Canada is renowned for a lot of impressive reputations. From being a first world country and one of the most educated countries in the world to be the best G20 country in the world for business, the list is lengthy.
Each year, the Canadian government opens its broad arms to welcome over 300,000 immigrants. This is reflective of the fact that the country appreciates the diversity and cross-cultural influence it enjoys from accommodating thousands of immigrants annually.
So 1 in every 5 Canadian citizens is an immigrant according to the Canadian Immigration Service. Certainly, Nigerians are in that percentage and the number will continue to soar based on our love for greener pastures.
From those statistics, you can at least come to reasonable terms that to get a job in Canada from Nigeria isn’t rocket science or an alien concept. Although it isn’t as easy as snacking, it’s simply possible.
Every year, Nigerians emigrate to Canada for different purposes – work and education being in the frontline. The standard of living is high, the pay is super (at least 11 dollars per hour for menial job workers) and the Canadian government is seeking for more immigrants to strengthen its workforce.
With that in mind let’s answer the question “how to get a job in Canada from Nigeria” that have endured up to this point.
How to Get a Job in Canada from Nigeria
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There are four legitimate routes or ways to get a job in Canada right from your Nigerian home. They include;
- A written job offer (from a Canadian Company)
- Express entry
- Intra-Company Transfers
Let’s start with the first
1. A Written Job Offer
This might seem like a long-shot but in the end, it’s worth all the attempts and it is possible to achieve. Getting a job in Canada through this route will have you applying for jobs in Canadian companies from Nigeria through their websites where vacancies are listed.
When your application is successful, you are issued a written job offer inviting you to come work in Canada. Your employer secures a visa for you and ensures you have a smooth passage to Canada. A working visa is issued to you by the Canadian government through of course the assistance of your employer.
However, there are few things need to know about this process. They are:
- You need to be a professional in your field. It’s very competitive out there so you don’t end up being redundant.
- You must possess a strong educational background in your chosen discipline. A Bachelor’s degree would suffice and masters or PhD will surely increase your chances.
- Working experience is a natural requirement. Canada won’t hire a rookie or a fresh graduate unless you graduated from one of their universities where you can have access to a post-graduate work permit.
- You will need to prepare and send your resume across and finally
- You need to have a valid passport.
When you have all the aforementioned requirements in place, then you can start by applying for jobs in Canada through the following job sites
- Workopolis.com
- Monster.com
- Canada jobs.com
- Eluta.com
There are more sites that you can check to apply for jobs, utilize Google to find them.
Read Also: How To Legally Relocate to Canada Within 3-6 Months Using an Untapped Visa Route in 2020
2. Express Entry
The Express Entry is a system under the Federal Economic Immigration program of the Canadian Government. To be successful in this application, you will be processed under any of the following categories;
The Federal Skilled Worker Program or
The Federal Skilled Trades Program
After applying to be eligible, you will be graded based on your performance in the following ratings;
- The level of your vocational skills which has a total of 25 points.
- Your working experience. And your score needs to fall in between 9 and 16 points to scale through.
- Your English speaking and writing skills. This is very important. You need to start brushing up this skill if you intend applying. You can also take international English tests like the IELTS or TOEFL to be fully prepared. If your French is good, you also stand a chance of scoring higher since some regions in Canada like Quebec speak French. The highest point here is 28.
- You are accorded points according to your age. The younger you are, the higher your score. The age range for high scores is from 18-35. Above this age, your points are reduced. If you fall in that youthful age bracket, you are given 12 points which are a standard.
- Your ability to immerse and acclimatize yourself with the culture and way of life of Canada and it’s a citizen is also a part of the ratings. This has a total of 12 points. Having previous western world experience will be of tremendous help here.
- The total point is 100, however, if you can manage to score up to 67 or 70, you will scale through.
Read Also: How to Get a Job in Dubai from Nigeria
This is by far, the most popular, surest and most legitimate route to getting a job in Canada. This doesn’t mean that getting your dream job in one of the world’s most elegant nations through this route is awfully cheap. You have to be qualified to the latter to achieve this and sometimes, it could consume a whole year to get this done. After a year, you can reapply for the process again. It’s that tough – only the most qualified are selected.
That being said, let’s delve right into how you can get this done rightly.
1. For starters, you have to visit this site cic.gc.ca and register with them.
2. After your registration is complete, the site will furnish you with a comprehensive list of job vacancies in Canada, then you can start applying according to your area of expertise.
3. You will also be required to provide genuine information about you. If your application is successful in one of the companies, the information you provided about you will be verified. If they are found to be untrue, you will be disqualified. The information you need to supply correctly includes; your complete bio-data, skills, educational qualifications, work experience and many others that may be demanded of you.
4. You will know if your application is successful by your mail. A mail will be sent to you from mail express congratulating on your appointment and inviting you to apply for a work permit. You can then go ahead to apply for a work permit at the Canadian Immigration Service with all your verifiable documents which should include your international passport, resume and your credentials.
An important tip here – remember to polish your English speaking and writing skills to raise your chances.
Essentially, that’s how the Express Entry system works.
And lastly;
3. Intra-Company Transfers
This route of getting a job in Canada is only possible if you are working already and the company is headquartered in Canada or has a branch there. The company can decide to transfer you to Canada. This way, you are eligible for a work permit which is facilitated by the company. This can be for a limited period of time or for a very long time. Either way, you will find yourself working in Canada and living freely.
Read Also: How To Legally Relocate to Canada Within 3-6 Months Using an Untapped Visa Route in 2020
Other things to Note About How to Get a Job in Canada from Nigeria
Beware of fraudulent schemes promising to grant you a hitch-free passage to Canada with a job waiting for you. Only trust reputable agencies if you can’t do it yourself.
You can decide to study in Canada and apply. If it’s successful, you will be granted a student Visa. On your graduation, you can work for up to three years in Canada using a Post Graduate Work Permit.
You can still take your chances with a visiting visa. If you have a relative in Canada, the person can sponsor your visit to the country by inviting you and helping you out with the visa application process which is not so difficult compared to a permanent residence visa or work permit. You will have a month at most and you can look for a job with that time window. It’s the most unlikely pathway to getting a job in Canada but there’s no harm in taking chances. You could get lucky.
Work on your oral and written English skills. Canada needs to be certain you can communicate fluently in English and express yourself professionally in writing. If you can speak French fluently that’s a plus for you. All these are relevant skills you can develop in a little time frame with sheer commitment and consistency.
Finally, strive to achieve mastery in your field of endeavour. If you are in the educational sector, get that master’s degree and cap it with a PhD. If you are in the industrial sector, take professional safety courses online and offline and enrich your resume.
Additionally, strive for that promotion and be up the ladder. Canada is seeking for highly skilled immigrants to help develop their country the more and not mediocre employees.
