Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways To Japa will speak to real people and explore the infinite number of reasons and paths they use to get to Japa
Toyo* (28) had been planning to leave Nigeria since 2018, but a serious illness put her plans on hold till 2023. In this story, she shares everything she knows about Canada’s Express Entry system and how other Nigerians can secure permanent residency.
Where do you live now, and when did you relocate from Nigeria?
I left Nigeria in 2023, and I live in Canada.
How did the big move happen?
I moved here as a permanent resident through the Express Entry pool. Express entry is basically a route that allows you to come in as a skilled worker or tradesperson. I came in through the Federal Skilled Worker stream, allowing me to live and work anywhere in Canada except Quebec.
Can you walk me through the Express Entry process?
I started by doing my research on Nairaland. I also have a sibling who moved through the same route, so it was easy for me to pick her brain on certain things. In addition to these, I joined Telegram groups, where people talked extensively about the process. When I finally decided on the route I wanted to relocate through, I evaluated my degree through the World Education Services (WES) and wrote the IELTS exam.
At the time, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which earned applicants a spot in the express pool, was rapidly increasing. To meet the required CRS score, I was required to have three years of work experience, which I didn’t have.
I knew my chances were low, but luckily, my sister had been a permanent resident since 2018, so this automatically earned me an additional 15 points.
Another requirement I struggled with was the IELTS score. I needed to score at least eight in the Listening section and seven in the remaining three IELTS sections. I didn’t hit the cutoff mark. I got 6.5 in Reading, 7 in Writing and Speaking, and 9 in Listening.
I had to take the IELTS several times because I didn’t get the required band, which was important for my CRS. There’s something called maximising your chances. You can do that by taking French classes or getting another degree. You can also do that by getting a high IELTS score, and that’s what I was trying to do. Unfortunately, I fell seriously ill in 2018, and I had to take a step back from relocation plans.
ALSO READ: How to Pass the IELTS on Your First Try, According to Band 7.5 Students Who Did It
Sorry about that…
I recovered and resumed my relocation plan in 2019. I tried IELTS again, and I got my desired band scores. By then, I had finally gained 3 years of working experience, so everything was already lining up for me. I had also started a postgraduate diploma because I wanted extra scores to boost my profile. Ass of March 2020, my score was 451, but then COVID happened, and everything shut down.
By the time COVID was over, I had finished my postgraduate course, and my score had gone up to 486. Canada did a surprise draw on one random Tuesday, and I was selected. They selected people who had scored 469 and above, and I was one of them. After getting selected, I had to do my medicals and get a bank statement showing that I had the required funds, which was around 13,000 Canadian dollars then. I also had to make sure I had my certificate from the two institutions where I did my degrees, and get a work reference from my place of work.
After putting those requirements together, I gathered proof that showed that my sister was living in Canada (one PR card, two utility bills, my sister’s birth certificate and my birth certificate to showthat we were siblings). I added them to the other documents and submitted my application in December 2020.
Due to how COVID slowed things down, it took 14 months before getting approval. I was finally asked to provide additional documents for my application by February 2022, but the process ended in April 2022, and I became a permanent resident.
Mine took a while, but the timeline varies. People are now getting their permanent resident approval within four months of submission.
Do you have tips to help Nigerians get through the application process?
The CRS score is now very high. Immigration rules are changing in Canada so it’s going to be more difficult getting a visa this year.
My first tip is to maximise your chances and be strategic. The good thing is that Canada has introduced different streams, such as the health care stream. Find out which stream works for you and don’t focus exclusively on Express Entry. There’s also the Provincial Nomination, which works according to different provinces. For example, if you’re interested in living in Ontario, you’ll need to figure out the nomination process. Some provinces give you an extra point if you already have a friend there.
All the necessary information is on the Canadian government’s website. You should also join social media groups where people share their application experiences.
Another thing I’ll also recommend is that you remain extra careful of fake agents. I applied all by myself, and so did my sister. If you want to use an agent, request a registration code. If the person is a registered immigration consultant in Canada, they get a code from the Canadian government. Once you get that code from the agent, you can search Canada’s website again to see if they are legit or not.
Can you give me an estimate of what you spent?
As I mentioned earlier, my proof of funds was around 13,000 Canadian dollars, which was about ₦5 million in 2020
My medical was around ₦100,000, and the WES evaluation was about 210 Canadian dollars. I can’t remember how much I paid for IELTS then, but I know it’s now about ₦280,000.
How are you enjoying Canada so far?
It’s been amazing. There are many opportunities here. Being a permanent resident also helps because I can shuffle between Canada and Nigeria every now and then.
Love that for you. On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in Canada?
It’s a solid eight out of ten for me.
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