Canada
Ottawa · North America
One of the few countries where a qualified applicant can obtain permanent residence directly, without a job offer, through a points-ranked pool. Immigration levels were reduced from 2025, which has raised the score needed in practice. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants under separate rules.
- G7
- USMCA
- Commonwealth
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Currency
- CAD $
- Language
- English
- Population
- 41.5M
- Long-stay routes
- 4
- Route to permanent residence
- Yes
- Unemployment
- 6.6%
- Drives on the
- Right
Canadian dollar
2 recognised
2024 estimate
Soonest, 1 years
2025, indicative
+1
Entry and short stays
What your passport allows before any long-stay permission is involved.
Reading your passport selection…
Can I live here?
Every long-stay route this country publishes, checked against what you tell us. The checking happens in your browser.
About you
Stored in this browser only. Never sent anywhere.
Before tax, in the currency you earn.
Reading your answers…
Nothing here is an approval, and nothing here is advice. Only the authority deciding your application can tell you the answer, and it will weigh things this tool does not model.
Long-stay routes
Stored as structured records, so the same data drives the checks above, the comparison view and the checklists.
Express Entry (federal economic programmes)
Permanent residenceNot a visa but a ranked pool. You submit a profile, receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score, and wait for a round of invitations. An invitation leads directly to permanent residence — there is no temporary stage.
- Income needed
- Not stated
- Leads to settlement
- No
Employer-specific work permit
EmploymentA temporary permit tied to one employer. Most require a labour market impact assessment first; intra-company transfers and several treaty categories are exempt.
- Income needed
- Not stated
- Leads to settlement
- After 1 years
Study permit
StudyFor people admitted to a designated learning institution. A post-graduation work permit can follow, though eligibility was narrowed in 2024 and 2025 and study permit numbers are now capped.
- Income needed
- Not stated
- Leads to settlement
- After 3 years
Start-up Visa
EntrepreneurPermanent residence for founders whose business is backed by a designated venture fund, angel group or incubator. The backing letter is the binding constraint, and the backlog is long.
- Income needed
- Not stated
- Leads to settlement
- No
Cost of living
An estimate you can shape. It is not survey data and it is not a quote.
| Category | Monthly range |
|---|---|
| Housing | CA$1,500 – CA$2,600 |
| Food | CA$450 – CA$750 |
| Utilities | CA$150 – CA$300 |
| Internet | CA$70 – CA$120 |
| Transport | CA$110 – CA$350 |
| Healthcare | CA$0 – CA$150 |
| Everything else | CA$300 – CA$650 |
| Total | CA$2,580 – CA$4,920 |
| Suggested monthly buffer | CA$5,904 |
Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.
Worth knowing. Modelled estimate. Healthcare is publicly funded for residents but dental, vision and prescriptions usually are not. Childcare costs vary enormously by province because of the subsidised-fee agreements.
Housing
A federal prohibition restricts non-Canadians from buying certain residential property and has been extended to the start of 2027. Exceptions exist, including for permanent residents, some temporary residents meeting conditions, and property outside census metropolitan and agglomeration areas. Several provinces levy additional foreign-buyer and speculation taxes.
What landlords usually ask for
- Credit check, which is difficult without Canadian credit history
- Proof of employment or income
- References from previous landlords
- Sometimes several months paid in advance in place of credit history
Realtor.ca (opens in a new tab)Rentals.ca (opens in a new tab)
Worth knowing. The purchase prohibition and its exceptions are detailed — check the current regulations before committing.
Healthcare
Publicly funded medically necessary care, administered province by province. Dental, vision and outpatient prescriptions largely sit outside it and are usually covered by employer plans.
- If you live there
- Permanent residents and most work permit holders qualify for provincial cover; some provinces impose a waiting period of up to three months during which private insurance is needed.
- If you are visiting
- Visitors are not covered and face full costs. Travel insurance is essential.
Tax
- Tax residency threshold
- 183 days
- Taxes worldwide income
- Yes, for residents
- Income tax range
- 15% – 33%
- VAT or sales tax
- 5%
Residency turns on significant residential ties — a home, a spouse, dependants — rather than on day counting alone, though 183 days creates deemed residency.
Remote workers. Canada has no remote-worker permit. Working remotely from Canada as a visitor is not addressed in the visitor rules, and a stay long enough to establish residential ties creates Canadian tax residency.
Social insurance. Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance contributions are deducted from employment income up to annual maximums. Provincial income tax is levied on top of the federal rates shown here.
Capital gains. A portion of capital gains is included in taxable income; the inclusion rate has been the subject of repeated legislative change, so confirm the current position.
Worth knowing. Federal rates only; provincial rates add substantially. The GST figure excludes provincial sales taxes.
Work and the labour market
Conditions in the labour market, which is a different claim from how many jobs are open right now. This product does not pretend to know the second from static data.
- Unemployment
- 6.6%
- Youth unemployment
- 14%
- Average earnings
- CA$5,600 / mo
- Minimum wage
- CA$2,900 / mo
Worth knowing. Minimum wages are set provincially; the figure shown is a full-time equivalent of a mid-range provincial rate.
Sectors
- HealthcaregrowingSustained shortages of nurses and physicians, with provincial licensing the main barrier for foreign-trained staff.
- Skilled trades and constructiongrowingTargeted by category-based Express Entry rounds.
- TechnologystableConcentrated in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver; hiring cooled after 2023.
Occupations in shortage
Healthcare occupations
The subject of dedicated Express Entry rounds with lower score cut-offs than general rounds.
Skilled trades
Also targeted by category-based rounds.
French-speaking applicants in any occupation
French ability is the single most effective way to raise a CRS score and attracts dedicated rounds.
Cities
A country-wide average hides a lot. Where we have city data, use it instead.
Toronto
The largest city and the deepest job market, particularly for finance and technology. Housing costs are the principal constraint on living there.
One adult, monthly: CA$3,200 – CA$4,600
Montréal
Substantially cheaper than Toronto or Vancouver, with a strong technology and creative sector. Working French is a practical necessity for most local roles, and Quebec runs its own immigration selection.
One adult, monthly: CA$2,500 – CA$3,600
Vancouver
The mildest climate of any major Canadian city and the most expensive housing in the country.
One adult, monthly: CA$3,400 – CA$4,800
Sources
Every claim on this page traces to one of these. If something here matters to a decision you are making, read it there.
Authorities for Canada
- IRCC — immigrate, work, study and visit Canada (opens in a new tab)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · National immigration authority
- Express Entry — the application management system for several economic programmes (opens in a new tab)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · National immigration authority
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) for visa-exempt air travellers (opens in a new tab)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · National immigration authority
- IRCC fee list (opens in a new tab)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada · National immigration authority