Step 1. Do Research on Canada
Step 2. Do on-line Self-Assessment
Step 3. Pass the Language Exams
Step 4. Gather your Documents
Step 5. Prepare the Forms
Step 6. Complete the Forms
Step 7. Obtain Police Certificates
Step 8. Make sure Your Application is Complete
Step 9. Submit Your Application and Fees
Step 10. After Submitting Your Application
Step 11. After Receiving Your Visa
Step 1. Do Research on Canada
As the second largest country in the world (after Russia) Canada has a wide variety of geographic differences and cultural traditions. Canada is bilingual, and the French-speaking province of Quebec has its own immigration system. It is highly recommended that you research into Canada prior to applying to immigrate. There is a wealth of information available on-line, including useful information about the job market which can help you choose the best destination for your professional potential. You may need to look into the licensing requirements for your profession if applicable as well.
You can also visit federal and provincial websites so that you can decide which part of the country you might like to live in. Those sites, along with other sites on our Useful Links page, give information on the cost of living in the different regions and cities in Canada, on adaptation programs and services for new immigrants. You can also read internet versions of Canadian press to familiarize yourself with the issues and topics of interest in Canada. Canadian-specific search engines, such as www.google.ca, can also be useful in your research. Under the Federal Skilled Worker program, you are free to choose any place for living (except Quebec). Once you have decided which area of the country you would like to live in, you can proceed more knowledgeably with your application.
Step 2. Do On-line Self-Assessment
This is a two-step process. To help you determine if you are a strong candidate for immigration to Canada as a skilled worker, you should first determine if you eligible for processing and then if you can meet the minimum point requirement.
1. Use the eligibility tool to get an idea on whether your application would be eligible for processing. Some eligibility criteria were amended on 26 June 2010. See CIC website for full information about the current eligibility requirements.
2. Do on-line self-assessment test to calculate your points. The point assessment is based on objective criteria to make it easier for anyone to do it on their own. The Canadian immigration system is clear and transparent and is designed to be manageable by any reasonably intelligent and literate applicant without outside assistance. The Visa Office provides seminars for prospective immigration applicants and is available to respond to e-mail enquiries from applicants at mosco-immigration@international.gc.ca. If you wish you can hire someone to help you. If you do decide to hire a representative, you should refer to our current Regulations on Representatives - any representative must be already approved by the Canadian government. Please read this important information as well.
Step 3. Pass the Language Exams
If you conclude that you would be eligible for processing, you need to determine if you would obtain sufficient points to be selected. One of the factors assessed is language proficiency. Potential immigrants must prove that they have adequate language skills to be able to live and work in Canada. English-speakers must take the IELTS or CELPIP (only if you are in Canada), and French-speakers must take the TEF. If you have skills in both English and French, you should take both tests. Only the Principal Applicant is required to do the test.
The application for Permanent Residence should only be submitted when your language test results are high enough in order to avoid wasted time and money. If your overall band score on the IELTS is less than 6, we do not recommend applying to immigrate, but instead you should study to improve your language skills.
You should pass a language test(s) prior to applying for immigration. Language test results must not be older than one year upon receipt of your application for permanent residence at the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney (Canada).
Step 4. Gather Your Documents
All Federal Skilled Worker applications must submit their full application kits, along with processing fees, all supporting documents and language test results, to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Canada. If your application is incomplete or unsigned, it will be returned to you unprocessed. CIO will determine if you are eligible for processing. Following the approval by CIO, your application kit will be forwarded to this Visa Office for full assessment.
Instructions on methods of fees payment are available on our website.
To collect the documents for your application kit, please follow the instructions below as well as those on CIC website.
A full list of the supporting documents is included in Appendix A: Checklist found in the Visa Office-specific instructions | PDF * (430 KB) for (or choose your location). The Checklist will tell you what forms to complete, what documents to submit, specifying which documents must be originals and which should be photocopies. Please note that the Visa Office will only accept notarized photocopies (not re-typed copies) of documents, except language test results, police certificates and separation documents like the Declaration regarding children's immigration | PDF * (131 KB), which must be originals. All documents not in English or French must be accompanied by notarized translations into one of those two languages.
If you are not able to provide any document listed in the Checklist, provide a detailed explanation in writing outlining the reasons why. Please remember that you should provide full and accurate information in your application and that all documents must be genuine. There are serious repercussions for using fraudulent documents, giving false or misleading details or for withholding information.
Step 5. Prepare the Forms
Your application will be processed more quickly if all of the forms are filled out correctly and completely. Certain forms will be needed for each family member included in your application, so you will need more than one copy of some forms. Photocopy the following forms, or download and print the appropriate number from CIC website. Here are some instructions and useful explanations which will help you fill out the forms accurately:
Application for permanent residence [IMM 0008 GENERIC] | PDF * (242 KB):
To be completed by the Principal Applicant. Page two of the form asks for details of your family members. There is space for three family members on the form. If you have more than three family members, make enough copies to be able to list everyone. Please note that family members include the spouse or common-law partner and dependent children (for an explanation of who qualifies as a dependent child, see our FAQ page). Even children not accompanying you, including those from previous relationships not living with you, must be listed, if they meet the definition of a dependent child.
Schedule 1 Background/Declaration [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 1] | PDF * (292 KB) and Additional Family Information [IMM 5406] | PDF * (134KB) :
You, your spouse or common-law partner and each dependent child aged 18 or over (whether accompanying you or not) must complete these forms separately. Make enough photocopies for everyone. Children under 18 at the time of application do not have to fill out this form. On Schedule 1 you should indicate who will be the principal applicant in your family. If you are married, the principal applicant is the spouse who gets more points.
Schedule 3: Economic Classes [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 3] | PDF * (196 KB):
To be completed by the Principal Applicant.
Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] | PDF * (52 KB):
To be completed by the Principal Applicant if you wish to appoint a representative. Please note that you are not required to have a representative.
Step 6. Complete the Forms
All forms must be completed in English or French. When completing the forms you should answer every question. Do not leave any question unanswered. If a question is not applicable to you, write N/A (not applicable) once in the answer space. Please remember that you should answer every question honestly and accurately. There are serious repercussions for giving false or misleading details or for withholding information. For specific instructions, see the How to Complete the Forms section of the CIC website and look at the list below of specific recommendations:
Application for permanent residence [IMM 0008 GENERIC] | PDF * (242 KB):
When answering the question regarding previous marriages and common-law relationships, please note that you must list all of such previous relationships. Attach a separate sheet if necessary. If your spouse or common-law partner has had previous such relationships, all of them should be listed on a separate sheet.
The mailing address on the first page of the Application should be written in both Russian (if applicable) and in English or French. Please note that this is the address we will use for all correspondence with you during the processing of the application, and therefore this should be the address at which you wish to be contacted.
We can offer a faster service by sending routine correspondence, including any requests for additional documents or invitations to the interview, to visa applicants by email. Letters containing original documents will continue to be sent by regular mail. Please indicate your email address on the application form IMM0008 GENERIC if you wish to have correspondence sent to you by email.
The Details from your passport should be your travel passport, if available.
Schedule 1 Background/Declaration [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 1] | PDF * (292 KB):
There is a series of questions asking if you have applied previously for a visa to Canada, if you have been convicted of a crime, and other such questions. Please read them fully and carefully before answering. Please note that these questions relate to yourself and any of your family members.
In the section for Education, the “Type of certificate or diploma issued” should indicate the level of study completed (Bachelor, Masters, PhD, college diploma, etc.). You should also include information on any incomplete or ongoing studies.
In the section for Personal History, we require all of the details of what you have been doing since age 18 - disregard the part about the 10 year limit. Use another page if necessary. Each month should be accounted for, do not leave gaps. All places of employment listed in Personal History should be the actual workplaces, even if they are not reflected in your work book. Under Activity, indicate your job title (for ex., “teacher”, “programmer”, “civil engineer”, etc.). Do not use vague terms like "work" or "study". If you were neither working nor studying, indicate what you were doing (for ex., "unemployed", “in prison”, etc.).
Addresses should be the actual residential addresses since the age of 18, even if they are different from the addresses of registration.
Don't forget to sign and date the form.
Schedule 3: Economic Classes [IMM 0008 SCHEDULE 3] | PDF * (196 KB):
You are required to indicate the four digit National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes describing your work experience. List only occupations in which you have experience that falls in Skill Levels 0, A or B within the last ten years. The following links will help you determine how your work experience is considered in Canada and the equivalents of your occupation according to the NOC:
NOC: all occupations with job descriptions
NOC Matrix: all occupations by skill level
Additional Family Information [IMM 5406] | PDF * (134 KB):
On the Additional Family Information form, the Name in the first line of Section A should be the name of the person filling out the form, not necessarily the name of the principal applicant.
Parents, brothers, sisters and all children (whether accompanying you to Canada or not, whether meeting the definition of a dependent child or not) must be listed on this form. Indicate full names (first and last names).
In case of deceased family members, include the date when they passed away.
See also section "FAQ".
Step 7. Obtain Police Certificates
You are required to provide police certificates for yourself, your spouse or common-law spouse and all dependent children 18 years of age and over (whether they are accompanying you to Canada or not) from every country and each republic of the former USSR in which you or any of your dependants have resided for six months or more since the age of 18. Our website offers detailed information about our requirements and procedures.
Step 8. Make Sure Your Application is Complete
Use the Checklist on the Application for Permanent Residence -Skilled Worker- Visa Office Specific Instructions | PDF * (430 KB) to verify that you have all of the required documents. Note that we may request additional information at any time during the application process.
Don't forget to sign and date all of the forms as required. Applications with unsigned forms will be returned unprocessed. See our FAQ page for more information about signing your documents.
You can ask our office to exercise a substitution of evaluation if you do not meet the required points of assessment and if you believe other factors would show that you are able to establish yourself in Canada and support your dependants. Write a detailed letter explaining why you think you are able to become economically established in Canada. Include the letter and any documents that support your claim with your application.
Step 9. Submit Your Application and Fees
Submit your full application kit and proof of fee payment to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney (Canada) for the eligibility assessment.
Step 10. After Submitting Your Application
Following the approval by CIO, your application kit will be forwarded to this Visa Office for further processing. When the Visa Section of the Embassy receives your full application from CIO, we will create a file. An Acknowledgement of Receipt letter (AOR) will be sent by email or by post to your mailing address. The AOR will include your file number, which you should quote on any further correspondence with us or on any additional documents you send to us in support of your application.
A selection decision will be made by a visa officer .
Changes in your application
If any information in your application changes (marriage, divorce, birth, death, change of mailing or residential address, change of employment, etc.), you must inform us immediately in writing, clearly indicating your name and file number.
Occasionally, the Visa and Immigration Section will require additional documents in order to process a visa application. You can send any additional documents by mail, by any courier service, through the visa service department of Pony Express or via IOM. If you wish to bring the required documents in person, you can drop them off at the Visa Section mailbox during the working hours.
Checking your case status
If you have any questions about your case status, please check your online Client Application Status and refer to our service standards regarding processing times for visa applications. If after consulting these pages your questions are not answered, please contact us in writing.
Interview
You may be called in for an interview. There is no dress code, wear something that you feel comfortable in. Immigrant interviews take place in our office. Occasionally, when there is a large volume of applications from another region, we may send a visa officer to that region to perform interviews. Please note that after interviews all files are returned to the office for further processing.
Interviews are scheduled in order to verify if you satisfy immigration criteria or for quality assurance reasons. During the interview the Visa Officer will ask you for more information about your background and may want to clarify details about your application. If you are invited for an interview and we ask you to bring documents, do not send them to the embassy in advance but rather bring them with you and present to the interviewing officer.
Interviews are conducted in English or French. If you are not able to communicate in either of these languages, the interview will be conducted in Russian with the help of our own interpreter. If you do not speak either English, or French, or Russian, you are required to bring someone who is not your family member to act as your interpreter.
Interviews are usually scheduled to take place in the morning. On average an immigration interview takes about an hour. However, you should plan to be available in the afternoon for further instructions which may be issued later that same day before 5:00 p.m.
Medical instructions
After positive selection decision with or without interview, you will receive medical and other instructions. The results of the medical exam are valid one year. We recommend that all family members undergo the medical examination on the same day or as close as possible to the same date, as the validity of the visa for you and for all your family will be one year from the date when the first member of the family took the exam. It takes an average of 3 months before medical results are received in our office.
Receiving your visa
After your application is approved and processed, you will be informed in writing about how to obtain your visa. You will be informed if you need to submit proof of adequate settlement funds or any outstanding documents and if you need to pay the Right of Permanent Residence fee if you have not already paid.
Visas will only be released if by the time of visa issuance, all information provided in your application remains complete, accurate and unchanged and other requirements remain valid. If you conceal the fact of having a spouse, a common-law partner or a dependent child, you will never be able to sponsor them for immigration as Family Class members in the future. A new family member can be added to your application at any time of processing of your file. Thus, if any changes occur in your application prior to visa issuance (marriage or common-law cohabitation, divorce, birth, death of your immediate family member, adoption, etc.), you are required to inform the Immigration Section in writing immediately and wait for further instructions. Do not attempt to enter Canada until we confirm that your visas are still valid otherwise you would subject yourself to removal from Canada for having misrepresented yourself.
There is a description of the process to pick up your visa on this website.
Step 11. After Receiving Your Visa
If, after you receive your visa but before you go to Canada, there are any changes (marriage or common-law cohabitation, divorce, birth, death of your immediate family member, adoption, etc.) you must contact us immediately in writing and not attempt to enter Canada until we confirm that your visa is still valid. Failure to do so may cause deportation from Canada for having misrepresented yourself.
You should enter Canada before the expiry date on your visa. If members of your family included on the same application decide to enter Canada on different dates, the principal applicant must be the first family member to enter Canada. The remaining family members can enter at a later date but no later than the expiry date of the visa.
When you arrive at the airport, you will submit your passport to Customs personnel at Passport Control. The Customs Officer will examine your passport and visa and direct you to an Immigration Officer for a secondary examination. The Immigration officer will interview you and will complete the formalities related to your becoming a Permanent Resident of Canada. CIC website offers a detailed description of what will happen at the airport when you arrive in Canada for the first time as a permanent resident. Please also see useful information about Permanent Resident status and Canadian citizenship.
The Customs officer may also refer you to a Customs Inspector, who will need to see your completed Customs Declaration and may examine your luggage. You will need to have an inventory of your possessions, both those that you are carrying with you and any items which you intend to bring or ship into Canada within the next year. For information about how to prepare your declaration inventory and the rules and regulations about bringing your belongings into Canada, see the information for non-Canadians on the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) website.
If you plan to bring your pets with you, you should check this important information about importing pets to Canada.
You may need to get private medical insurance for the province where you choose to settle.
