, etc.) and a unique application process. This makes the first step quite tricky if you don’t know all of your options. Successful applicants from Ghana utilize the professional services of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (CRIC) to help them identify the most appropriate visa type based on their needs and goals.
Popular Canadian Visa Types
1. Express Entry
You can apply for a permanent residence visa through the Express Entry immigration system which processes skilled worker applications in as little as 6 months. You do not need any Canadian work experience to qualify for Express Entry immigration and therefore you can apply directly from Ghana. However, you must have qualified work experience in a professional, managerial, commercial, or technical job, among other criteria.
2. Student Permit
Thousands of students from around the world study at Canadian universities and colleges each year. Not only do they gain world-famous qualifications, but after graduation, they have a number of interesting options to choose from. Graduates can apply for a graduate work permit to work anywhere in Canada to start their careers. Some students with eligible degrees, such as medical graduates, may apply to provincial nominating programs in the province where they studied to obtain permanent residence visas.
3. Work Permit
If you want to work in Canada, you need a work permit. This is the most popular type of visa to obtain, as many categories of Canadian immigration require you to work in Canada for a specified period before you can apply for permanent residence. Let’s take a look at some of these popular immigration pilot programs below:
Immigration Pilots
4. Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, and Labrador from the Atlantic regions of Canada. If you like living near the coast, this is for you! Atlantic Pilot has three immigration programs allowing foreigners to apply for a permanent residence visa and settle in these four beautiful provinces. The programs are the Atlantic High-Skilled & Intermediate Skilled programs and the Atlantic International Graduate Program.
You will need a valid job offer from a designated employer located in one of the four participating provinces. The job posting must be for a full-time paid position and must be for at least one year of work.
5. Agri-Food Pilot
If you are a farmworker or have farm management skills, you can work in Canada under a Seasonal Worker Program or a Temporary Worker Program which in turn will make you eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Agri-Food Pilot Program.
6. Saskatchewan Truck Driver Pilot
Truck drivers are in high demand across Canada. The Prairie Province of Saskatchewan, which is responsible for much of Canada’s agricultural production, has a special immigration program dedicated to truckers from countries like Ghana. Ghanaians can apply for immigration under this pilot program after working in Saskatchewan in truck driver positions for 6 months, among other criteria.
7. Caregiver Pilot
Home child care providers and home helpers such as au pairs, babysitters, homemakers of foster parents, personal assistants, and family caregivers can apply to immigrate to Canada after have held one of these positions in Canada and obtain full-time job offers. from your employers.