Express Entry-linked nomination for candidates selected against Alberta's current economic, sector and occupational priorities.
Canada
Canada sits in North America. Its immigration system runs 139 distinct routes — led by work, business & self-employment and study, each set out in official law. All 139 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 139across 14 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 139 of 139cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Work68 of the 139 routes — see them under Work below
- Region
- North America
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Population
- 41,651,653
- Official language
- English, French
- Currency
- CAD
- Time zone
- 6 zones
Immigration routes
All 139 routes, grouped by purpose — 139 of 139 cite an official government source directly.
Work
68 routes
Nomination for a qualified temporary worker living and working in Alberta with an eligible Alberta job offer.
Nomination for a temporary worker with an eligible job offer and endorsement from a designated rural Alberta community.
Nomination for an eligible temporary worker already living and working in Alberta with a full-time tourism or hospitality job offer.
IRCC requires a designated-employer offer, qualifying experience or Atlantic-graduate exemption, education, language, funds where applicable and a settlement plan.
Open work permit allowing an eligible economic or other listed permanent residence applicant in Canada to keep working while awaiting a decision.
Nomination for a worker supported by a B.C. public health authority in an eligible occupation.
Nomination for experienced workers with an eligible indeterminate B.C. job offer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Temporary employer-specific work permit based on an approved labour market impact assessment and job offer.
Federal permanent residence class for skilled workers with recent authorized Canadian work experience.
Federal permanent residence class for workers qualified in an eligible skilled trade.
Federal permanent residence class for skilled workers with qualifying foreign or Canadian skilled work experience.
IRCC publishes an open permanent residence pilot for skilled workers settling in one of six Francophone-minority communities.
LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permit for a French-speaking worker taking eligible employment outside Quebec.
LMIA-exempt transfer route for an eligible executive, senior manager, specialist or graduate trainee covered by an applicable trade agreement.
LMIA-exempt employer-specific work authorization for eligible professionals, technicians or service suppliers covered by a Canadian trade agreement.
Time-limited permanent residence pathway for qualifying Hong Kong residents under Stream B - Canadian Work Experience.
LMIA-exempt employer-specific permit for a high-skilled job with a participating Global Hypergrowth Project employer.
LMIA-exempt work permit under R205(a) for an employee of a multinational transferred to a Canadian parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate as an executive, senior or functional manager, or specialised-knowledge worker, after at least 1 year of continuous employment abroad in the previous 3 years.
For a foreign national holding a medical or dental doctorate equivalent to a Canadian MD, DDS or DDM coming to complete a residency at a Canadian hospital, or a recognised specialist who has finished residency and is taking a medical research fellowship.
Nomination for a recent Manitoba graduate with eligible long-term employment in the province.
Nomination for a worker with an established Manitoba connection through ongoing employment.
Nomination for a skilled worker abroad with an established Manitoba connection and sufficient points.
Employer-led nomination pilot for workers recruited by participating New Brunswick employers in critical labour-shortage sectors.
Express Entry-linked nomination for a candidate meeting New Brunswick's current provincial pathways.
Nomination for a foreign national whose skills, education and experience meet New Brunswick labour needs.
Nomination route for French-speaking workers selected for their capacity to establish economically in New Brunswick.
Express Entry-linked nomination for a skilled worker meeting Newfoundland and Labrador labour-market criteria.
Nomination for a skilled worker with an eligible Newfoundland and Labrador job offer.
Nomination for a worker with a permanent NWT job offer in an eligible entry-level or semi-skilled occupation.
Express Entry-linked nomination for a skilled worker with a permanent NWT job offer.
Nomination for a skilled worker with a permanent NWT job offer and qualifying experience.
Nomination for a bilingual French- and English-speaking worker with a permanent NWT job offer.
Express Entry-linked nomination for candidates selected to meet Nova Scotia labour-market priorities.
Nomination for a worker or recent graduate recruited by a Nova Scotia employer to meet provincial labour needs.
Ontario's sole active 2026 nomination stream for a skilled foreign worker with an approved job offer or an eligible self-employed physician.
Open work permit for an eligible spouse or dependent child of a qualifying foreign worker.
Open work permit for the spouse or common-law partner of an international student in a currently eligible Canadian program.
Temporary employer-specific route for qualifying counsellors at eligible Canadian overnight camps.
Open work permit for a graduate of an eligible program at a participating Canadian designated learning institution.
Nomination for a worker already employed full-time in PEI in an eligible critical occupation with employer support.
Employer-authorized nomination route for a worker recruited from outside Canada into an eligible intermediate occupation.
Employer-authorized nomination route for recruitment into designated PEI shortage occupations.
Express Entry-linked nomination for candidates selected against PEI labour-market priorities.
Nomination for a skilled worker already employed by an eligible PEI employer.
Employer-authorized nomination for a skilled worker abroad with a long-term high-skilled PEI job offer.
Temporary public-policy open work permit for eligible prospective Manitoba or Yukon nominees with provincial support.
Temporarily reopened PEQ Temporary Foreign Workers Stream for applicants who already met the published cutoff conditions.
Quebec permanent selection pathway under Stream 1 - Highly Qualified and Specialized Skills.
Quebec permanent selection pathway under Stream 2 - Intermediate and Manual Skills.
Quebec permanent selection pathway under Stream 3 - Regulated Professions.
LMIA-exempt employer-specific permit for qualifying Quebec-selected or invited skilled workers under the PSTQ transition.
LMIA-exempt work permit under R205(b) for a foreign national whose employment in Canada creates or maintains reciprocal opportunities abroad for Canadian citizens and permanent residents; the applicant must prove reciprocity exists.
IRCC requires a designated-employer offer, community recommendation, recent related work, language, education and settlement funds.
Nomination for a worker in an eligible agricultural or related occupation with an SINP-approved job offer.
Nomination for an eligible health worker with an SINP-approved Saskatchewan job offer.
Nomination for a high-skilled technology or innovation worker with an approved Saskatchewan job offer.
Nomination for a skilled worker abroad or in Canada with an approved Saskatchewan skilled job offer.
Invitation-based nomination for a skilled worker without a Saskatchewan job offer in an eligible in-demand occupation.
Invitation-based Saskatchewan nomination for an eligible worker in the federal Express Entry pool without a provincial job offer.
Nomination for a worker living and working in Saskatchewan on a valid eligible work permit with a permanent full-time job offer.
Nomination for an eligible Canadian graduate with at least six months of paid Saskatchewan work and a related permanent job offer.
Employer-specific agricultural work route for citizens of participating countries recruited for seasonal primary agriculture.
Temporary employer-specific route for eligible home care workers while the permanent caregiver pilots are paused.
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Nomination for a worker with a full-time year-round Yukon job offer in NOC TEER 4 or 5.
Express Entry-linked nomination for an eligible skilled worker with a full-time year-round Yukon job offer.
Nomination for a worker with a full-time year-round Yukon job offer in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Investment
3 routes
LMIA-exempt temporary work route for an eligible trader or investor carrying out qualifying substantial trade or investment activity under an applicable agreement.
Quebec permanent selection route for investor program.
Temporary work permit for a Quebec investor-program applicant holding the required Quebec notice of intention to select.
Business & self-employment
22 routes
Nomination for an experienced farmer with the resources and plan to buy or establish an Alberta farming business.
Entrepreneur nomination for qualifying foreign graduates launching an innovative start-up in Alberta through a designated agency.
Entrepreneur nomination for graduates of approved Alberta post-secondary institutions who will establish or operate an Alberta business.
Entrepreneur nomination route to start or buy a business in a participating rural Alberta community.
Business nomination route to establish or acquire and actively manage a qualifying B.C. business.
Business nomination route to establish a new enterprise aligned with a participating regional community's priorities.
Corporate nomination route for an established foreign corporation expanding into B.C. and proposing eligible key staff.
Business nomination route for an experienced entrepreneur who establishes or purchases and operates a Manitoba business.
Business nomination route for an experienced farmer with sufficient capital to establish a rural Manitoba farm business.
Business nomination pilot for eligible Manitoba graduates who establish and operate a business under a performance agreement.
Business nomination route for an experienced entrepreneur who will establish and operate a New Brunswick business.
Nomination for an experienced entrepreneur who establishes, co-manages or purchases and operates a Newfoundland and Labrador business.
Nomination for an eligible provincial graduate who owns and operates a Newfoundland and Labrador business.
Nomination for an entrepreneur prepared to open, purchase or invest in and actively operate an NWT business.
Nomination for an experienced entrepreneur who starts, acquires and actively operates a Nova Scotia business.
Entrepreneur nomination route requiring the applicant to move to PEI on a work permit, operate the approved business and satisfy a performance agreement before nomination.
Quebec permanent selection route for entrepreneur program - already started business profile.
Quebec permanent selection route for entrepreneur program - business start-up profile.
Quebec permanent selection route for entrepreneur program - existing innovative project profile.
Quebec permanent selection route for entrepreneur program - innovative business start-up profile.
Quebec permanent selection route for self-employed worker program.
Business nomination route for a foreign entrepreneur who establishes and actively operates a qualifying Yukon business.
Talent & merit
1 route
Quebec permanent selection pathway under Stream 4 - Exceptional Talent.
Study
11 routes
Study-permit pilot for French-speaking citizens of listed countries studying in French at a participating DLI outside Quebec, with a possible later permanent residence route.
Time-limited permanent residence pathway for qualifying Hong Kong residents under Stream A - In-Canada Graduates.
Nomination for a recent Manitoba master's or doctoral graduate who completed an eligible internship.
Nomination pilot for eligible graduates of designated New Brunswick private career colleges with qualifying employment.
Nomination for an eligible recent graduate with qualifying employment in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nomination for an eligible Nova Scotia post-secondary graduate with a related provincial job offer.
Nomination for a graduate of a publicly funded PEI institution with qualifying provincial employment.
Temporarily reopened PEQ Quebec Graduates Stream for applicants who already met the published cutoff conditions.
Temporary permit for study at a Canadian designated learning institution.
Report-only exemption for specified short programs and protected categories that may study without a study permit.
Work authorization attached to eligible study status for on-campus, off-campus and qualifying mandatory placement work.
Family
9 routes
Permanent residence sponsorship for a partner who has cohabited with the sponsor in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months.
Permanent residence sponsorship for an overseas conjugal partner where a serious barrier prevents marriage or cohabitation.
Permanent residence sponsorship for a qualifying dependent child.
Family-class permanent residence process for a child adopted or to be adopted abroad.
Open work permit for eligible in-Canada family-class applicants while their permanent residence sponsorship is processed.
Permanent residence sponsorship for an orphaned sibling, nephew, niece or grandchild.
Narrow family-class route allowing sponsorship of one other related person when the sponsor has no closer sponsorable relative and no qualifying relative in Canada.
Long-duration multiple-entry visitor route for the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Permanent residence sponsorship for a legally married spouse aged at least 18.
Residence-based status
4 routes
Permanent residence class for qualifying temporary resident permit holders after continuous residence in Canada.
In-Canada permanent residence application for a person recognized by the IRB or IRCC as a Convention refugee or person in need of protection.
Permanent residence application for a protected temporary resident admitted on a temporary resident permit after an overseas urgent-protection determination.
In-Canada visitor record used to extend visitor status or change from worker or student status to visitor.
Youth mobility
3 routes
Youth mobility employer-specific work permit for an eligible student completing a Canadian placement required for studies.
Youth mobility route providing an open work permit to eligible citizens of participating countries or recognized-organization clients.
Youth mobility route providing an employer-specific permit for professional development with an eligible Canadian employer.
Cultural, religious & volunteer
1 route
For a foreign national coming to perform work of a genuinely religious nature who is part of or shares the beliefs of the religious community. Being employed by a religious body is not enough.
Short stay & visit
4 routes
Short business visit for international commercial activity without entering the Canadian labour market.
Electronic travel authorization for an eligible visa-exempt foreign national flying to or transiting through Canada.
Temporary resident visa for a visa-required traveller visiting Canada.
Short business or speaking activity that does not enter the Canadian labour market and qualifies for a work-permit exemption.
Humanitarian protection
9 routes
Cost-shared refugee resettlement in which Canada identifies a visa-office-referred refugee and an eligible private sponsor provides settlement support.
Overseas resettlement pathway for a vulnerable refugee referred to Canada by UNHCR or another designated referral organization.
Extended joint support for a government-assisted refugee with special settlement needs, delivered by IRCC, a SAH and settlement providers.
Open work permit for an eligible in-Canada refugee claimant while the protection claim is pending.
Protective open work permit for an employer-specific permit holder experiencing or at risk of workplace abuse.
Exceptional discretionary in-Canada permanent residence request for a foreign national needing an exemption from ordinary statutory requirements.
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Overseas refugee resettlement through an existing Canadian Sponsorship Agreement Holder or its authorized constituent group.
In-Canada or port-of-entry protection process for a person claiming Convention refugee protection or protection as a person in need.
Sports
1 route
Short-term work-permit exemption for specified athletes, coaches, judges, media crews and performing artists.
Transit
1 route
Free transit visa for a visa-required traveller passing through a Canadian airport for 48 hours or less.
Other & special
2 routes
Discretionary temporary permit for an otherwise inadmissible person with a compelling reason to enter or remain in Canada.
Institutional work-permit exemption for specified foreign representatives, military personnel, expert witnesses and related functions.
Official sources
- splashGovernment
- [NSO] Statistics CanadaGovernment
- Employment and Social Development CanadaGovernment
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