Canada Expands Opportunities for Nigerians to Obtain Permanent Residency Status

Canada has launched new permanent residency pathways targeting Nigerian medical doctors and other foreign healthcare professionals through its Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP).

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced these updates on Thursday to streamline immigration for the medical sector, offering faster processing times and family inclusion.

Key Highlights of the New Immigration Pathways

Under the Express Entry requirements, medical doctors must have at least one year of full-time Canadian work experience within the last three years.

IRCC is also providing opportunities through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Under this category, over 5,000 federal immigration slots are reserved for doctors with job offers or provincial letters of support.

The new guidelines will also fast-track work permits for successful applicants. “Medical doctors nominated by a province or territory will also get a work permit processed in 14 days, so they can work while they wait for permanent residence,” IRCC stated.

Successful applicants can also fully integrate their family members into the permanent residency application.

“You can include your family members in your application,” the new guideline stated