Moving to Canada from Iran: Visas, Express Entry and Security Screening

Iranians are a large group of skilled immigrants and graduate students in Canada, especially in engineering, IT, health care, and research.

Business routes are limited: the federal Start-Up Visa closed on December 31, 2025, and the Self-Employed Persons Program is paused.

Iran is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries, so you need a visitor visa and can't use an eTA. The visa costs CAD $100 plus CAD $85 for biometrics, as of September 2026. If IRCC approves a study or work permit, it issues the visa at the same time.

No embassy or VAC in Iran. Canada closed its embassy in Tehran in 2012, and IRCC's visa application center finder lists no VAC in Iran. When there is no VAC in your country, IRCC lets you use any VAC. Many Iranians travel to a VAC in a nearby country such as Türkiye or the United Arab Emirates. Confirm the location on IRCC's VAC finder, and check that country's entry rules for Iranians, before you travel. See our biometrics guide.

Expect longer processing. IRCC's published times for applicants from Iran are often much longer than average. For example, its processing time for work permits from Iran was 36 weeks as of September 22, 2026. Check the processing times tool for current figures, and don't resign from a job or sell property until you have a decision.

Canada applies extra rules to some Iranian nationals:

• Regime designation (2022). In November 2022, Canada designated the Iranian regime under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Senior officials of the regime, including people who held certain senior government, military, security, and judicial positions, are inadmissible.
• IRGC listing (2024). In June 2024, Canada listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
• Military service. Most Iranian men complete mandatory military service. IRCC asks about it in detail, and service in some units or roles can lead to more questions and delays.

If you worked for the government, served with the IRGC or security forces, or are unsure how these rules apply to you, talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you apply. Answer every question fully and honestly: leaving out service or employment can be treated as misrepresentation, which carries a 5-year ban. See inadmissibility.

Express Entry is the main route for Iranian professionals, many of whom hold master's degrees or doctorates and have technical experience.

Express Entry covers three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. From abroad, most people use FSW: at least 1 year of continuous skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) in the last 10 years, CLB 7 in English or French, an educational credential assessment for foreign degrees, 67 points on the FSW grid, and settlement funds (CAD $15,263 for one person in IRCC's current proof of funds table). Candidates are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and job offers stopped adding CRS points on March 25, 2025. Check your score with the CRS calculator.

2026 categories and how they fit:

Between July and mid-September 2026, French draws invited 5,000 candidates each with cutoffs of 382 to 420, a health care draw cut off at 475, and CEC draws at 516 to 523. There were no STEM, education, or trades draws in that period. See 2026 Express Entry categories and the draw tracker.

Settlement funds. Sanctions can make it hard to move money out of Iran. IRCC needs funds that are available to you and documented, so plan early how you will hold and show them, and get advice if your savings are in Iran.

Iranian students are well represented in Canadian master's and PhD programs, which don't need a PAL/TAL at public universities in 2026. Study permits for applicants from Iran often take much longer than average, so apply as soon as your admission allows.

Study permits in 2026. Canada caps new study permit applications: in 2026 IRCC accepts about 309,670 applications that need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Most college and bachelor's students need one; master's and doctoral students at public institutions don't. You must show tuition plus living funds (CAD $23,448 for one person outside Quebec, for applications from September 1, 2026). See the study permit page and the 2026 cap.

After graduating, a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) needs CLB 7 for university graduates or CLB 5 for college graduates, and non-degree programs must be in an eligible field. Canadian study and work can add CRS points and lead to the Canadian Experience Class.

Work permits. Most foreign workers need a job offer and a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the employer; see LMIA work permits. Low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas for July 10 to October 8, 2026 (details). Tech employers can use the Global Talent Stream, and multinationals can use an intra-company transfer.

Working holiday: Iran is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner country, so Iranian citizens can't get an IEC working holiday permit.

If your spouse or partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you through spousal sponsorship, which is open in 2026 and usually has no minimum income rule. Parents can also sponsor dependent children. The Parents and Grandparents Program stopped taking new interest to sponsor forms on July 15, 2026, but the Super Visa still lets parents and grandparents visit for long periods.

If you fear persecution in Iran, Canada's refugee system may protect you. Claims are made from inside Canada, while people outside Canada need a referral or private sponsorship. See asylum in Canada and refugee resettlement, and talk to a lawyer before acting.

Language tests. IRCC accepts five tests for permanent residence: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. IELTS Academic and PTE Academic don't count for Express Entry. Results are valid for 2 years. IELTS General Training has been available in several Iranian cities, but availability changes, and PTE Core and CELPIP-General are generally not offered in Iran. Check each provider's website for current centers, and plan to travel if your test isn't available. Convert your scores with the CLB converter and read the language tests guide.

Credential assessment. If you studied outside Canada, you need an educational credential assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organization, such as World Education Services (WES), for FSW eligibility and CRS points. Doctors use the Medical Council of Canada and pharmacists use the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada. An ECA is valid for 5 years.

Police certificate. IRCC asks for a police certificate from each country where you spent 6 months or more in a row since age 18, usually after you apply for permanent residence. Iranians get a certificate of no criminal record from the Iranian police, through a Police+10 office or online through the Sana system if you are in Iran. From abroad, apply at the nearest Iranian embassy. Because Iran's embassy in Canada is closed, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers an alternative process for Iranians living in Canada, which IRCC's page describes. Full details: IRCC's police certificate instructions for Iran. See our police certificates guide.

You will also need an immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician when IRCC asks for it.

Iranian Canadians live mainly in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario (North York, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill), Metro Vancouver in British Columbia (North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Coquitlam), Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Persian-language media, cultural centers, and professional networks help newcomers settle.