Guide to apply for Canada’s 2024-2026 immigration levels plan from Nigeria

The Federal Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its Immigration Levels Plan for the years 2023 to 2026. The plan outlines the number of immigrants the country plans to welcome and provides guidance for prospective immigrants on the application process.

For 2023, the IRCC plans to admit over 465,000 immigrants to Canada. In 2024, the number is expected to rise to around 485,000 permanent residents, with an additional 500,000 immigrants targeted for both 2025 and 2026.

In the sponsorship category, the spousal, partner, and children program is set to admit 82,000 individuals in 2024, increasing to 84,000 in both 2025 and 2026. The parents and grandparents program aims to welcome 32,000 immigrants in 2024 and 34,000 immigrants in both 2025 and 2026.

Furthermore, the federal high-skilled program and caregivers are expected to admit 110,770 immigrants in 2024, followed by 117,500 in both 2025 and 2026.

The IRCC invites candidates with the highest scores in the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence. Prospective immigrants can follow these steps:

1. Check eligibility for Express Entry programs by answering a few questions to ensure minimum requirements are met.

2. If eligible, submit a profile and get ranked in the Express Entry pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System.

3. Prepare required documents, including passport/travel documents, language test results, proof of Canadian education, proof of funds, police certificates, medical exams, and birth certificates. These documents will be needed for the application. Upload copies of these documents used for the profile.

4. Complete the Express Entry profile with accurate information. Candidates in the pool will receive a CRS score, although being in the pool doesn’t guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

5. Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will receive invitations to apply from IRCC, with a 60-day window to submit the permanent residence application.