Choosing an immigration program/immigration category for coming to Canada
The federal and provincial governments in Canada are always updating their immigration programs to attract new immigrants and refugees, and if you are planning to move to Calgary you will need to choose a program or category to apply under. There are dozens of programs, each a little bit different, so to help narrow these down we have included some links to our guides that explain them in more detail. We also recommend that you check out the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta programs that help you choose between temporary and permanent programs.
The Federal Skilled Worker and Provincial Nominee programs are a good place to start.
Federal Skilled Worker, Alberta Immigrant Nominee Programs (AINP), and Express Entry are a good option.
Look at the eligibility for the Canadian Experience Class.
Look at the Canadian Experience Class, Temporary Foreign Worker, Investors and Entrepreneurs classes.
Try Family Class Sponsorship, which includes bringing grandparents, spouses, children, or other relatives.
If you are a protected person, or are applying on humanitarian or compassionate reasons, you will want to check out Government-Assisted Refugees and Privately Sponsored Refugees programs.
Watch and Listen
You can also watch the following videos from the federal and provincial governments to learn more about immigrating to Canada (and hopefully meeting us here in Calgary!).
CIES Guides are a volunteer-led project made possible through contributions from the community.
Thanks to Whitney Loewen for help with this guide. If you want to suggest a correction to this guide, or want to submit one of your own, please contact us.