Do you dream of living in a world-class city? Make it happen in Canada! The Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities for 2019 includes not one, not two, but three Canadian cities in the top 10. Toronto tied with Tokyo for eighth place, Vancouver came in sixth and Calgary ranked fifth.

The three cities ranked high based on stability, education, the availability of quality health care, culture and environment, and infrastructure. Anyone who’s visited Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary can attest that they’re bustling cities with some of the most diverse populations in the world.

Canada is a vast country with breathtaking landscapes that draw visitors from all over the world. No matter where you are, you’ll only be a few steps away from nature. It’s true. You can take in the majestic Niagara Falls, shop and have a night out with your friends all in one place.

Another source of pride for Canadians is their national parks — wild places ranging from mountains to plains, boreal forests and tundra, to lakes and glaciers. Among these are Banff National Park, Auyuittuq National Park, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Fundy National Park and Georgian Bay Islands National Park. There is no shortage of places to discover and activities to do.

You’ll find camping sites and biking or hiking trails anywhere. You’ll probably have to learn to like snow, though, because all of Canada experiences winter. Some places can even get as low as -30°C (-22°F) or colder temperatures. The coldest day of 2021 was -66°C (-86.8°F), recorded in Nunavut on Feb. 6. If you ski and snowboard, this is another reason why you’d want to make the Great White North your home.

Don’t worry, it’s not all wilderness out there. Luxurious accommodations are available even in remote areas like Lake Louise and Whistler. If you ever want to see the Northern Lights, the Canadian prairies and northwest territories are prime spots to watch that, too.

Canada boasts a high-quality of life rating due to its universal health care system. Residents generally have access to emergency and basic health care services at no cost. Each province and territory is in charge of its own programs, so there might be a slight variation on coverage.

If you are entering the country as a permanent resident, check if the province or territory has a waiting period before you’ll be eligible to receive health benefits. For instance, Ontario and British Columbia have a waiting time of three months from when you arrive before you can apply for a health care card. However, if you’re moving to Alberta, you’re covered as soon as you arrive. If you’re entering Canada with a temporary foreign worker’s visa or as a full-time international student, your eligibility to receive care under the publicly funded health care system depends on the province or territory where you’re moving.

Out-of-pocket medical costs can be expensive in Canada if you’re not covered by any provincial plan. That's why it’s advisable that you get private health insurance coverage during the waiting period. When your health card arrives, you may still want to keep that private health insurance plan to pay for medical costs not covered by the provincial health plan, such as: Prescription medications, Dental care, Physiotherapy, Ambulance services and Vision care (e.g., prescription eyeglasses).

Just like most countries, Canada offers multiple education systems. You can choose to send your children to private schools, religious-backed schools, language-immersion schools and public schools. All other kinds of schools have fees that vary by institution. The publicly funded education system is free for residents of Canada until the 12th grade for all provinces and territories except Quebec.

Language-immersion schools offer curriculums that let students receive most of their classes in non-English languages, such as French, German and Mandarin. However, don’t expect to find these schools if you’re moving to a remote area because they’re available based on demand.

In terms of postsecondary education, many colleges and universities are subsidized by the Canadian government, allowing more students to acquire higher education. Canada is home to some of the world’s top universities. These include the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and McGill University.

This is why even though you may have to pay unsubsidized tuition fees, the country is still a popular choice for international students. This is thanks in part to Canada’s specially designed immigration laws that make it easy for international students to stay and work in the country permanently.

When you move to Canada, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find someone who speaks your native language. The nation has been home to immigrants since the 16th century, with open arms still to this day. Canada welcomes around 300,000 new immigrants yearly — one of the highest rates per population of any country in the world.

As population growth remains low and the current population ages, the country knows that its economic growth lies in immigration. To facilitate this, the Canadian government has unveiled new immigration streams to make permanent resident status easier for international graduates, essential workers and French speakers, among others. This ties to their plan to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, increasing 10,000 more incrementally until 2023.

You can immigrate to Canada through the Self-Employed Persons Program. It’s open to professional athletes or individuals in the arts and culture industry. To be admitted through the program, you must intend to become self-employed in the arts or athletics after coming to Canada.

Eligibility requirements:

• You have relevant experience working for yourself.
• You intend to become self-employed in the arts or athletics.
• You meet the program’s selection criteria.
• You and your spouse or dependents pass the medical requirements.
• You must complete the security requirements, which may include providing your biometrics.

Currently, the program’s selection criteria employs a points system. You’ll be assessed based on your education, experience, age, proficiency in English or French, and adaptability to life in Canada for a maximum possible points of 100. However, you only need 35 points to be eligible.

Through the self-employed permanent resident program, you can choose to live anywhere in Canada except Quebec. If you want to live in Quebec, the province has its own business immigration program. Similarly, Alberta’s Self-Employed Farmer Stream offered through the Provincial Nominee Program is geared toward experienced farm owners and operators. Both programs are separate and different from the federal Self-Employed Persons Program.

The Express Entry Immigration Program, as the name implies, is a quick route of entry to Canada. It’s open to skilled foreign workers, tradespersons and graduates proficient in English, French, or both. The process can be done entirely online, where you can easily track the status of your application.

Eligible individuals can apply for permanent residency through the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. If you’re successful, you’ll get an answer within six months — the timeline given for most applications.

The program uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that assigns scores to candidates. As an applicant, you’ll be ranked against other applicants based on your scores on education, career history and further personal details. You will then be entered into the Express Entry System.

Don’t worry if you receive a lower score initially; you have a chance to increase your points if you acquire additional work experience or retake a language test. Draws from the pool occur through the discretion of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). When the draws happen, top-ranking candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

When you receive a job offer in Canada, you’ll need a work permit. If you are hired under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, your potential employer may need to complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support your Canadian work permit application. It measures your eligibility to work in Canada based on market conditions. LMIA applications are submitted to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Basically, your employer needs the LMIA to prove that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is ready, willing and able to take the job. That’s why you’re being hired. To obtain an LMIA, employers must advertise the position for at least four weeks and prove that applicants couldn’t fulfill the job description.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is open to students, business people, skilled workers and semi-skilled workers who want to live in a specific Canadian province or territory. Under the program, the provinces and territories nominate individuals and families as permanent resident candidates.

To become eligible, individuals and families will submit applications to the respective province or territory. Then, they’ll be chosen as nominee candidates through criteria set by each province or territory based on their needs.

Within each provincial immigration program, there are subprograms and categories, also known as “streams.” For better chances of qualifying, you should familiarize yourself with the province you want to submit your application for. You should know what streams are open and the requirements for each.

The Family Sponsorship Program allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents to sponsor their relatives to immigrate to Canada. The program extends to partners, spouses, dependent children, parents, grandparents and other eligible family members. In the case of family sponsorship, both the sponsor and sponsored person must be approved by the IRCC for the sponsored person to receive Canadian permanent residence.

To sponsor a partner or a spouse, the following are required:

• You’re at least 18 years old.
• You’re a Canadian citizen – if living abroad, you’d need to prove that you plan to move back to Canada.
• You have a permanent resident status and are residing in Canada.
• You are registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
• You’re able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability.
• You can prove that you have enough income to provide for the basic needs of your partner and their grandchildren or dependent children, if any.
• Your spouse or common-law partner must also be at least 18 years old.
• You must be able to prove that your relationship is real and wasn’t entered into to obtain immigrant status in Canada.